Report of the Proceedings of the November 2000 COTAC Standing Conference

Hosted by Len Conway at Lambeth College, the November 2000 meeting of the COTAC Standing Conference was particularly important in that it paved the way for a number of significant steps in the development of training for building conservation. As is always the case, there is no one point in time when a review can identify all the challenges and grasp all the opportunities. Nevertheless, at present, there seems to be a whole range of fresh ideas that demand a response.

As such, the discussion by members of the Standing Conference on the responses from 34 organisations to the COTAC questionnaire was particularly timely. The emphasis of the questions had been on the role of COTAC in communication.

Interestingly, the message that had the most appeal to the Standing Conference was the link between training and results in terms of the best examples of conservation practice. The COTAC Newsletter was seen as having an important role in this respect. COTAC was planning to improve the information available on its Website and linking it to compatible sites elsewhere in the UK. The target audience should certainly include those already involved in education and training for building conservation. The need for information such as the topics covered by past and current dissertations was discussed in some depth. Communication should also aim to inform the wider potential audiences in the Construction Industry of the needs and benefits of investing in higher skills.

The continuing need for a live forum to discuss and develop significant themes on the development of education and training was also strongly supported. On offer were stand-alone conferences, seminars and the Standing Conference. The choice of themes was seen as being important, along with a request for better, more advanced publicity. There was considerable support for the idea of combining meetings of the Standing Conference with more in-depth discussion on selected topics.

Perhaps the most significant response from the questionnaire was the recommendations that COTAC take stock of its position and question its priorities for future action. Clearly this should take account of current and likely future trends such as the review of policies led by English Heritage that, at that time, had yet to be published. Also imminent was the emergence of a new set of policies for funding conservation training by the Heritage Lottery Fund. A draft of a new mission statement was promised for the next meeting of the Standing Conference in April 2001.

One theme that was repeated by a number of speakers, was the need to follow the lead of Historic Scotland in establishing clear policies that underpinned the need for improved performance from all those involved in building conservation. The role of professional institutions in the establishment of specialist registers and the relationship of these to the national performance standards for building conservation was emphasised. Obtaining the unequivocal support of official agencies such as English Heritage and Cadw and local authorities was a key factor. There was also a leading role for clients such as the National Trust and the various church authorities who act as the leaders in the establishment of practical standards. CITB were particularly aware of the significance of the conservation and regeneration themes in the task of improving the public image of the Construction Industry generally.