Consultation Hub

From 22 September to 15 December 2020, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on new draft guidance ‘Talking About Heritage’.

Background

This document is part of an ongoing review of historic environment policy guidance, following on from the What's Your Heritage? campaign and the launch of the Historic Environment Policy for Scotland (HEPS) in May 2019.

What's Your Heritage? asked people from all over the country how Scotland’s places, buildings and monuments should be recognised and celebrated. Feedback from over 2,000 responses to the campaign told us that people wanted to achieve recognition for the heritage that matters to them.

Talking About Heritage is part of the HES response to this.

What is the guidance about?

Talking About Heritage is intended to be used as a tool by anyone with an interest in exploring and talking about heritage. The guidance aims to equip people to have new – sometimes difficult – conversations about our places, people and traditions.

We wanted to find out if the Talking About Heritage guidance would help you to investigate, to share and celebrate, and to achieve recognition for the heritage that matters to you.

We had 34 replies to the survey as well as written feedback which we received from a range of interested individuals, organisations, public bodies, charities and local authorities.

The draft Talking About Heritage guidance was generally well received. It was felt to be a useful and comprehensive resource. Comments included suggestions about what additional content could be included, improved signposting, accessibility - particularly around language and aims - and the need for the final product to be easy to navigate and use.

We were told that we should:

• ensure simple and clear language throughout
• be clearer about the purpose of the guidance
• be clearer who the guidance is for and manage expectations of what it will help to achieve
• publish the guidance as an interactive web-based resource
• make sure the guidance is accessible for deaf users
• keep the content and the links up to date

After considering the all of the comments and suggestions received, we have updated the guidance with:

• clear and simple language
• clearer information about who the guidance is for and how it might be used
• increased signposting and more information about other relevant organisations and resources

Based on your feedback, we have also:

• explored how best to publish Talking About Heritage as an online and interactive resource
• looked at how we can produce the guidance with British Sign Language (BSL) content
• agreed a regular review period to keep the guidance up to date

Next steps:

We are currently working on updating the draft guidance and incorporating your feedback. The final guidance, an online resource, is planned for publication this summer.

From 8 August to 28 August 2020, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate the former Langside Synagogue in the Crosshill area of Glasgow, as a category C listed building.

The building is rare surviving example of a purpose-built synagogue in Scotland and was found to meet our criteria for designation. The use of traditional Eastern European folk-art style elements is particularly rare and reflects the synagogue’s early 20th century congregation. It is of significant historical interest for what it can tell us about the development of the Jewish community in Glasgow in the early 20th century.

Download our assessment on the reasons for listing on the Historic Environment Portal.

We had an overwhelming response, with over 840 individuals and groups from all over the world contacting us in support of listing. The level of interest shown both locally and internationally for this building and Scotland’s Jewish heritage was unprecedented. It was especially important to hear your thoughts about the special architectural and historic interest of the building and we took this into account in our decision making.

A large number of the responses showed concerns about the future of the building and the possibility that it might be demolished or privately developed.

After considering the comments received during the consultation, we have now listed the former Langside Synagogue at category C.

The listed building record can be accessed on our Historic Environment Portal.

More Information

You can find out more about listing in our booklet, Scotland’s Listed Buildings or find out more on our website: 

• How does the listing process work?
• What is listing?
• What does listing mean for owners?

Our website also has more detail about the Listed Building Consent (LBC) and Conservation Area Consent (CAC) processes, as well as information on how to apply. There is additional guidance in our Managing Change series of publications.

From 26 June to 17 July 2020, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) sought views on our proposal to designate the Kingston Bridge, which forms part of the M8 motorway in Glasgow, as a category B listed building.

The launch of the consultation coincided with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the bridge, which was opened as part of Glasgow’s inner-city ring road on 26 June 1970.

The Kingston Bridge is a dramatic piece of structural engineering that was nominated for listing by Transport Scotland and found to meet our criteria for designation. Forming a key part of Scotland’s first motorway, it transformed both the physical and social fabric of Glasgow and is an important example of major urban planning of the post-war period.

Whilst the bridge has had social and environmental implications, particularly on the neighbouring areas, it is of special architectural and historical interest as it is among one of the most significant and high-profile bridge projects completed in Scotland during the 1960s and 70s.

The only criteria for listing a building is whether it is of special architectural or historic interest. Factors such as proposed future use are not taken into account.

Download our assessment on the reasons for listing on the Historic Environment Portal.

We had a substantial response, with 69 written comments received from a range of interested people and groups, both locally and nationally. There were also many comments on social media platforms and a high-level of coverage in the press.

The vast majority of those who responded were not in favour of the listing. The level of detail about the issues and concerns has given us a greater depth and understanding of the context of the Kingston Bridge and how it is viewed by people in Glasgow and beyond.

It was especially important to hear your thoughts about the special architectural and historic interest of the bridge and we took this into account in our decision making.

We carefully considered the responses and we have had further discussion with Glasgow City Council and Transport Scotland. While we did not find that any comments put into question the special architectural or historic interest of the bridge, we have made changes as a result of the comments received and clarified what listing means.

We have:

• Reconsidered the category of listing and listed the bridge at category C, not category B to reflect the comments about the special architectural or historic interest of the bridge.
   
• Amended our assessment and the listed building record to capture wider views about the bridge and its impact on the surrounding communities when it was constructed.
   
• Increased our communications around listing, what being designated as a listed building means and the increasing importance of places constructed after the Second World War.

We have now listed the Kingston Bridge at category C and the listed building record can be accessed on our Historic Environment Portal http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB52554.

Find out more about why we list modern buildings.

More Information

Our historic environment is always changing. Listing does not prevent change and it will not affect any potential proposal to change the name of the bridge. What listing does is allow for a structure’s special character to be taken into account when changes are proposed.

Listing does not mean that the bridge should stay as it is forever, or even that it must always remain a motorway - many bridges can be repurposed for different uses, such as the High Line in New York and the Seoul Skygarden.

You can find out more about listing in our booklet, Scotland’s Listed Buildings.

The Advice and Support section of our website provides further information on the listing process and about what listing is. Our website also has more detail about the Listed Building Consent (LBC)  processes, as well as information on how to apply.