Audit of the Historic Environment

U206835

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• management
• managers

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• Publié par: Ziom
• Nombre de lectures: 31
• Langue: English

Extrait

Stakeholder Advisory Group

Historic Environment Audit

Note of Meeting held on 19 December 2005 at 10am

Room G9, Longmore House, Historic Scotland

Present:

Gordon Barclay, Historic Scotland (chair)

Karen Robertson - Historic Scotland

Colin McLean - Heritage Lottery Fund

Diana Murray – RCAHMS

Stuart Crawford - HHA for Scotland

Alan Henderson – Scottish Society for Directors of Planning

Robin Turner – BEFS

Neil Galbraith – HEACS

Apologies:

Sheenagh Adams, Historic Scotland

Sarah Troughton HHA for Scotland

Dr Peter Burman – National Trust for Scotland

1.

Welcome and introductions

Gordon welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the external stakeholder

advisory group for the audit of the historic environment.

2.

Remit (Paper 1)

Karen outlined the draft remit for the stakeholder advisory group.

The group

discussed the paper and agreed the following:

•

In introduction, change wording of first sentence of point one to read

‘Historic Scotland have been asked to lead a project to establish and

maintain a regular audit of the historic environment.”

•

In remit section, add in “to consult with and inform the sector about the

audit”.

•

It was noted that the current SAG membership has a concentration of built

environment organisations.

Gordon suggested that SEERAD could be

invited to sit on the advisory group to represent rural affairs.

Agreed that

membership should to be kept under review .

[action:Karen/Gordon].

•

It will also be important to involve a wide range of stakeholders (who are

not members of the advisory group).

Agreed, at future meetings, to

discuss mechanisms to take messages about the audit to the wider sector

and how the wider public wants to be involved (e.g. seminars etc).

•

SAG members happy to receive all papers electronically via email.

Karen to revise the remit to reflect these suggestions

[action:Karen]

Post meeting note:

•

The Final Stakeholder Advisory Group remit is available at Annex 1.

Karen to provide HEACS report and Ministerial response to SAG

[action:

Karen].

Post meeting note:

•

The HEACS report is available by clicking the following link

http://www.heacs.org.uk/documents/2004/HEACSauditreport.pdf

•

Sheenagh confirmed that the Minister agreed that an audit should be

undertaken, following advice from HEACS.

HS has been commissioned to

undertake the audit and to work with the stakeholder advisory group to

agree the approach and share knowledge.

The Ministerial press release is

available at Annex 2.

Robin noted that BEFS had contributed to a small stakeholder group in 1996

as part of the 2001 LINK audit.

BEFS and LINK are working together as the Historic Environment Review

Task Force (convened by Andrea Smith).

Robin noted that this task force

could provide a useful mechanism to rally support from the sector.

3.

Purpose and scope of audit

(Paper 2)

Karen set out the main points on the purpose and scope of the audit.

The

group discussed the paper. The following key points were raised:

Resources/business case

•

HS asked to clarify resources available for project

[action:Karen].

Post meeting note:

Sheenagh has confirmed that each year the audit has

£200,000 available for consultancy and £50,000 available for staff.

•

Neil noted that a business case for additional resources needs to be

made.

•

There was discussion about the best time to prepare a business case –

balancing being in time to influence spending reviews with having enough

information to evidence a business case.

The group suggested that a

business case is drafted for discussion at June-06 meeting.

[action:Karen/Gordon].

Reporting

•

There was discussion about frequency of reporting.

The group agreed

that in principle a 3 yearly reporting cycle would be sufficient for

publication of a national report.

•

However, it was suggested that some headline data should also be made

available on an annual basis (as some data would need to be collected on

an annual basis anyhow).

•

It would also be useful to have annual progress reports to keep the sector

up to date on progress with the audit.

•

Karen noted that it was intended to release data onto the website as it

becomes available.

Definition:

•

Agreed that the term historic environment should be used rather than

heritage.

•

Discussed definition of historic environment and agreed to define the

historic environment as

“any or all of the structures and places in Scotland of historical,

archaeological or architectural interest or importance;”

(The Public

Appointments and Public Bodies etc (Scotland) Act 2003)

And for greater substance further to define the historic environment as “

an

umbrella

term which refers to aspects of our environment.

Our

environment, whether rural or urban, or land or underwater, has a

historical dimension that contributes to its quality and character.

This is

most obvious in our tangible built heritage of ancient monuments,

archaeological sites and landscapes, historic buildings, townscapes,

parks, gardens and designed landscapes, and other remains resulting

from human activity of all periods.

It encompasses the context, or setting,

in which these features sit and the patterns of past use in landscapes and

within the soil, and in the towns, villages and streets.

It also has less

tangible aspects recognised as the historical, artistic, literary, linguistic and

scenic associations of landscapes.

These various elements contribute

fundamentally to our sense of place and cultural identity

. (C

ontents and

moveable objects are regarded as inextricably part of the tangible aspects

of the historic environment

”) (Passed to the Future and HEACS report)

Methodologies

•

It was noted that The Scottish Museums Council had undertaken an audit

of museums and galleries and that

sportscotland

had undertaken an

audit of sports facilities.

