Energy efficiency project awarded grant from Shared Prosperity Fund

Stirling City Heritage Trust are delighted to have been awarded funding to develop a new project to help traditional building owners in the Stirling area to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. Stirling Council has awarded the project £168,226 for 2023-25 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Many traditional building owners struggle to heat their homes effectively. Stirling City Heritage Trust’s energy efficiency project will offer a variety of solutions using dedicated, expert staff who will undertake specialist inspections, offer practical advice and there will be a small grant to assist building owners to undertake appropriate retrofit measures.

The Retrofit project is also being funded by Historic Environment Scotland who have recently confirmed 3 years of funding to Stirling City Heritage Trust and this will enable to Trust to continue to deliver the Traditional Buildings Health Check and associated repair grant to traditional building owners. This ties in with the Retrofit Project as damp buildings are much harder to heat so a ‘fabric first’ approach is important in ensuring that repairs are done before undertaking retrofit measures. Traditional Building Repair Grants have recently re-opened for applications from TBHC members and will for the first time be available to owners of properties in Dunblane, in addition to City of Stirling and Bridge of Allan.

Trust Manager, Lindsay Lennie said, ‘We are really pleased to have been awarded funding from Historic Environment Scotland and the UK Government Shared Prosperity Funding (from Stirling Council) to allow us to set up this totally new project aimed at tackling the Climate Emergency. Traditional buildings can be challenging to heat and adapt but this funding will allow us to explore the best ways to help building owners to make effective interventions without damaging historic fabric. With around 500 listed buildings and 11 Conservation Areas in the City of Stirling, the built heritage is integral to the townscape and as a Trust we hope to make a difference to the people who live in these buildings by offering this specialist and much-needed advice.’

The Trust is currently recruiting for 2 new members of staff who will be working on the Retrofit Project and it will be officially launched in the early autumn. More information will be made available over the summer.

In the meantime, owners of traditional buildings in the City of Stirling, Bridge of Allan, Dunblane and Blairlogie can apply to join the TBHC and have a building inspection carried out to determine what repairs are needed. Membership is just £45 per year with inspection costs starting at £150. We use drone technology to access high areas of buildings and produce detailed reports which prioritises repairs needed. There is also a grant available to TBHC members to assist with repairs.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus