Volume 15 (2026-27)

Evaporative damp is proposed in this paper as a distinct and under-recognised moisture mechanism in building survey practice, defined as the sustained release of moisture from previously wetted building fabric into the internal environment, where it is absorbed and re-released by hygroscopic materials. Although the underlying physical processes are well established, current diagnostic frameworks do not recognise fabric evaporation as an independent internal moisture source, leading to repeated misdiagnosis and ineffective remediation. The paper demonstrates how moisture stored within porous materials continues to evaporate over extended periods, sustaining elevated humidity, condensation, and mould growth independently of occupant behaviour. Two field case studies illustrate the mechanism under contrasting conditions, including a vacant property with no internal moisture sources and a ground-contact substrate acting as a continuous moisture emitter. The findings highlight the limitations of standard survey tools, which are unable to quantify residual moisture burdens or distinguish between moisture sources. The paper argues that visible indicators of prolonged structural dampness should trigger recognition of evaporative damp as a concurrent condition. A revised diagnostic and remediation protocol is proposed, including a managed drying phase based on active dehumidification. Recognition of evaporative damp enables improved diagnosis, clearer communication with occupants, and more effective long-term moisture management outcomes. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: evaporative damp; hygroscopic moisture; building fabric; solid wall construction; moisture diagnosis; dehumidification

Unprecedented change is taking place in real estate valuation due to advancements in technology, changing regulatory environments, and evolving client expectations. Drawing on insights gained by the author in his work within the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Valuation Team, this paper explores the future direction of valuation practice. Specifically, it addresses the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated valuation models, together with the growing importance of environmental, social, and governance criteria for valuation purposes. Additionally, it considers the expanding scope of assets that require valuation and the evolving role and skill set of the valuer in responding to these changes. The paper demonstrates that the application of technology not only improves the professional capabilities of valuers but also allows them to focus more of their time on high-level decision making, risk assessment, client service, and the provision of strategic advice. It also examines the practical issues that arise from the increased use of technology in relation to valuation governance, professional accountability, and managing risks associated with the use of technology. By demonstrating how innovation in technology can be applied in a way that maintains consistency with existing valuation principles and global valuation standards, this paper provides insight into how the valuation profession can respond to emerging expectations of its stakeholders while maintaining confidence in valuation outputs. The impact of regulatory frameworks is also examined, including the application of the ‘RICS Valuation-Global Standards’ (Red Book) and RICS’ ‘Responsible Use of AI in Surveying Practice Standard’, which clarifies governance, accountability, and transparency requirements related to the responsible use of technology in valuation practice. The author concludes that the future of valuation should be seen as an opportunity for valuers to combine professional judgment with technology and increasing regulatory change to provide clients with accurate and reliable outcomes for both traditional and emerging asset classes. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: artificial intelligence; AI; automated valuation models; AVM; ESG; Basel 3.1; emerging asset classes; RICS Global Valuation Standards (Red Book); International Valuation Standards; IVS; professional judgment

Prompted by the Law Commission’s announcement of a scoping project into the maintenance, repair, and upgrading of leased commercial buildings, this paper explores the sorry state of the law on terminal dilapidations claims. It provides an overview of the existing law on damages in this area under Section 18(1) of the Landlord and Tenant Act 19271 and the underlying common law. It identifies a number of flaws in the current regime, both from the perspective of principled coherence and that of commercial pragmatism, not least in light of the huge cost and delay involved in many of these cases. The paper makes the case for the radical proposal of repealing Section 18(1) entirely and allowing the modern law of common law damages to fill the gaps, as it has in closely related areas. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: dilapidations; disrepair; damages; valuation; Landlord and Tenant Act 1927; Joyner

This second part of the two-part paper which began in Journal of Building Survey, Appraisal & Valuation Volume 15, Issue 1 presents the scientific, technical and interpretative findings of a major mortar analysis project undertaken in Bransdale in 2024. Laboratory investigations, including compositional, mineralogical and microstructural analysis, reveal a consistent pattern of non-hydraulic and feebly hydraulic lime mortars, characterised by high lime content, fine limestone or quartz aggregate, and evidence of traditional hot-mixing methods. The results clarify the performance characteristics of historic mortars within a challenging climatic environment and provide insights into slaking behaviour, carbonate development, aggregate selection and the role of accessory materials such as coal, ash and clay. The paper evaluates the implications of these findings for current conservation practice, demonstrating the functional advantages of lime-rich, capillary-active mortars for moisture management and fabric durability. Additional case studies and appendices document variations across sites and support the development of compatible repair mortars. The paper concludes by outlining future directions for research, training and kiln reconstruction, underscoring the value of evidence-based, regionally informed approaches to mortar conservation. The analysis for this paper was carried out by Bill Revie, whose technical input has been fundamental to the work presented here. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: lime; earth and lime; hot mixing; Bransdale; slaking method