Karen is liaising with these organisations to

assess if similar methodologies could be applied to the historic

environment audit

[action:Karen].

•

Diana suggested that it be made clearer that the first stage of the audit will

involve assessing data quality.

It should look at gaps in the knowledge

base as well as gaps in data.

•

Diana noted that the Royal commission holds a range of data and that the

audit provides an opportunity to clarify the usefulness of data to

stakeholders.

•

Neil noted that HEACS are commissioning an external contractor to gather

and analyse information on the tangible and intangible benefits of heritage.

They expect to report in March 2006. Neil will keep the group informed

[action: Neil].

•

It will be important for the audit to feed into a broader research strategy

and to influence other research agendas.

Karen explained that HS staff

would be meeting early in the new year to discuss preparing a research

strategy for the agency – and how best to work with other organisations

who commission/carryout research.

IT

•

Gordon noted that different sectors have their own datasets and that these

resources must be pulled together to provide Ministers and others with

better information on which to base decision making.

•

Neil noted that it would be important to consider IT requirements early on

and to consider funding.

•

There was general agreement that the audit should not seek to build new

databases, but should focus on networking existing databases together,

building on the successes of HS and RCAHMS in this area.

•

Gordon noted that much of the data is likely to be geo referenced for use

with a geographic information system.

4.

External Commissions (Paper 3)

The group discussed the proposed external commissions and agreed the

following:

•

The project on social attitudes to heritage is likely to be a worthwhile piece

of research.

However, it should not be done as part of the audit – or

charged to the audit budget.

There was general agreement that this is not

a core part of the audit and the group feel that taking this forward now

would pull funding and management resources away from other areas.

Agreed not to pursue this project as part of the audit.

•

That a two stage external commission is tendered as follows:

Stage 1:

To identify sources of data, assess data quality and identify data

gaps. This should include identification of both actual and

potential data sources (i.e. proxies such as land use change).

To ensure this project remains focused, agreed that we need to

initially set out the kinds of questions we are hoping to answer

with the audit.

Gordon noted that refinement of these questions

will come from wider consultation.

Stage 2:

To gather, analyse and report key data in a format suitable for

dissemination to the sector.

Agreed that

HS to prepare the list of questions (with reference to BEFS

and HEACS work), and revise the research brief.

These to be circulated

to SAG by email for comment

[action:Karen].

Tendering process

•

The SAG members noted that they are keen to be involved in the tendering

process.

HS to clarify how this can best be facilitated (i.e. via presentations or

commenting on tenders etc)

[action:Karen]

•

Karen noted that Ian Baxter (Glasgow Caledonian University) has expressed

an interest in tendering for audit work.

Karen asked SAG members to email

suggestions of other consultants who would be well-placed to tender for this

type of work

[action: all SAG members].

5.

Branding and website

Karen tabled a paper setting out some suggested text for inclusion on Historic

Scotland’s website.

SAG members to provide comments to Karen by early

January

[action: all SAG members].

All agreed that it is important that the audit is seen not just as a HS project,

but that the product is shared by the sector as a whole

Karen explained that HS were aiming to set up a micro website that would

look and feel independent to HS website.

Robin noted that a slash /website

address would be useful.

Agreed to discuss website plans and branding for

the audit in more detail at next meeting.

6.

Dates of next meetings

It was noted that not all SAG members can attend the proposed meetings on

7 March and 6 June.

HS to reschedule meetings to allow all SAG

representatives to attend

[action: Karen].

Gordon noted that continuity of representatives would be important for the

SAG.

And that representatives should try to attend in person rather than

sending substitutions.

The later dates for the quarterly meetings in 2006 will remain as:

•

Tuesday 5 September, 10am, Longmore House

•

Tuesday 5 December, 10am, Longmore House

Karen Robertson

Heritage audit\External Advisory Group\Note of Meeting 19 Dec 05

Annex 1

Final Remit

Stakeholder Advisory Group: Historic Environment Audit

Introduction

1. Historic Scotland have been asked to lead a project to establish and maintain a regular

audit of the historic environment. This work is an important opportunity to develop the

evidence base for the historic environment sector and promote collaboration and joint

working.

This paper sets out the remit and membership of a Stakeholder Advisory

Group which will oversee the development of this project.

Remit

2. The purpose of the Stakeholder Advisory Group is to take an overview of all aspects of

the historic environment audit in order to:

i.

act as the primary regular mechanism for senior members of stakeholder

organisations to come together to influence and understand the development

and evolution of the historic environment audit;

ii.

provide advice on data sources for the audit and facilitate the sharing of

knowledge and data;

iii.

co-ordinate the first Scottish report on the “state of the historic environment’;

iv.

act as a consultative forum for material to be made available on the website;

v.

consult with and inform the sector about the audit;

vi.

manage the sector’s expectations in relation to the audit; and

vii.

co-ordinate the development of a business plan for further development of the

evidence base available to the historic environment sector.

