In launching the consultation, CabinetSecretary for Rural Affairs and theEnvironment Richard Lochhead said:"This Land Use Strategy will be animportant tool for decision-makers…It will highlight opportunities and threatsas wemove to a low-carbon society,and help us work out how tomakeappropriate trade-offs when required.And it will support our goals

on food security, biodiversity and tree-planting, and show how rural and urbanScotland depend on each other.”

Aims and objectivesThe purpose of this Strategy is to guide,support and inform all those involved indeciding how land is to be used, bysetting out a vision and long-termobjectives for an integrated approach to

sustainable land use in Scotland. Theconsultation proposes three strategicobjectives: successful land-basedbusinesses contributing to Scotland'sprosperity and wellbeing; flourishingnatural environments; and vibrant,sustainable communities in urban andrural areas, with people connected tothe land, enjoying it and taking aninterest in its future.

Proposed government actionsSpecific Government actions in theperiod 2011-2016 relate to identifyingthe best types of land for tree planting;measures relating to conservation andmanagement of carbon-rich soils; theuse of demonstration projects; theapplication of the ecosystem approachto relevant decisions made by publicbodies; and investigation of therelationship between land managementchanges and ecosystem processes toidentify adaptation priorities.

Other actions include: examination ofhow land-use regulations and incentivesmight be better aligned with sustainableland-use objectives; exploration of howland-based businesses can reduce land-based greenhouse gas emissions andadapt to the threats and opportunitiesof a changing climate; use of theobjectives set out in this Strategy toinfluence negotiations on post-2014CAP reform; developing the land-useaspects of the Climate ChangeAdaptation Strategy; and identificationof effective ways for communities tocontribute to land use debates anddecision-making.

ScottishplannerJournal of the RTPI in Scotland

No 137 : Oct 2010mediation of space • making of place

Thanks to our sponsors:

New Sustainable Land Use Strategy

continued on page 4

The consultation on a Sustainable Land Use Strategy for Scotland waslaunched on 23 September, with written responses invited by 17 December.The duty to produce a Strategy is contained in Section 57 of the ClimateChange (Scotland) Act 2009.This requires Scottish Ministers to set out theirobjectives in relation to sustainable land use; their proposals and policies formeeting those objectives; and the timescales over which those proposals andpolicies are expected to take effect. Following consultation, the strategy is tobe laid before the Scottish Parliament and to be revised every five years.

Borders’ agriculture © image courtesy Charles Strang

OCTOBER 2010 Scottishplanner

02 www.rtpi.org.uk/rtpi_in_scotland/

03 Convener’s Comments

Update04 New Sustainable Land Use Strategy – Veronica Burbridge …

continued from the front cover

05 A View from South Lanarkshire – Cllr Graham Scott

06 Planning Reform: Community engagement in planning –Scottish Government

07 Planning Reform:A first and lasting impression –Rowena MacDougall

Focus on Community Engagement08 Working with all the talents – Richard Heggie

09 Getting from NIMBY to IMBY – Petra Biberbach

10 Speaking through ‘weel-kent’ faces – Derek Laidlaw

11 By the community, for the community – Daniel McKendry

12 Lowering the temperature – Karol Swanson

13 Whose proposal is it anyway? – Amanda Wetzel

Views and News14 Getting the inside story – Neil Huggan

15 People-centred placemaking – Nick Wright

16 News and events

18 Policy briefing

20 Directory

contentsEditorial

�

By the time you read this James Henderson,RTPI in Scotland Information Co-ordinator, willhave left the RTPI to begin his PhD studies atthe Heriot-Watt University.

James will be researching different models ofcommunity empowerment, and perhaps it isappropriate that this issue of the journal focuseson community involvement! James hasmasterminded all the detailed sub-editing workon Scottishplanner for the past three years andwill be sadly missed. I am sure you will join me inwishing him well with his studies, and in thankinghim for all his excellent work.

This edition tackles one of the most challengingaspects of culture change: that of communityinvolvement. Have the new procedures madeplanning a more or a less user-friendly process?Can we involve communities early enough in theprocess?Will such involvement suffer under thepublic sector cuts that lie ahead? Thecontributions to this edition emphasise theimportance of community involvement and thebenefits associated with getting it right.

I hope you find the articles of interest and ofhelp in dealing with the challenges that lie ahead.As ever, we are extremely grateful to BiggartBaillie LLP and Halcrow for their sponsorship ofScottishplanner; and for the support of ouradvertisers.

Veronica BurbridgeEditor

Editor Veronica BurbridgeProduction James Henderson

Potential articles and photographs are welcome.The Editor reserves the right to amend articles as necessary.

Enquiries to: the Editor, Scottishplanner, RTPI in Scotland,57 Melville St, Edinburgh, EH3 7HLTel: 0131 226 1959; email: scotland@rtpi.org.uk

The opinions stated are the contributors’ own unlessotherwise stated. The RTPI is not responsible for statementsmade or views expressed in this journal.

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We act for developers, local authoritiesand any other party involved in planningmatters. At Biggart Baillie we prideourselves on seeing the planningand related issues in the round.For further information, please visitwww.biggartbaillie.co.uktwitter.com/biggartbaillie

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07 10 14

Convener’sComments

Sustainable land useThe Land Use Strategy togetherwith the National PlanningFramework 2 will set out theScottish Government’s approach tothe land use aspects of sustainabledevelopment. The Strategy willinform future planning policy, andis useful in making connectionsbetween land use and theecosystem services – that is theservices which land provides, such asclean water, food, landscape, soil andcarbon storage, and that arefundamental to sustainablecommunities and to the economy.

Unsurprisingly, many of theseservices are central to addressingclimate change. It is to be welcomedthat the draft Strategy recognisesthe links between rural and urbanland use, and sets an objective tosupport vibrant, sustainablecommunities in both urban and ruralareas. In Europe and North Americathere are already examples of closerintegration of urban and rural landuse planning and management.

Many in Scotland have identifiedwhere there seem to be conflictingvisions and a lack of an integrated,strategic direction for land use intheir area. Development plans, andframeworks such as indicativeforestry strategies, flood riskmanagement plans and nationalparks plans, may help to provide thatguidance. The consultation gives usan opportunity to explore whetherthese frameworks and othermechanisms could be deliveringmore to address climate change andbuild more resilient communities.

Who decides?The consultation on Resources forPlanning is focusing on fees, butmany will have noted that there is atleast one key area for debate aroundthis topic which is more challenging.What constitutes a high-performingplanning system, and who shoulddecide what matters? How toevaluate performance and whoshould do that are recurringquestions in planning processes inevery field including education,defence and health. The consultationchallenges us again to consider howwe can evaluate plans and planning.Earlier consultation on this subjectrevealed that planning authoritiesand other key stakeholders are keento be involved. Given that the newplans are to be developed incollaborative and inclusive ways,with many more partnershipsamong the stakeholders, and thatplan-making is to follow a more

regular five-year cycle, it is morepractical and appropriate to consideran evaluation process which activelyinvolves all of the stakeholders. Itcould be argued that the activeengagement and involvement inplan preparation and delivery, whichare central to the new system, mustbe carried through to the evaluationof plans and their delivery.

Who decides what matters and whoshould evaluate? Perhaps there is anopportunity to consider whethersuch a process would be bestfacilitated by a partnership or anorganisation at arm’s length fromthe planning authority, governmentor any individual stakeholder in theprocess. Such an arrangementwould demonstrate the planningauthorities’ and stakeholders’confidence in the system, and makeconnections between theestablishment of the outcomessought and the evaluation process.In turn, this could engender greaterconfidence in the process and raiseawareness of planning andplanners, and theircontributions to wider goalsand outcomes thatinclude deliveringsustainable economicgrowth and addressingclimate change.

The current consultations on the draft Land UseStrategy for Scotland and on Resourcing a High QualityPlanning System raise challenging issues for everyoneinterested in planning in Scotland.

03

Ian Angus MRTPIConvener, RTPI in Scotland’sScottish Executive Committee

River Tweed at Kelso© image courtesy Charles Strang

OCTOBER 2010 Scottishplanner

04 www.rtpi.org.uk/rtpi_in_scotland/

: UPDATE

New Sustainable Land Use Strategy… continued from the front cover

Linking to planningThis is a very high level document whichcontains many links with the NationalPlanning Framework. The Strategy brieflyoutlines its relationship with theplanning system noting: “This Strategydeals with broader considerations relatingto the sustainable use of land, notably insituations where the statutory planningand development management systemdoes not apply. Together, NPF2 andthe Land Use Strategy set out theScottish Government’s approach tothe land-use aspects of sustainabledevelopment. The Strategy can alsoinform future planning policy.”

The degree of overlap is at timesconfusing and the Strategy lacks anydetailed explanation of how integrationmay be achieved through ScottishPlanning Policy (SPP). Principles ofincreasing woodland cover, protectingcarbon-rich soils, and the developmentof spatial frameworks for larger onshorewindfarms are included and echo well-established planning policy. There isfurther overlap with developmentplanning: for instance, the Strategyincludes sections on vacant and derelictland; flood risk management; urbangreenspace; and well-designed,

sustainable rural and urban places andlandscapes.

The consultation document states that:“in many parts of Scotland this Strategy,in conjunction with other plans anddocuments, will provide sufficientstrategic direction for landmanagers,public bodies and others involved inmaking decisions about land use.”It picks out community planningpartnerships as bodies which may wishto consider how the Land Use Strategycan assist in determining priorities forsetting single outcome agreements.However, it views development plans asonly one of a number of mechanisms forachieving integration.

Toward a fully integratedStrategyThe consultation paper notes that manystakeholders and land managers arelooking for a clearer sense of strategicdirection relating to the use of land intheir local area. The consultation notesthat, in many instances, developmentplans, as well as other mechanisms suchas indicative forestry strategies, riverbasin management plans, flood riskmanagement plans, national park plansor spatial frameworks for windfarms, will

provide that guidance. It suggests that“… public bodies could consider whethermore needs to be done locally, eitherthrough expanding existingmechanismsor through other means, to help givegreater clarity and to guide decisionsand choices about the use of land towardsdelivering the best outcomes for theirarea.” … but little guidance is providedon how this might be achieved orfunded.

The consultation paper claims that thisis the first time that a strategy has setout a high-level, long-term agenda forsustainable land use across Scotland.Like me, some of you may reach foryour copy of the National PlanningFramework 2 (NPF2) to establish justwhere the differences lie, and considerwhether some more integrated approachto policy might be helpful.You mightmarvel at the continuing silo nature ofGovernment Directorates; wonder why aresource strategy aiming to establish alow-carbon economy omits any mentionof marine spatial planning; and regretthe lost opportunity for establishing astrong development plan-led systemin Scotland.

This Strategy is, nonetheless, refreshingin its return to sustainable developmentprinciples and in its emphasis on theecosystem approach. It could have farreaching consequences, and it will beinteresting to see the influence that ithas on the next round of proposed‘national developments’ in NPF3. It setssome sensible strategic directions but, asit stands, it will not provide the greatercertainty and direction required bystakeholders and land managers: it willneed to clarify its relationship with theNPF and SPP, and give higher priority tothe integrating role of strategic and localdevelopment plans.

This is an important document: we needto get it right. Planners havemuch tocontribute to the debate between nowand December.

Veronica Burbridge, National Director,RTPI in Scotland

Youthful recreation on the Argyll coast © image courtesy Charles Strang

0305

There is no doubt that the planningsystem would be strengthened bygreater community involvement inmatters such as local and strategicdevelopment plans and everydayplanning applications. The goals that weshould all aspire to are to make our localcommunities better places for work andrecreation, and to produce a healthybuilt environment, not just for now,but for future generations.

Seeking enlightenmentThe big debate is how to involve thegeneral public in constructive dialogue onthe developments and facilities that needto be built to enhance the quality andcapacity of our communities. In certaincircumstances, some people in ourcommunities, and on occasioncommunity councils, take a negative andlimited approach to applications thataffect their areas. As statutory consulteeson planning applications, communitycouncils should take a wider perspectiveand, I think, ensure they represent themany, varied interests in their locale.

There are, of course, many communitycouncils that are excellent examples ofunderstanding the broad-based aimsand aspirations of people within theirarea, and of giving a balanced view.This can contrast to the narrow ‘just sayno’ attitude to planning applicationspromulgated by some communitycouncils, who do not see planning asan instrument of advancement forcommunities, but see development

plans and some individual applications,unfortunately, as a threat to their locale.

For some, there appears to be a cultureof resistance to change, whetherstrategic or local. Many automaticallyobject, believing they are protectingtheir community from developmentsand facilities they do not want. RatherI would suggest a more informed andconstructive attitude be taken toplanning applications that would in allreality bear more fruit in the longer-term for their communities. Perhapscouncils and applicants have to look athow best to foster such a position.

Widening the netThe new planning legislation broughtin a year ago is offering some hope ineliciting meaningful dialogue between

communities and planning authorities.The introduction of mandatory pre-application community consultation bypotential applicants is giving the chancefor individual members of the public toinvolve themselves in a constructive wayand away from the application processitself. The theory is that communitycontact at this early stage could lead tomodifications in the application thatwould smooth the way to a lessconfrontational position being taken byobjectors when the application islodged. In most cases, the use ofexhibitions and public contact at thisstage in the process is attracting abroader range of people to join in theprocess, which opens up the prospect ofless entrenched positions being voicedby community councils when theapplication is actually lodged.

The changes brought in by the newlegislation are by no means perfect,and further consultation between theScottish Government, COSLA and thelocal authorities that operate theplanning system on a daily basis will, Iam sure, bring further modifications. Bylistening and acting on the practicalitiesand experiences of those at the frontlinein local government, the ScottishGovernment will be able to enhancewhat has already been achieved andScotland will take further steps downthe road to an advanced planningsystem fit for the 21st Century.

The views expressed are the author’s own.

Councillor Graham Scott is the Scottish Labour Party elected memberfor East Kilbride East within South Lanarkshire Council, Chair of thePlanning Committee for South Lanarkshire Council and Chair ofGlasgow and Clyde Valley Strategic Development Planning Authority.

AView fromSouth Lanarkshire

South Lanarkshire Council Headquarters,Hamilton

Chatelherault Country Park, Hamilton © images courtesy South Lanarkshire Council

OCTOBER 2010 Scottishplanner

06 www.rtpi.org.uk/rtpi_in_scotland/

: UPDATE - PLANNING REFORM

PAN 3/2010 builds upon the Government’s policy oncommunity engagement in planning, as set out in theScottish Planning Policy (SPP) published in February 2010,which recognises that effective engagement with the publiccan lead to better plans, better decisions and moresatisfactory outcomes, and can help to avoid delays in theplanning process.

PAN 3/2010 differs from the previous PAN 81, published inMarch 2007, in a number of ways. The messages within PAN81 are carried forward, as are the linkages with the NationalStandards for Community Engagement. However, PAN 81referred to secondary legislation that it was considered wouldarise out of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 and,following consultation in 2008 and calls from consultees tomake the legislation simpler, there were some changes tothe subsequent secondary legislation which came into forcein 2009. The legislative references in PAN 81 thereforebecame somewhat misleading, and PAN 3/2010 looks toclarify these matters.

In addition, there has been a move away from the inclusion ofcase studies in Government planning documents, and sothese have been removed. However, in line with DeliveringPlanning Reform, the Government remains keen to hear aboutsuch studies and has been encouraging their submission. It isthe Government’s intention to ensure that there are betterlinkages between the PAN and the Scottish Governmentwebsite in relation to examples of community engagementpractice. Examples of these studies are to be made availableon the Government’s planning website. If you, too, have anexample that should be shared more widely, further detailsare available at www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/modernising/cc/GoodPractice.

ForumsIn addition to the PAN revision, a number of projects areongoing. The Development Management Forum in Junebrought together communities, local authorities anddevelopers, with practical experience of pre-applicationconsultation, to share their experiences. The outputs fromthese discussions can be found on the developmentmanagement web-page of the Government’s website. Thenext national Strategic Environmental Assessment Forumwill also be focusing on public participation.