This paper looks at quinquennial inspection surveys and reports, a statutory requirement for all church and cathedral buildings in England and Wales and for many secular listed buildings. Drawing on her experience as Inspecting Architect to 45 church buildings and three cathedrals, the author outlines the practical requirements of the surveys and uses examples to explain the most common building defects identified by them. The paper discusses how surveys can be successfully employed to assist clients in the care of their historic buildings and to plan for capital building projects. This paper will be of interest to surveyors or architects who complete quinquennial inspection or condition survey reports. It may also be helpful to custodians of listed buildings who wish to understand more about the purpose of quinquennial inspections and to understand some of the most common recommendations. It will be of particular relevance to anyone working on ecclesiastical or listed building structures where there has been a history of poor maintenance or previous repairs, by offering technical information relating to a wide range of traditional building components. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: inspect; survey; church; conservation; ecclesiastical

The built heritage sector in Scotland has faced well-documented skills shortages for more than two decades, yet repeated skills reports, policy documents and grant-funded training initiatives have resulted in little measurable improvement. This paper evaluates the impact of heritage-led skills reporting and educational and training activities since the publication of the National Heritage Training Group’s 2007 skills needs analysis. Drawing on construction industry data, census statistics, apprenticeship records and heritage skills audits, the study demonstrates significant and ongoing declines in the number of skilled workers employed in trades relevant to the repair and maintenance of pre-1919 buildings. Despite widespread embedding of training within grant-funded programmes — such as Conservation Area Regeneration Schemes — there is little evidence that these activities have translated into sustainable increases in apprenticeship recruitment, upskilling, or trade retention. Analysis further reveals a substantial notional repair and maintenance deficit exceeding £5.1bn between 2007 and 2023, linked in part to the diminishing availability of specialist labour. The findings suggest that sector-led action alone is insufficient to reverse long-term deficits. The paper argues for systemic reform across Scotland’s education, skills, funding and apprenticeship frameworks, aligning with recommendations in the 2023 Fit for the Future review, in order to provide a coherent and effective pathway for workforce renewal in the heritage sector. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: heritage; conservation skills; apprenticeship failure; Scotland

The Great Pagoda at Kew, constructed in 1761 as part of a pleasure landscape, has undergone a major programme of conservation and restoration to return it to an appearance close to its original form while ensuring long-term structural stability. This paper describes the multidisciplinary approach adopted, combining historical research, architectural conservation, and structural engineering. Particular emphasis is placed on the reinstatement of the pagoda’s ornamental dragons, for which limited historical evidence existed, requiring extensive research, prototyping, and design development. Innovative techniques, including the use of three-dimensional scanning and printing, enabled accurate reproduction while minimising structural loads on the historic fabric. The paper also details the investigation and repair of the masonry, timber floors, and roof structures, addressing issues of shrinkage, loss of lateral restraint, and vertical cracking, while adhering to principles of minimal intervention. The design and implementation of a free-standing scaffold enabled safe access without imposing additional load on the building. Wind testing and bespoke fixing solutions ensured the secure installation of new elements under extreme conditions. The project demonstrates how modern engineering methods and technologies can be integrated with conservation principles to preserve historic structures, enhance public access and ensure their continued resilience within a challenging environment. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: repair and conservation; listed building; Kew Gardens; historic royal palaces; dragons; 3D printing; historic structure; historic masonry

The first part of this two-part paper establishes the historical, geological and craft-based foundations necessary for understanding the development of traditional mortars in Bransdale and the wider North York Moors region. Drawing on archival evidence, landscape history and long-standing building traditions, the paper situates mortar use within a distinctive cultural and geological environment shaped by local sandstone, oolitic limestone sources, historic farming patterns and vernacular construction practices. The paper outlines the characteristic forms of pre-modern masonry, including earth-lime bedding mortars, lime-rich pointing mortars and regionally specific plastering traditions. Key technical terminology, lime preparation methods and material characteristics are introduced to contextualise later analytical work. Two representative case studies — Moor Houses Farm and Low Lidmoor Farm — illustrate the continuity of techniques and materials over several centuries and underscore the significance of local craft knowledge. Together, these strands provide a comprehensive backdrop to the analytical results presented in Part 2 and demonstrate the coherence of Bransdale mortars within broader regional traditions. This paper represents a summary only.1 The analysis for this paper was carried out by Bill Revie, whose technical input has been fundamental to the work presented here. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: lime; earth and lime; hot mixing; Bransdale; slaking method

This paper tackles two related topics: what is a dispute and do surveyors have continuing jurisdiction? The Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (the Act) does not define a dispute and this paper explores why and how this has proved to be problematic: that said, some definitions from eminent judges are identified. Linked to the definition of a dispute is whether the surveyors have continuing jurisdiction: the Act omits the specific wording contained in the 1894 and 1939 Acts, that is, the surveyors settling any matter from time to time during the continuance of any work to which the notice relates in dispute. Does this mean that the surveyors no longer have continuing jurisdiction? The author is indebted to HH Edward Bailey, who directed him to a careful reading of the second debate in the House of Lords during the drafting of the Act, which shows that there was never any express intention in the 1996 Act to change the existing state of the law. Lord Lytton, who introduced the Party Wall Bill,1 simply wanted to tidy up the language, but did he in the event change the law?2 The paper discusses recent court cases and conflicting opinions expressed by eminent lawyers that have produced some uncertainty. The aim of the paper is to show that, in the author’s opinion, the argument for the continuing jurisdiction of surveyors is compelling. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/ business/.
Keywords: actual and deemed disputes; continuing jurisdiction; subsequent dispute; substantive/primary awards; further award

Property assets exist simultaneously as physical structures, legal constructs and digital abstractions, yet the systems used to identify and evaluate them often struggle to reconcile these overlapping realities. This paper examines the growing disconnect between the physical attributes of residential property, the legal and historical complexity of title, and the digital layers produced through contemporary mapping, modelling and automated valuation. While tools such as digital twins, geographic information systems (GIS), automated valuation models (AVMs) and machine learning aim to deliver precision and scale, each introduces its own assumptions, simplifications and inherent uncertainties. Address identifiers such as the unique property reference number (UPRN) promise consistency, but cannot account for the nuanced and frequently non-conforming nature of legal title boundaries, historical parcelling or rights and obligations embedded in property records. Through exploring these tensions, the paper highlights how system-generated certainty can obscure material ambiguities, and how over-reliance on automation risks misidentifying characteristics essential to valuation, lending and risk assessment. The analysis argues for a rebalancing of professional practice that recognises the limits of computational abstraction and reinforces the importance of human expertise in interpreting the layered, sometimes contradictory realities that underpin the built environment. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: data; property risk; credit risk; modelling; GIS systems; machine learning; accuracy

This paper examines the prevalence, causes and impacts of mould and damp in social housing, drawing on tenant-focused research conducted in Greater Manchester as part of the Social Housing Quality Fund (SHQF) programme. The study combines survey data (582 responses) and in-depth qualitative interviews (n=41) to explore how mould and damp are experienced in the home, and how these conditions affect tenants’ health, wellbeing and daily lives. The findings highlight the pervasive nature of these issues and their complex and interrelated drivers, including structural deficiencies in housing, energy affordability constraints and limitations on tenants’ ability to manage moisture within the home. The research demonstrates significant impacts on both physical and mental health, with particular effects on vulnerable households. It also shows how occupants adapt their behaviours to cope with poor housing conditions, often at personal, social and financial cost. While interventions delivered through the SHQF programme show evidence of improvement in some cases, the findings underline the importance of addressing underlying structural issues alongside occupant practices. The paper concludes by identifying implications for housing providers, emphasising the need for integrated approaches that combine technical interventions with tenant engagement, improved communication and a better understanding of lived experience in managing housing quality. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: mould; damp; social housing; qualitative research; Greater Manchester; public programmes

Following a number of cases in the High Court, the Solicitors Regulatory Authority1 (SRA) issued a warning in December 2014 against the improper use of solicitors’ client accounts as a banking facility. As a result, solicitors were no longer happy to hold security for expenses under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 (PWA) unless they were also giving legal advice as a solicitor in connection with the PWA. There being no readily accessible alternative, this created a practical problem for building owners required to give security, and a number of companies began offering to do so as ‘escrow agents’ or stakeholders. Some, but not all, are regulated and supervised under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (PSR 2017) and there is confusion among surveyors and the unfortunate parties caught up in the PWA process as to what legal requirements must be met before someone can provide what appears to be a simple and obvious service. The complication arises from the fact that the very act of holding security for expenses involves a person or entity accepting money from one party with the sole and specific intention that it may be paid to one or more third parties. Anyone offering such a service is providing a payment service as defined in PSR 2017 and must be regulated by a designated supervisory authority. This paper explores and clarifies why holding security for expenses is a regulated activity under financial services legislation, what exceptions there may be, and which supervisory authority might be appropriate in the context of the PWA. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/ business/.
Keywords: mouldsecurity for expenses; Party Wall Act; stakeholder; escrow agent; payment services; anti-money laundering regulations

The building surveying profession in the UK is experiencing demographic change, evolving educational pathways and growing scrutiny over graduate readiness at a time of heightened public awareness of building safety, damp, mould and cladding failures. This study analyses four decades of data on individuals who graduated from RICS-accredited building surveying degree programmes and subsequently achieved chartered status, with the aim of assessing long-term trends in educational background, degree outcomes, postgraduate training and career progression. Drawing on a national questionnaire, the research identifies a sustained decade-on-decade increase in entry qualifications, higher proportions of first-class degrees and a steady reduction in the time taken to pass the Assessment of Professional Competence. Despite these improvements, findings highlight reduced exposure to industry during university study, a marked decline in year-in-industry placements and significantly lower levels of practitioner involvement in teaching, contributing to perceptions that modern graduates are less ‘practice ready’. Career outcome analysis shows that more recent cohorts progress to senior roles more quickly, although a gender disparity persists in the time taken to reach director-level positions. The study concludes that while academic attainment and career acceleration have improved, strengthening experiential learning and structured training remains essential to developing competent chartered building surveyors. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/ business/.
Keywords: building surveying; degree; chartership; careers; outcomes