Membership

3. Membership of the group will include senior representatives from the:

a)

Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland;

b)

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland;

c)

Historic Houses Association in Scotland;

d)

Scottish Society for Directors of Planning;

e)

National Trust for Scotland;

f)

Built Environment Forum for Scotland; and

g)

Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland (HEACS).

The Director of Heritage Policy (Historic Scotland) will chair meetings.

A list of individual members is attached at Appendix A.

Membership will be kept under review.

Possible areas of work in 2005/6

4. In 2005/6, the Stakeholder Advisory Group may consider:

•

The Stakeholder Advisory Group remit;

•

The purpose, scope and approach to the audit;

•

Appropriate methodologies for conducting the audit;

•

Data sources;

•

Briefs for external contracts, as necessary, to collect and analyse data;

•

The outline for the first Scottish report on the ‘state of the historic environment’

•

Priorities for stakeholder consultation;

•

Priorities for thematic studies and reports;

Meetings, business outside meetings and review

5. The group will meet quarterly.

6. Members will occasionally be asked to comment on papers and draft reports (between

meetings) by email.

7. Historic Scotland will agree dates and venues of meetings well in advance and will

always give at least seven days’ notice of the agenda of all meetings.

8. Historic Scotland will minute the proceedings and decisions of the stakeholder advisory

group meetings.

9. The work of the Stakeholder Advisory Group will be reviewed after a year of operation

to assess its future role and how it is working.

Stakeholder Advisory Group Members

Appendix A

Organisation

Name

Contact

Number

Historic Scotland

(Chair)

Sheenagh Adams

Director, Heritage Policy

Room G47, Longmore House

Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH

[e-mail]

0131 668 8727

Historic Scotland

Gordon Barclay, Head of Heritage Policy

Longmore House

[e-mail]

0131 668 ?

Historic Scotland

Karen Robertson

Project Manager, Heritage Audit

Room 2.9, Longmore House

[e-mail]

0131 668 8906

Heritage Lottery Fund in

Scotland

Colin McLean

Manager for Scotland

Heritage Lottery Fund

28 Thistle Street, Edinburgh EH2 1EN

[e-mail]

0131 240 1574

Assistant: Penny

Dickson

0131 240 1570

Royal Commission on the

Ancient and Historical

Monuments of Scotland

Diana Murray

RCAHMS

John Sinclair House

16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh, EH 8 9NX

[e-mail]

0131 662 1456

Historic Houses Association

in Scotland

Sarah Troughton

Chair HHAS

Blair Castle, Blair Atholl

Perth and Kinross PH18 5JT

[e-mail]

1.

Scottish Society for

Directors of Planning

Alan Henderson

Head of Planning and Strategy

City of Edinburgh Council

1 Cockburn Street, EDINBURGH, EH1 1ZJ

[e-mail]

[e-mail]

National Trust for Scotland

Dr Peter Burman

Director, Conservation & Property Services

National Trust for Scotland

Wemyss House

28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4ET

[e-mail]

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Assistant [Angela

Hughes

[e-mail]]

Built Environment Forum for

Scotland

Robin Turner

National Trust for Scotland

Wemyss House

28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4ET

[e-mail]

0131 556 5353

Historic Environment

Advisory Council for

Scotland (HEACS)

Neil Galbraith

Vice Chair HEACS

Fourwinds

1 Churchill Drive

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2NP

[e-mail]

01851 702 209

(Home)

0771 944 2743

(Mob)

Annex 2

HISTORIC SCOTLAND

MEDIA RELEASE

22/05

CULTURE MINISTER ANNOUNCES HERITAGE AUDIT

Patricia Ferguson, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, today announced the introduction

of a heritage audit as a crucial element in building on our understanding of Scotland’s historic

environment.

Following the advice of the Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland (HEACS),

which recommended that there was a need for an audit, Ms Ferguson has commissioned

Historic Scotland to undertake a comprehensive audit, which will build on the wealth of

existing information about Scotland’s historic environment. It will also help to identify trends

and issues relevant to the health of the historic environment and the impact of efforts to

manage and protect it.

Announcing the initiative, Ms Ferguson said:

“The creation of a heritage audit is a crucial stage in building on our understanding of the

nation’s historic environment. Scotland’s built heritage is one of our most valuable assets,

and with around 85 per cent of visitors choosing to visit a historic property during their stay,

it is also extremely important economically.”

A dedicated website will be created as part of the audit and regular reports will be published

on the state of the historic environment. A stakeholder advisory group will also be set up to

share knowledge within the heritage community.

[ENDS]

Notes to editors

1. On its establishment in June 2003, the Historic Environment Advisory Council for

Scotland (HEACS) was charged by Scottish Ministers with investigating the need for a

heritage audit in Scotland. The heritage audit has now been introduced after their

recommendations confirmed the need for such an initiative.

2. Historic Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Executive, set up in 1991 to

safeguard the nation’s built heritage and promote its understanding and enjoyment. The

agency is directly accountable to Scottish Ministers.

Contact: Lisa Wharton

Date:

Ref: 22/05

Tel: [phone]

Email:

[e-mail]