The Scottish Charrette SeriesThis month has also seen the publication of the report ofthe Charrette Series held earlier this year. The ScottishSustainable Communities Initiative (SSCI) Charrette Seriestook place throughout March 2010 and involved aninnovative, interactive approach to public engagement inorder to develop community-informed masterplans. TheSeries involved three of the exemplar projects selected forthe SSCI, Lochgelly in Fife, Grandhome in Aberdeen, andLadyfield in Dumfries. Transport and Infrastructure MinisterStewart Stevenson highlights that: “Charrettes are a trulyinnovative and exciting approach to empowering communitiesthat the Scottish Government is pioneering on a nationalscale. They allow people to shape positively the decision-making process in their communities in a dynamic andeffective way, improving the quality, attractiveness andsuccess of places across Scotland."

MediationWork is also progressing on the pilot study into mediation,with two of the three live cases nearing completion. As themediator engaged in the pilot project, John Sturrock of CoreSolutions, has commented: “There has been useful learning forus all about this process and we are seeing already the potentialbenefits which mediation can bring to the planning system inScotland for local communities, planners and developers.”

In conclusion … as PAN 3/2010 states, successful operationof the planning system will only be achieved if those involved,planning authorities, agencies and consultees, applicants,communities, representative organisations, public bodies, theGovernment and the general public, commit themselves toengaging as constructively as possible in the process.

Community engagement in planningThe Scottish Government reports

The Scottish Government published inAugust an updated PlanningAdvice Note on communityengagement. Launching PAN 3/2010:Community Engagement in Planning, Stewart Stevenson, Ministerfor Transport and Infrastructure, recognised both “the important role planning plays in building strong andsustainable economic growth in Scotland and the interest of communities in development plans and proposals.”

© image courtesy Scottish Government

Aberdeenshire Council published itsProposed Plan on July 9, 2010, and asthe first Scottish planning authority todo so under the new planning system,there have been no models or bestpractice advice to follow.

Our first step was to establish whichallocations required notification. It wasclear from the Town and CountryPlanning (Development Planning)Regulations 2008 that new allocationsfor housing and employment requirenotification. However, the situationwas less clear for land protected fromdevelopment, greenbelt and existinghousing and employment allocationscarried forward from the previousAberdeenshire Local Plan.

Scottish Government and legal advicewere sought on the extent ofnotification to be achieved. Generallywe concluded as follows:

• where land was protected for anexisting use, or was for landscaping,no notification was required.

• where a site was reserved for aspecific development, such as ahealth centre or future schoolextension, notification was required.

• where new restrictions ondevelopment were being proposedin a particular area, it was decidednotification of these sites should beundertaken – properties affectedby boundary changes to existingdesignations, such as greenbelt, weretreated in this way.

• neighbours of existing sites beingcarried forward from previous planswere also notified, on the advice thatthe existing allocations were specificdevelopment proposals within theLocal Development Plan.

Managing the risks

Having established which allocationsrequired notification, the next step wasto identify all the relevant sites withinthe Proposed Plan and relatedaddresses. A buffer was drawn aroundeach allocation and addresspoint ‘seeds’1

captured through the Council’s GISsystem. It quickly became apparent thatthe 20m buffer was too narrow andthere was risk that the seed point of abuilding within 20m might itselfbe outwith this buffer. In light of this,the buffer zone was increased to 40mfrom the allocation to ensure alladdresses were captured. This resultedin considerably less time spent checkingthe accuracy of the buffer areas, butan increased number of peoplebeing notified.

Over 500 sites were identified asrequiring notification, resulting in anunprecedented 9,000 notifiableaddresses. Careful organisation wasrequired when it came to packaging upthe envelopes to ensure each premisesreceived the correct notice andassociated plan. This stage was verystaff-intensive – amounting to well inexcess of 30 person-days – and took upa large amount of space. The cost wasan inevitable consequence of theRegulations; the over-consultation weundertook was seen as a means ofminimising risk of future challenge.

What the neighbours say

Initially we had underestimated theextent of notification, and it was onreceipt of advice that the true scale of

the task became apparent. During thefirst three weeks of the consultationperiod, the office resembled a callcentre as neighbours responded to theformal notices. There was confusion asto the purpose of the notification: anumber of recipients thought it was inrespect of a planning application andwere looking for a greater level of detailthan was presented in the Plan. In lightof this, clearly the wording of the noticenow requires careful consideration.

As I write, our consultation on theProposed Plan is still ongoing and it isdifficult to judge what impactnotification will have on levels ofrepresentation received and, moregenerally, in engaging with people.From the calls received, it is clear thatnotification has made more peopleaware of the Local Development Planand its potential impact on theirneighbourhood. Time will tell if thisproduces other benefits further downthe line through the developmentmanagement stage and/or leads on toreductions in the period taken todetermine planning applications.

1 The addresspoint ‘seeds’ are data points on the‘map layer’ associated with a certain propertywhich when clicked upon give the addressdetails.When a buffer is drawn in the GISsystem, a query can be run which picks up allthe addresses within the buffer.

A first and lasting impression

07

Meet the ‘neighbour notification team’ - from left to right: Jill Paterson, Sarah MacRitchie,MatthewWatt, Rowena MacDougall and Alison Hogge © image courtesy Alison Hogge

Rowena MacDougall, PolicyPlanner with AberdeenshireCouncil, examines thechallenges of neighbournotification.

During the first three weeksof the consultation period,

the office resembled a call centreas neighbours responded to theformal notices. ”“

OCTOBER 2010 Scottishplanner : FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGE

08 www.rtpi.org.uk/rtpi_in_scotland/

We’re fortunate in having aprofessional journal to providefeedback on community engagementin the new era. Our consultees are notso lucky. Most people don’t seem torealise they are now ‘stakeholders’ witha statutory role in shaping their townsand neighbourhoods. Have they evenheard of PAN 3/2010?

Of course, we should review our effortsand spread best practice.We shouldshare techniques for shaping our effortsto the specific circumstances of eachcase.We should celebrate success andlearn from mistakes. However, there isa danger that in focusing on process,we improve our box-ticking butspectacularly lose sight of theenormous possibilities people canbring to planning, placemaking andsustainable development.

A new sense of ownershipAndrew Mickel pointed out in theAugust Scottishplanner (136) thattoday’s NIMBY might be tomorrow’scustomer, if developers play their cardsright. The penny is beginning to drop.Although this stems from marketingsavvy on the part of Mactaggart &Mickel, it’s not a giant leap from this toa more meaningful conversation thatseeks to build something a communitywants and needs.

We’re doing this in Furnace, withArgyll Estates.We hope to providea housing development that thecommunity itself can grow into. Alandowner helping local people get thehouses they need at a fair price … it’snot just community engagement thathas entered a new era.

Up the A83 at Inveraray and at otherlarge mixed-use developments inBowmore, Forres, Evanton and Tomatin,we’re exploring how local people mightdrive employment and communityownership. Evanton has become a

commuter town feeding Inverness and,every day, accountants, hairdressers,retail workers and planning consultantshead for the city, where they use eachother’s services. If they had theopportunity and support, would theyrelocate or start a business back inEvanton? If we work together toincrease local employment, will webe better placed to sell houses?Could we create a vibrant, integratedneighbourhood that sustains localservices and gives the community asense of ownership beyond theallotments we expect them to run?

Changing the viewIt would be easier to stick with housinguse, stage an exhibition, gatherfeedback, adjust the scheme to pacifyconcerns and gain consent. The Clientmay ultimately pursue that route ifthe market will carry it. However,the Crunch has opened a window ofopportunity and increasing numbersof professionals, communities, evenlandowners and developers, are tryingto climb through it - or at leastchecking out the view.

Argyll is well ahead of the game withsuccessful community ownership atEasdale Island, Gigha and the Bute

Forest, possibly to be followed soon bythe enormous Machrihanish airbase.The Ardrishaig Community Trust istaking a lead, and the Mull Manifesto isa bold community vision helping toshape the future of the island, wherethe Tobermory Harbour Trust hasalready achieved success.

