A BUILT heritage commission is being established to co-ordinate efforts to achieve the best outcomes for Glasgow’s historic environment.
The commmission will focus on finding solutions to “evolving and complex” heritage challenges.
A report updating city councillors states: “The Built Heritage Commission will assist in prioritising, focusing and co-ordinating the multi-faceted efforts required to achieve the best outcomes for the city’s historic environment; whilst acknowledging the need for difficult decisions and the challenge of finding viable and sustainable end uses for historic buildings in the current financial and environment climate.
“The range of issues impacting and influencing the built heritage of the city are dynamic, and as such, this new forum should create a positive, ongoing and collaborative vehicle for the identification of sustainable future management of the built heritage of the city.”
Officials stress that the it cannot “‘rescue’ each and every historic building across the city”.
It will also not be able to intervene in the statutory duties and activities of the planning or building standards services; or affect/ influence funding or statutory planning or building standards decisions for individual building projects.
The commission will be empowered to produce reports on key issues within its remit and will provide an annual update to the Economy, Housing, Transport and Regeneration City Policy Committee.
It will be co-chaired by an administration councillor alongside an independent co-chair, with each political group on the council sending a representative.
Councillors will be joined on the commission by officers from relevant departments, stakeholders and funders, local heritage charities and, statutory bodies including Historic Environment Scotland and representatives from community/amenity groups.
It is anticipated that both built heritage bodies which operate in the city, Glasgow City Heritage Trust and Glasgow Building Preservation Trust, will be key partners.
It will meet three times a year, as well as hosting an annual event such as topic-based panel discussions, site visits, workshops, talks or seminars.
