The Director Speaks... The Director Speaks...
On these pages, Eila Macqueen, CSA Director explains what the CSA is currently up to.
Lobbying Parliament
CSA's ongoing campaign for the Planning etc.(Scotland) Bill to include the following:
- a duty of care for the historic environment
- statutory Sites and Monuments Records Services has been keeping up the pressure with the support of Christine May, MSP.
Two amendments to the Bill were proposed by Christine on the 27th September 2006 when the Communities Committee met to deliberate Stage 2 of the process. She argued that the two amendments were seeking "an appropriate legislative home for provisions that do not have one thus far. The natural environment is protected, as is the built environment. It is ironic that a building of significant architectural interest that was build in the 1950s has considerably more protection through the listings process than an archaeological site that is 3,000 years old. I hope that the committee agrees that the Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill is the appropriate legislative home for the provisions in my amendments".
The amendments drew comment from around the committee of a positive nature, but the Minister Johann Lamont responded that "we are not convinced that the Planning etc. (Scotland) Bill is the best vehicle for such amendments". There followed laughter around the table!
The Minister has agreed to have further dialogue with Christine May and CSA. Progress
on the Bill can be followed on the
Scottish Parliament website. Christine May has now lodged the following motion on 27th
October 2006:
S2M-5027 Christine May (Central Fife) (Lab); Scotland's Historical Places and Artefacts- That the Parliament recognises the support given by the Scottish Executive to conserve Scotland's heritage; believes that a knowledge of the buildings, monuments, historic sites and ancient artefacts in Scotland contributes to our knowledge of ourselves as a nation; welcomes the recent announcements on funding to protect ancient battlefields and historic buildings and to support local projects; further welcomes the statutory protection given to listed buildings and ancient monuments; considers that the voluntary register of historic sites maintained by most local authorities is a welcome source of information on Scotland's history and peoples; congratulates the Council for Scottish Archaeology and national, local authority and community historical,archaeological and museum groups which work tirelessly to research, identify and conserve places such as the henge at Balfarg in Glenrothes and the Bronze Age burial cist at Sillerhole in Leven and display artefacts in both national and local museums such as Lower Methil Heritage Centre; believes that opportunities exist to give further protection through legislative measures; welcomes the offer by the Deputy Minister for Communities to discuss such opportunties in the context of the current planning Bill, and believes that all MSPs and ministers should consider what further support can be given to protect Scotland's historical places and artefacts.
Active membership of the Built Environment Forum Scotland and Scottish Environment Link (LINK) means CSA is involved in a range of policy work. The CSA director has been asked to sit on an Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland (HEACS) working group looking at the intrastructure of the sector. CSA was also involved on the steering group of a joint BEFS/HEACS/Historic Scotland project to map the Infrastructure of the Historic and Contemporary Built Environment. This report can be dowloaded on the BEFS website or Historic Scotland website.
CSA will again be participating in Scottish Environment Week, a LINK initiative. The next Scottish Environment Week will take palce from 5th - 12th February 2007. The week will include events in and around the parliament as well as a launch event taking place on 2nd February that will be open to the public.
Scottish Environment Week creates an opportunity to focus, in Holyrood, on the importance of the environment and its value to the society and economy of Scotland. CSA's input ensures that the historic environment is given a voice alongside the natural environment.