Ambitious talkManagement guru Tom Peters oncesaid that ambitious organisationsshould ask their employees to list theirhobbies, ad hoc qualifications and areasof personal interest. They’d typicallyfind individuals who could fly a plane,raise twins, play piano to concertstandard or speak Mandarin.

There’s so much unused talent!Wecan continue to underestimate ourconsultees or tap into this resource.Either way, we need to find a moreaccessible way of mobilising individualsto engage more fully with planning anddevelopment. Beyond the box-ticking,community engagement shouldremind us that towns are for people. Ifwe can harness their energy, skills andaspirations, we may get somewhereclose to the sustainable economicdevelopment we all need to deliver.

Richard Heggie is Director of Edinburgh planning and urban design consultancy Urban Animation,and the RTPI’s UK Planning Consultant of theYear. Drawing on recent and current projects, he asksplanners to reflect on the level of their ambition for their work with communities.

Working with all the talents

Consultation session at Inverary © image courtesy Richard Heggie

EMENT

09

Getting fromNIMBY to IMBY

Planning is an essential public servicethat directly impacts on people’s lives.It facilitates sustainable economicgrowth and contributes towardstackling climate change … However, itis now time for planning to come outof its box. The relevance and reach ofthe planning system need to beuniversally understood, and thisrequires an all-embracing culturechange that will put people acrossScotland at the heart of planning.

The modernisation of planning cameabout because the previous systemwas not keeping up with society’schanging expectations –environmental, social and economic.The new legislation aimed to beenabling, creating a more strategic,balanced and open system, so thateveryone could and should play theirpart, from planners themselves, todevelopers, lawyers, politicians,communities, individuals andcommunity groups. But is thishappening on the ground?

Rights and responsibilitiesPlanning Aid for Scotland (PAS) has aunique position in relation to involvingpeople and communities in planning.It sees what happens at the grassrootslevel and that people who are active inplanning often become active in theircommunity in other ways, while thosewho are not engaged are oftendisengaged from other services too.

Some argue that the planning systemhas an ‘image problem’, and that thosewho know it exists often use planning

as a tool to object to development,be that to a windfarm, housingdevelopment or a neighbour’s houseextension. PAS recognises thatobjecting to a development is a rightand can certainly be a positive force,but with it should come theresponsibility of participation.Development plan and pre-applicationconsultations are importantopportunities to use the planningsystem positively and, increasingly,community-led organisations arebecoming developers and creatingcommunity-owned assets such aswind turbines, allotments, play parksand community centres.

Mentoring and moreThe PAS mentoring scheme is an idealexample of the ‘enabling’ planningsystem we need to promote. Thescheme has initially been rolled outacross rural Scotland, in partnershipwith local CVSs (Councils for VoluntaryServices) and other intermediaries, andprovides a helping hand with advice,information and support to enablelocally-led community projects tobecome a reality.

There is an urgent need forprofessional planning advice to allowthese groups to take forward theirideas at each stage of the planningprocess. Of course, this wouldn’t bepossible without the unique PAS teamof volunteers who are all planningprofessionals. There’s a sense ofsatisfaction when you see how you’vehelped someone through the planning

maze, allowing them to harnessplanning to develop their community.It is a unique way to gain knowledgefrom both the grassroots and otherprofessionals, and to boost your jobprospects.

Mentoring is a valuable tool thatembeds planning knowledge incommunities for current and futuredevelopments. Similarly, working withyoung people to teach them aboutplanning, and why and how to getinvolved, is essential. Planning to Act®,our programme for young people, isnow developing into a second phase,youth coaching. This new programmeis not just about planning but aboutengaging in wider society andbecoming active citizens with rightsand responsibilities. This is whatplanning should be all about,involving people or, as Patrick Geddesput it, successful planning has to be“folk planning”.

A key resourceCulture change is often talked about,but we need less talk and more actionto put people at the heart of planning.Despite the increasing pressuresplaced on land, a fixed resource, thereis good work happening acrossScotland including governmentconsultation on land use, crofting andother planning-related issues. Localauthorities, developers and othersneed to see engaging with people notas a burden but as a valuable resource– as valuable as the land itself.

Mentoring, youth coaching, community-led development:Petra Biberbach, Director of Planning Aid for Scotland,explores the opportunities they are generating to enablepeople and communities to become valued partners in amodern planning system. © image courtesy Planning Aid for Scotland

OCTOBER 2010 Scottishplanner

www.rtpi.org.uk/rtpi_in_scotland/10

: FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGE

We were wanting, as it says on the ‘modernising tin’, thepreparation of our new Local Development Plan to be inclusiveand accessible with local people more involved in decisions thatshape the development of their communities. Establishing anearly, effective dialogue between the Plan and the communitycouncils was therefore important. In the past such a dialoguehas eluded us, with poor response rates of under 7%. No matterhow nice the Plan’s cover, the traditional approach of advertsand letters to community councils was not hitting the spot.Clearly we needed to do better.

With a small team, limited resources and a tight preparationprogramme, our consultation efforts had to be focused andcanny: engagement with 28 community councils, widelydispersed across 11 islands, therefore presented challenges.However, by tapping into wider council resources and networks,we’ve found help in the form of the nine CommunityCoordinators. They support community council meetings andwork in local communities; indeed many live there too, andso are the ‘weel-kent’ community faces. They have becomekey to opening-up dialogue.

Briefing the messengerThe Senior Community Coordinator joined the Plan ProjectTeam, ensuring ‘community interest’ informed our preparationprocess. Planners in turn attended Coordinators’ meetings todiscuss the Plan and benefit from their experience. TheCoordinators clearly had skills in this area, and we needed onlyto build their capacity and provide the materials to enablethem to disseminate our planning messages and facilitatefeedback. The Coordinators willingly – it’s true – signed up totake the Plan into the community.

Community council meetings vary significantly in frequencyand protocols and this informed our consultation programmingand methods. Previously, letters to the community councilsecretaries hadn’t always ensured space on their busy agendas,but having now secured an agenda spot with the Coordinators’help, we could then provide a simple message of the key issueswe wanted them to address.

It’s good to talkThe initiative has produced encouraging results, withcommunity council response rates improving from 7% of old to36% on this recent Main Issues Report (MIR). Encouragingly, a

quarter of the councils provided early comment prior to MIRpreparation and, beyond the statistics, the quality of responsehas been improved. Even where there has been no response,general awareness of the process and consultationopportunities has increased.

Working with Coordinators has had wider benefits too: withtheir finger on the local pulse, networking opportunities andother community links have been located.Their local knowledgehas helped identify potential proposals and offered valuablebackground information on local priorities. New relationshipshave been forged and planning topics are now incorporated intocommunity HaveYour Say Days: other services are now startingto utilise the Coordinators for consultations too.

It is also critically important to keep elected Council Membersand other decision-makers updated to ensure support forinitiatives.While planners themselves do still directly meet withthe community councils, the Coordinators have helped to ensurethat the Plan preparation process is kept on Members’ radar.

Let’s speak soonWhile setting up the initiative has taken time and effort, thepayback has certainly been worthwhile. The aim now is tomaintain interest and momentum and, encouragingly, at arecent debriefing session the Coordinators were keen to learnabout the overall results of the MIR consultation and lookingforward to the next stage.Working closely with them hashelped us better deliver a key ingredient on that ‘modernisingtin’, and a dialogue now exists between the Plan andcommunity… the next challenge is to persuade others to join in.

If you do what you’ve always done, you’llget what you’ve gotten. Tony Robbins“ ”

Speaking through ‘weel-kent’ facesRecognising that effective engagement with community councils on past development planconsultations has proven elusive, planners in the Outer Hebrides have been working closelywith their Community Coordinators Service to improve this process for the new LocalDevelopment Plan. Results have been very encouraging, as Derek Laidlaw, LDP Coordinatorfor Comhairle nan Eilean Siar/ Western Isles Council, reports.

