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No Way Jose!

Unfortunately UK Government has responded to the petition calling for a reduction of VAT to 5% on approved repairs to listed buildings with a flat: “No Way Jose!”, neglecting to mention the devolved arrangements for heritage in Scotland. But anyway losing £2.5b is a sizeable amount. In context over the past year, Historic England has…

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News

Sign here to reduce VAT to 5% on repairs & alterations to listed buildings

Private listed property owners are preserving much of our built heritage for future generations, yet many may be struggling to maintain and repair their homes. In 2012, the UK Government removed the zero rate of VAT for pre-authorised alterations to listed buildings. This may have been a blow to owners, but chances are you didn’t…

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News

Dunbar Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme – Are you interested?

East Lothian Council has the opportunity to bid for regeneration funding for Dunbar. If successful, the funds would be used to establish a Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) providing building repair grants to help improve properties in the area.

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Events

Live in a listed building?

Don’t know much about its history? Plagued by a damp issue? Want to know why lime is better than quick fix cement? If you are maintaining, altering or renovating your listed home – or looking to buy one – The Scottish Listed Property Show may well be for you. One day for just a tenner…

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Events News

SOS Dunbar Conservation Area

I received this in my inbox yesterday. I’ve been banging on about these issues since moving here in 2008 and got pretty much nowhere, so obviously welcome this proposal, at least in principle. I’m getting in touch to let you know about an upcoming opportunity to get involved in discussions around ideas for addressing seemingly…

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Buildings at risk Death of a Tabernacle

Going going gone – Has Time has Run Out for Rare Dunbar Tin Tabernacle?

I found this expired advert on Gumtree, looks like it is too late now to save it. Tin and Timber Tabernacle Building. Free to a good home, needs to go ASAP Description Rare Tabernacle Building, free if you want to come and dismantle it. Needs to go asap. Call Duncan 07980922684, Located in Dunbar EH42.…

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Buildings at risk Death of a Tabernacle

HES Doesn’t Object to Demolition of Tin Tabernacle

Thank you to the local gentleman who passed on this lyrical non-objection from Historic Environment Scotland to the planning application seeking permission to demolish yet another piece of Dunbar’s heritage. Reading between the lines HES are saying very politely to the local planning authority that this is a building worth saving in its current context.  While…

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Buildings at risk Death of a Tabernacle

Death of a Tabernacle

There is seemingly little interest in much of the ephemeral built heritage of Dunbar, so I was naturally intrigued when someone alerted me to a conversation taking place around the Dunbar Tin Tabernacle, at the time I thought was one of the only relatively intact examples to survive in East Lothian. They wanted to make…

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Buildings at risk Death of a Tabernacle

Last of East Lothian Tin Tabernacles to be demolished

Sadly, one of East Lothian’s last Tin Tabernacles is very likely to be demolished. Despite being classed by the Buildings at Risk Register as one of several local buildings at ‘high risk’ (of decay or development), a developer now has the permissions they need to build on this sensitive site on the edge of the…

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Buildings at risk Death of a Tabernacle

Building at risk : The Tin Tabernacle Dunbar

The Tin Tabernacle is a fascinating vernacular building, formerly a hall to St Anne’s Episcopal Church, which was also made of tin. There is a note in the parish history that the tabernacle was dismantled and transported to Dunbar all the way from Falkirk, where it was no longer required. St Anne’s “iron church”, on…