Berneray Island’s village hall, venue for one of the most westerlycommunity council meetings in Scotland© image courtesy Comhairle nan Eilean Siar/Western Isles Council

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TheNeilston Renaissance Town Charteris the pilot project of the ScottishRenaissance Towns Initiative, a responseto the challenges facing small towns inScotland.The aim has been to establish acommunity-led team in this village of6000, both to develop the Charter as aguide to future development and to thenchampion this regeneration.The Charterrecently won the Community InvolvementAward at the ScottishAwards for Quality inPlanning 2009, with the judges concluding:“… an excellent example of how to bringtogether community interest groups andrelevant experts in design, planning andregeneration to establish a shared vision ofa town's development opportunities.”

New ways of workingThe Charter sets out a 20-year vision forthe village and is set in the context ofScottish Government’s overall purpose ofsustainable economic growth and thecommitment within planning reform toeffective community involvement.

The Charter was developed through aseries of TownTeam workshops anddebates in early 2009, culminating in aTown Charrette weekend.The processwas open to all, including residents, localbusinesses, agencies, and key civic leaders.Focus groups emerged, namely: heritageand appearance; sustainability, movementand accessibility; economic development;open spaces and places; and youngpeople’s involvement. The direct cost ofthe process has been approximately£40,000.

For this Renaissance Towns approachto work, everyone involved had to shedprevious pre-conceptions of their rolesand embrace a steep learning curve: for usas council officers this meant temporarilyputting aside our understanding of

planning structures and governance tosupport an ‘unrestricted conversation’. Allstakeholders were invited as ‘individualswith an interest’ rather than ‘delegateswith an agenda’, and participative,creative planning followed - a challenging,very fulfilling and enjoyable process.

AVision, a Charter, a manifestoThe result is Neilston 2030, a long-termvision for “the creation of a sustainable,economically-robust, well-planned andwell-connected small town.”The Charteralso outlines ‘town-wide initiatives’relating to the main street and publicrealm, and ‘key development projects’,such as the refurbishment of CroftheadMill to support economic development,re-development of the currently closed(upper & lower) railway stations topromote sustainable travel, and an infilldevelopment strategy to identifyopportunities for development.

The Charter enables a legacy of civic prideto be passed on, in the spirit of traditionaltown building and contemporarysustainability, and is the community’smandate and manifesto. The Town Teamthrough this intense four-month processhave become highly-informed and skilled,and are now able to carry the Charterforward into real projects.

As council officers and departments, we’veworked together across disciplines withall the longer-term benefits that brings:likewise, we’re part of the widerpartnership that has developed and is nowtaking forward the Charter - the

Mackintosh School of Architecture andGlasgow Urban Lab, the DevelopmentTrust Association Scotland,Architecture +Design Scotland,The Lighthouse,SUST.org, Barrhead Housing Associationand Urban Design Skills.

A beginning not an endNow all the stakeholders are ‘custodians’of the future of Neilston through theCharter, thus enabling local people to leadin creating change and to retainownership of this long-term process.Initial projects are underway: securing fourwind turbines for the community, with adeveloper, to generate funds for futureprojects; developing the InfillDevelopment Strategy which will informthe Local Development Plan; and therestoration of Cowdenhall Gardens.

I have found myself asking why we don’tuse ‘place-based’ consultation work moreoften to support the production of localplans and local development plans – theCharter is now recognised within theexisting Local Plan. By engaging withcommunities through their sense ofownership, and increasing both the quantityand quality of such engagement, plannerscan establish a more robust process and acommitted, long-term approach.

By the community,for the communityA community confident in its future and an award-winningapproach:Daniel McKendry, Principal Regeneration Officer withEast Renfrewshire Council, discusses the Renaissance Townapproach to working with the people of Neilston.

A postcard with ribbons attached was delivered toeach household in Neilston inviting residents to thefirst Renaissance Town meeting and to tie the cardto their favourite place in the village – an initialstraw poll of community priorities.© image courtesy East Renfrewshire Council

To view the Neilston Renaissance Town Charter see

www.scottishrenaissancetowns.com/downloadpages/placeplanning_assets/neilston_charter.pdf

or the Scottish Renaissance Town’s website at www.scottishrenaissancetowns.com/

OCTOBER 2010 Scottishplanner : FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ENGAGE

The Scottish Government and COSLAdefine community empowerment as“a process where people work togetherto make change happen in theircommunities by having more powerand influence over what matters tothem."What better way to do thisthan through the planning process?However, given the complex nature ofcommunities and the wide variety ofstakeholders involved, each with theirown views, this is often hard toachieve. Planning can bring out theworst in people, creating an arenawhere warring factions take sides inbattle, and leaving the poor plannersto sift through piles of letters ofrepresentation both for and againstproposals.

Tackling the gridlockThe classic textbook, Cullingworthand Nadin’s Town and CountryPlanning in the UK, states (2002, p2)“Politics, conflict and dispute are atthe centre of land use planning … ifthere were no conflicts, there would beno need for planning”. Plannersunderstand that as long as planning isa democratic process, there will bedifferences of opinion. As planners,we need to find methods of helpingcommunities deal with disputes earlyin the process and so removingbarriers that get in the way of speedydecision-making. The problem is that

busy planners don’t have the luxuryof time or resources to deal withindividual cases, and people on amission to prevent a development donot always want to listen to othersides of the argument. Planners needmethods that help communitiesovercome these obstacles.

Scottishplanner April 2010 (p14)featured an article by John Sturrockon the benefits that mediation canmake to planning: finding commonground, overcoming barriers tocommunication and preventinggridlock in discussions. By usingmediation to resolve differences earlyin the process, time and money canbe saved in the long-term.

Tried and testedAs a planner and a mediator, I havefirst-hand experience of the positiveoutcomes that mediation can achieve,so why is the profession so slow totry it out? Certainly, lessons can belearned from an existing organisationthat provides mediation as a meansto improve communities. SACRO(Safeguarding Communities andReducing Offending) has many yearsexperience of community mediation,and runs free services in most localauthority areas, dealing with a rangeof problems from anti-socialbehaviour to noise issues. They alsodeal with planning-related problems,and have experienced mediators whounderstand how to help people reacha level of understanding that allowsthem to move forward. Referrals forcommunity mediation come from awide range of organisations andstatutory services, including thepolice, social work and housingassociations.

A resource on tapWith increasing pressure to engagecommunities in planning, plannersneed all the help that they can get toreduce conflict amongst communitygroups and remove barriers toeffective participation. It makes senseto take the heat out of contentiousplanning applications by, early in theprocess, giving people an opportunityto hear both sides of the argument.Mediation takes the pressure offplanners, and offers an effective wayto help people work together, whichin the longer-term results in speedierdecision-making.

Karol Swanson has over 20 yearsexperience working with communitygroups throughout Scotland, and is anexperienced mediator with SACROand Mears Mediation. She is agraduate planner from Heriot-WattUniversity and carried out extensiveresearch on the use of mediation inthe Scottish planning system for herdissertation – to learn more contactkarol@karolswanson.co.uk.

Planner and community mediator Karol Swanson remindsthe profession of a valuable resource which creates ‘thespace’ for all in a community to overcome differences andbuild an understanding of the full picture.

With increasingpressure to

engage communities inplanning, planners need allthe help that they can getto reduce conflict amongstcommunity groups.

“

12 www.rtpi.org.uk/rtpi_in_scotland/

© image courtesy of Eilidh Maclean

Lowering the temperature

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1Reviewof the ImpactofCommunity EngagementwithinRegeneration, view www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/04/29130243/

Planning reform has firmly establishedcommunity engagement as a centralfeature. Legislative changes aresupported by a raft of guidance thatseeks to improve the effectiveness,inclusiveness and accessibility ofcommunity engagement within theplanning process. Reaching a wider, morerepresentative audience goes some wayto establishing a more transparent, fairerprocess. However, recent ScottishGovernment research1 concluded whatwe should already know – that the waycommunity engagement is carried outhas a direct impact on the outcomes itgenerates. So, are statutory requirementsimproving how we engage withcommunities?

Areas of engagementThere are three key planning elementsthat require community engagement:the development of spatial strategiesand policy frameworks – developmentplanning; the identification of site- ordesign-specific parameters throughsupplementary planning guidance; andthe assessment of developmentproposals through pre-applicationconsultation – developmentmanagement.

The public sector, including ScottishMinisters and local authorities, isresponsible for undertaking communityengagement for the first two elements.As a minimum, this must provide theopportunity for individuals ororganisations to make representationson plan or policy proposals at variousstages; a long-running, highly-formalisedform of engagement. This work canempower communities as they becomeaware of how to influence long-termdevelopment priorities, and manyauthorities are now engaging creativelythrough techniques such as Planning forReal, Enquiry by Design and communityroadshows. However, it is important toensure techniques are not employed topersuade communities to subscribe tospecific design or policy agendas; suchdialogue must be initiated from thebottom-up.

Genuine influence?Pre-application consultation is theresponsibility of the applicant – subjectto local planning authority approval –and, as such, is primarily a dialoguebetween developer and community. Theimplications of development proposalsare most tangible at the applicationstage, and pre-application consultationis often seen as the last opportunity forcommunities to directly influenceproposals. The need to respond directlyto aggrieved residents may motivatesome developers to engage morecreatively, particularly for high-profileprojects. However, there seems to havebeen a general outbreak of publicmeetings in halls across the country. Thistechnique rarely affords participants theopportunity to influence proposals and isnormally appropriate only as part of a

wider strategy that uses participatorytechniques throughout the design stage.There is an emerging risk that, by way ofmere repetition, such consultation maybe relegated to little more than a fire-fighting or tick-box exercise.

Towards public benefitsThere are early indications thatcommunity engagement is helping toimprove the efficiency of the planningsystem. For example, it has reducedthe number of objections received forsome applications. The purpose ofengagement, however, is not simplyto resolve conflicts for the benefit theplanning process. If we expectcommunities to engage positively, theymust be afforded the opportunity toderive real benefits for themselves –public benefits. Identifying how we candefine and measure the impacts ofcommunity engagement will help usunderstand how we can achieve suchan outcome.

This begs a number of questions.Whatimpacts can community engagementhave on improving the planning productfor the benefit of the communities inwhich it is delivered? Can the methodsused to engage be developed further?What, if any, system of accountabilityshould ensure a national benchmarkfor quality?

Ironically, to answer these questionswe must engage within our ownprofessional networks and explicitlyreport on our experiences and sharegood practice. The upcoming RTPIEdinburgh Lothians Fife & Borders(ELFB) Chapter event at the end ofOctober provides an opportunity tostart such a conversation. ContactNikola@planningaidscotland.org.ukfor further details.

The views expressed are theauthor’s own.

AmandaWetzel, Planning & Design Consultant with theHalcrow Group, considers whether planning reform is raisingthe standard of community engagement, and highlights keyissues for the profession to tackle next.

Whose proposal is it anyway?

Planning for Real – accessibility ofinformation is critical to the engagementdialogue © image courtesy Halcrow

OCTOBER 2010 Scottishplanner

14 www.rtpi.org.uk/rtpi_in_scotland/

: VIEWSAND NEWS

Getting the inside story

This was the UK’s first ever HousingExpo and had been closely modelled onthe Finnish approach which has beenvery successful in stimulating high-quality, innovative housing design. TheExpo has played host to over 30,000visitors during the 31 days of August2010, showcasing over 50 original andsustainable housing designs whichemerged as winners of its architecturalcompetition launched back in January2007. The Expo is thus the culminationof a number of years’ worth of incrediblyhard work by many people, much of itthrough the recent, deep recession – itsvery existence a tribute to all thoseinvolved.

A tale of two halvesOur half-day RTPI seminar at the Expowas a two-parter with us initially holedup in a low, white marquee in the ‘villagesquare’ to hear from Susan Torrance ofthe Highland Housing Alliance andarchitects Trevor Black, Alan Dickson andSam Hey. Part two saw a series of guidedtours, led by the architects, through theglorious sunshine and inside theirfinished houses.

Susan Torrance provided a potted historyof the Expo from its inception, through atortuous gestation – when the press and

the economy appeared to be conspiringagainst it – and finally to the now-finished houses, a remarkable result.

The plot thickensEach architect then took us on a journeyfrom the germ of his design to its final,real-world manifestation. Local architectTrevor Black from Invergordon told us allabout his three-bedroom detachedhouse The Gem on Plot 12, a super-insulated re-interpretation of a Highlandcottage with uniquely-styled balconies.The internal spaces had to be reworkedfrom the original plan due to a reductionin plot-size: the outdoor office was lostand the internal spaces re-thought – andwith complete success.

Skye-based architect Alan Dickson of theRural Design practice also applied amodern twist to a traditional design withThe Secret Garden at Plot 17: a re-imagining of the traditional Highlandlong-house with a large, enclosed gardenfor growing food. The way the externaland internal spaces worked together wasrevealed to us in detail by Alan, withimaginary vegetables making their wayfrom the garden, into the big Belfast sinkunder the ‘car-port’ for washing andonwards into the kitchen for preparingand cooking - definitely a fresh idea!

Our final presentation was from SamHey, of Keppie Design, whose projectover on Plot 8 The Apartments consistsof a block of six two-bedroomed flats,each with a solar buffer space forpassive heating and cooling, a centralbiomass (wood pellet) boiler and ahighly insulated thermal envelope.Many felt that the large, reclaimedbrick façade was a particularlyattractive – and sustainable – featureof the external design treatment, andthe first floor views of the Black Islewere spectacular.

Insights on handIt had been a privilege to be takenround the individual houses by thearchitects themselves: we had instantanswers to our questions and they gaveus unique insights into the designprocess and the thinking behindparticular features.

It was also good to see that the streetsaround the Expo site are more dense,close-knit and intimate than theprevalent ‘cul-de-sac culture’ of recentdevelopments. They have beendesigned to be pleasant, shared spacesfor pedestrians and cars, able to providethe focus for much neighbourhoodactivity. The absence of cars during theExpo-period emphasised just howsocial and vibrant streets can be, andwith a myriad of fabulous housingdesigns and wall-to-wall sunshine, ourouting to Scotland’s Housing Expo2010 could not have been better.

26 August saw 30-odd RTPI Highlands & Islands Chapter memberstravel the short distance down the A9 to Scotland’s Housing Expo2010, at Balvonie Braes on the southern edge of Inverness, to findout more from the architects themselves. Chapter Vice-ConvenerNeil Huggan reports on ‘a grand day out’.

At Scotland’s Housing Expo 2010 © images courtesy EwenWeatherspoon/Highland Housing Alliance

The Secret Garden – Alan Dickson, theRural Design practice

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Making better places is a fundamental part of regeneration andthe Scottish Government’s aim of sustainable economic growth,but conventional ways of making places have, generally, notcreated places of the quality that the public demands: we oftenhear that many of the built environments we have created inrecent decades have fallen short. Change is needed.

From planning reform to the Scottish Community EmpowermentAction Plan, in the last 5 years community involvement hasbecome a cornerstone of government policy. Despite goodpolicy and guidance, there are still gaps between the worlds ofplacemaking and community development, and betweenrhetoric and reality. On the ground across Scotland,I see professionals struggling to translate policy aspirationsinto action, and communities harbouring deep mistrust ofgovernment. Regeneration, placemaking and communityempowerment are a long way from being true partners: forsustainable economic growth, the consequence is lost potential.

A bigger society …There should no longer be any debate that successful placesare not simply well-designed streets and buildings, they alsohave engaged and empowered communities. Regenerationshould be as much about the culture, confidence and self-esteem of communities, as about more conventional measureslike design quality, jobs created and financial investment.Competitive places need to build not only financial andmaterial wealth but also community well-being, as theexperience of Neilston’s Scottish Renaissance Town project(see page 11) and other initiatives shows.

Participation in the planning of communities is the focus ofmuch excellent work by Planning Aid for Scotland, the Scottish

Centre for Regeneration, the Scottish Urban RegenerationForum and many others. This article, however, is moreconcerned with how communities participate in the life of theplace that is being made or regenerated. This implies a focuson local communities making decisions and ‘doing things’ thatrelate to transport, healthcare, youth work and other localservices – that’s right, the Big Society.

The public and the voluntaryBehind party politics, there has been much work to establishhow the voluntary and public sectors could work together,from the Department of Communities and LocalGovernment’s Total Place programme to the work of theYoung Foundation and the New Economics Foundation.Generally, it has been established that public sector servicedelivery should be driven as much, if not more, by communityneeds and aspirations as those of the organisations deliveringthe services. By empowering communities to become involvedin shaping, governing and delivering those services, there willbe myriad benefits flowing “from people feeling more in controlof their lives” [Scottish Community Empowerment Action Plan]including sustainable economic growth.

There are examples around the UK of this in action, andmany local authorities and public agencies now organisethe delivery of individual projects in partnership with localcommunities – see the Young Foundation report PublicServices and Civil SocietyWorking Together. Individually, theseinitiatives are successfully empowering communities to be thefocus of decision-making on service delivery and achievingregeneration outcomes that build community well-beingrather than just bricks and mortar. Yet the potential is so muchbigger: if there was widespread enabling and empowermentof communities across local authorities and communityplanning partnerships, massive contributions could be made tosustainable economic growth and the country’s prosperity andwell-being.

What’s your view?The Scottish Centre for Regeneration and Architecture +Design Scotland are now exploring this agenda and havepublished the briefing Paper 20: Participation in Placemaking -view www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/94257/0103830.pdf.They are keen to discuss their analysis, the challenges, what isalready happening and who needs to be involved. If you’d liketo find out more, contact Diarmaid.Lawlor@ads.org.uk,geraldine.mcateer@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or viewwww.nickwrightplanning.co.uk.

For more information on the RTPI Regeneration Network, viewwww.rtpi.org.uk/regeneration

People-centred placemakingNick Wright, member of the RTPI Regeneration Network, planner and community engagement specialist,and co-author of the latest Scottish Centre for Regeneration and Architecture + Design Scotland briefingParticipation in Placemaking, looks beyond planning with communities towards empowered placemaking.

“...think of your city as if it were a living work of art where citizenscan involve and engage themselves in the creation of a transformedplace ... ordinary people can make the extraordinary happen, giventhe chance” Charles Landry,The Art of City Making, 2006© image courtesy NickWright

OCTOBER 2010 Scottishplanner

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www.rtpi.org.uk/rtpi_in_scotland/

News and events

: VIEWSAND NEWS

Scottish Executive Committee 2011

Election results

Many congratulations to Bob Reid whohas been elected as SEC Senior Vice-Convener 2011 – to become Convener2012. Bob is Director of Planning withHalliday Fraser Munro in Aberdeen. Thecurrent Senior Vice-Convener DavidSuttie will be SEC Convener 2011.

Many congratulations as well to JuliaFrost, Alan Seath and Andrew Triggerwho’ve been elected as SEC Corporatemembers for 2011 and 2012.

Working in planning enforcement?Interested in how planning decisions areenforced? If so, have you consideredjoining NAPE?

The purpose of the National Associationfor Planning Enforcement (NAPE) isto promote and enhance the role ofplanning enforcement within the planningprofession. It works on national, regionaland local levels to share good practice andencourage professional development.

NAPE membership provides: a monthlyelectronic newsletter NAPE News; the free,one-day annual enforcement conference,exclusively for NAPE members; a discounton the RTPI’s annual enforcementconference, worth £100; access to theonline Enforcement Handbook – forNAPE members only; a discussion forumand the opportunity to influenceenforcement policy. NAPE is supported bythe RTPI, and RTPI members join for free.Further details can be found atwww.rtpi.org.uk/nape.

World Town Planning Day 2010

Don’t forget to celebrate on 8 November!This year the RTPI joins the American,Canadian and New Zealand PlanningInstitutes and the International Federationfor Housing & Planning for an online,worldwide Planning & Food conference on8-9 November. For more information,view www.rtpi.org.uk/item/1064.

Other News and Events

Improvement Service – training and eventsFor more information on the events below,contact Emma Hay at the ImprovementService on 01506 775598 oremma.hay@improvementservice.org.uk

Agencies offer Enabling Developmentworkshops for planning authorities:Historic Scotland, SEPA, SNH, ScottishWaterand Transport Scotland are presenting twoworkshops for planning authorities inNovember. The workshops on WorkingTogether to Enable Development will use up-to-date case studies to look at how keyagencies and planning authorities can worktogether to enable good development in theright places. The workshops will be held inEdinburgh onWednesday 17 November 2010(10am-3pm) and in Glasgow on Tuesday 30November 2010 (10am-3pm), and are aimedat planning authority staff, particularly thosein development management, but alsodevelopment planning, and other authoritystaff involved in development.

Climate Change & Development PlanningConference: SEPA, the Scottish Governmentand other key agencies are hosting aconference on Development Planning&Climate Change in Edinburgh on Friday 26November 2010. It is aimed at planningauthority and agency staff involved indevelopment planning, and will consider howclimate change issues can be effectivelyincorporated into the next generation ofdevelopment plans in Scotland. Break-outsessions in the afternoon will focus ondetailed issues such as renewable energy,green networks and flooding.

Development Plan Examinations workshop:The Directorate for Planning & EnvironmentalAppeals and the Improvement Service will berunning a half-day workshop in November onthe new development plan examinationprocess. This is targeted at agencies and otherstakeholders in the planning system interestedin knowing more about the examinationprocess, complementing the more detailedworkshops available to planning authorities –see above.

Erratum: In the August 2010 edition of Scottish Planner, the article by Jim Lowrie (p5)introduced him as “Scottish Liberal Democrat member for Fountainbridge and Craiglockhart forthe last 11 years.” He has indeed been a City of Edinburgh Councillor for that time, but from1999-2007 was member for Davidson Mains. We apologise for any confusion caused.

RTPI News

Celebrating John Foster at 90

To celebrate the 90th birthday of John Foster CBE FRTPI(Rtd), first Director of theCountryside Commission for Scotland, a group of his former colleagues held a lunch forhim at the Four Seasons Hotel, St Fillans. Under John’s leadership the Commissiondeveloped policies and initiatives which still exist today; the Parks System for Scotlandwhich resulted in over 30 Country Parks and Regional Parks; the Countryside RangersService; the Countryside around Towns report; research studies into tourism, an Inventoryof Designed Landscapes and the report Scotland’s Scenic Heritage. It was from the latterthat National Scenic Areas were derived and provided the basis, along with the ParksSystem for Scotland, for the creation of National Parks in Scotland.

Standing (left to right): Bill Prior,Rob Garner, Janet McNair. JohnMackay, David Downie, RoddieFairlie, Jan Fladmark,VidaChapman, Trevor Croft, JohnHowat, Peter Scott, MalcolmPayne, Peter Pearson, RuthGrant, Neil Fleming, RichardFergusson, Russell Turner. Sitting(left to right): David Cameron,John Foster, Peter BickmoreDundas, David Rice. © imagecourtesy David Cameron.

RTPI Events in Scotland

17

For further information on the listings below or for the latest information on RTPINational and Chapter events in Scotland, go to www.scotland.rtpi.org.uk and see‘Scottish Chapters’ and/or ‘RTPI national events in Scotland 2010’ in left-hand column.

October28:West of Scotland Chapter event: Stuart Tait, Assistant Strategic Development PlanManager, presents The Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Strategic Development Plan –Main Issues Report. To be held at the GO Group, George House, 36 North Hanover Street,Glasgow.

November18:West of Scotland Chapter networking event – details and venue tbc.

Members NewsWe would like to welcome the following Members in Scotland who have beenelected to the Institute in the following categories of membership:

Corporate Members (MRTPI):Professor Ya PingWang Heriot-Watt University

Associate Members:Marion Ferguson Comhairle Nan EileanCharles Hodge CKD Galbraith LLPFiona Newlove

Relative poverty statistics – newpublication

The Scottish Government’s Income andPoverty Statistics Team have recentlypublished Relative poverty across Scottishlocal authorities. This presents officialestimates for the proportion of householdsin relative poverty at local authority (LA)level across Scotland. Key points raised arethat across Scotland the percentage ofhouseholds in relative poverty at LA levelranges from around 14% to around 25%;East Renfrewshire, Aberdeen City, EastDunbartonshire, Perth and Kinross, andAberdeenshire were among the LAs withthe lowest estimated relative poverty rates.Dundee City, Inverclyde, Glasgow City,Eilean Siar and North Ayrshire were amongthe LAs with the highest rates in thecountry. The percentage of households inrelative poverty in urban and ‘remote rural’areas is around 20-22% – this is higherthan in ‘accessible rural’ areas. The fullreport can be viewed at the following link:www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/07/30132551/41

This information has been generatedfrom work that combines data from theScottish Household Survey (SHS) andFamily Resources Survey – with the aim ofimproving the income information in theSHS. If you would like to find out moreabout this project, or discuss how SHSincome data could be useful to your workplease see the report, or the Team’s web-page at www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Social-Welfare/IncomePoverty, or contact them via social-justice-analysis@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

Commonwealth Association of Planners:view the latest news viawww.commonwealth-planners.org/ -including their recent conference in Canada.

Scottish Government News: in this editionread the Government update on page 6.

For their latest events, includingvolunteer induction, trainingand roadshows, viewwww.planningaidscotland.org.uk/events.asp

Members’ ReportsBetter Places, Better Spaces: Peter Noad, RTPI East of Scotland Chapter Convener andSECmember, reports on theDesign Skills Symposium held in Dundee in September; led byArchitecture and Design Scotland (A+DS) and supported by among others RTPI inScotland.

This was an intensive, thought-provoking journey into how urban design can help addressclimate change and how we should be creating better places and streets. Over 100delegates from a mix of public, private and third sector organisations attended, and A+DSlaunched their new publication Design Review: Lessons Learnt –Masterplans.

The event included contributions from: Professor David Adams of the University ofGlasgow, who outlined the results of soon to be published research on delivering betterplaces, which highlights the need for strong leadership, a placemaking culture, arobust and adaptable spatial framework, creative procurement and a commitment tostewardship over the long-term; Professor Howard Liddell of Gaia Architects, who made arobust case against ‘green bling’, that is the adoption of expensive technological fixes, andproposed developing sustainable places through design principles which minimiseresource inputs; Karen Esslemont of Ironside Farrar, who used case-studies to consider thelink between streets and places, including locations where design codes have been usedto apply street designs across schemes with a number of developers; Professor Klas Tham,who gave a Bo01( in Malmo) City of Tomorrowmasterclass, presenting a passionate pleafor ‘humane’ design, and using examples across the world and the ages – as well as frombiology and psychology.

The delegates were asked to apply the principles discussed in the Symposium, the first ofits kind in Scotland, to case studies, and it was interesting to see how professionals from arange of disciplines managed to reach a consensus in the short time available. It drewboth a well-informed panel of speakers and a committed group of practitioners from avariety of backgrounds, and delegates will have left with some principles to apply andsome questions to ask themselves.

OCTOBER 2010 Scottishplanner

18 www.rtpi.org.uk/rtpi_in_scotland/

Policy briefing

�

PUBLICATIONS

CONSULTATIONS

� The Scottish Health Survey: Topic ReportUK Comparisons (31/08/10)

� Housing statistics for Scotland 2010: KeyTrends Summary Summary for 2009-10.Social housing statistics for April - June 2010are now available. (26/08/10)

� Relative poverty across Scottish LocalAuthorities Presents new figures about theproportion of households in relative povertyat LA level across Scotland. (26/08/10)

� Main Transport Trends 2010Has figures on (eg) road vehicles, traffic,accidents, bus and rail passengers, road andrail freight, air and water transport, personaltravel, and comparisons with GB. (23/08/10)

� 2009-2010 Urban Rural ClassificationData zone classification identifying urban andrural areas based on settlement size and drivetimes. (11/08/10)

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

�The special qualities of the NationalScenic Areas. SNH Commissioned ReportNo.374.In 2007 & 2008 Scottish Natural Heritagesurveyed all the NSAs and, for each one,produced an up-to-date list of its speciallandscape qualities. This work was carried outin partnership with Historic Scotland and theRoyal Commission on the Ancient andHistorical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS).Scottish Natural Heritage. (08/10).

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENTPUBLICATIONS

� Planning Circular 1/2009: DevelopmentPlanning Appendix 1: The HabitatsRegulations (03/09/10)

� Planning Advice Note 2/2010:AffordableHousing and Housing Land Audits(31/08/10)

� Planning Advice Note 3/2010Community Engagement (31/08/10)

� Conserve and Save: The EnergyEfficiency Action Plan for Scotland TheEnergy Efficiency Action Plan sets out awide-ranging programme of activity onbehaviour change, household, business andpublic sector energy efficiency,infrastructure, skills, and finance. (07/10/10)

� The Scottish Health Survey 2009 –Summary of Key Findings (28/09/10)

� Evaluation of Third Sector Investmentand Support RF 13/2010Summary report evaluating investment andbusiness support provided to third sectororganisations. (23/09/10)

� Rural Scotland Key Facts 2010Statstics on key policy topics such as Peopleand Communities, Services and Lifestyle,Economy and Enterprise broken down byRemote Rural, Accessible Rural and Rest ofScotland. (22/09/10)

� Statistical Bulletin Planning Series:Affordable Housing Securing PlanningConsent 2009/10 Latest figures. (22/09/10)

� Community Right to Buy: Part 2 of theLand Reform (Scotland) Act 2003Leaflet providing general guidance on thecommunity right to buy. (21/09/10)

� Diaspora Engagement Plan - Reachingout to Scotland's International FamilyPlan sets out the Scottish Government’sambitions for harnessing the power of theDiaspora, who can act as advocates forScotland. (14/09/10)

� Factors influencing rural migrationdecisions in Scotland: an analysis of theevidence - Research FindingsCoordinates evidence of the factors, andascertains the implications for policy. Itfocuses on age/life stage-related factors.(10/09/10)

� Delivering for Scotland: TheGovernment's Programme for Scotland2010-2011 Sets out legislation for thecoming year, as well as summarising keyachievements and main goals for the future- both legislative and non-legislative.(09/09/10)

� Key Scottish Environment Statistics2010Annual publication containing summary ofkey statistics on environmental trends inScotland. (07/09/10)

� Scottish Environment Statistics: FactCard 2010 – as at September 2010This fact card contains a summary of theinformation from Key Scottish EnvironmentStatistics 2010. (07/09/10)

Current consultations to which theInstitute may wish to respond are listedbelow.They can also be viewed on theScottish Government website atwww.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current.

To assist the Institute in preparingrepresentative responses,Members areinvited to contribute their views by postor email - see contact details on p2, oron the RTPI website - ideally no less than14 days prior to the end of theconsultation period.The Institute’sScottish responses can be found atwww.rtpi.org.uk/item/760/23/5/3.

CONSULTATIONS FROMTHESCOTTISH GOVERNMENTAND OTHER PUBLIC BODIES

� Extension of Coverage of Freedom ofInformation (Scotland) Act 2002Seeks views on whether FOI legislationshould be extended to cover organisationssuch as contractors; trusts created by localauthorities; Glasgow Housing Associationand the Association of Chief Police Officersin Scotland. (02/11/10)

� Public Sector Equality Duty - DetailedProposals and Draft RegulationsDraft Regulations which will place specificduties on Scottish public authorities topromote equality. (26/11/10)

� Land Registration (Scotland) BillConsultationConsultation being carried out on behalfof the Scottish Ministers by Registers ofScotland (RoS), which is the non-Ministerial Government Departmentresponsible for registering a variety oflegal documents mainly relating tointerests in land. (30/11/10)

� Consultation on the marinelicensing regime under the Marine(Scotland) Act and the UK Marine andCoastal Access Act.Seeks views on a regime to be createdthrough secondary legislation or existingprovisions within the Acts. (01/12/10)

� Householder Permitted DevelopmentRightsConcerns relaxation of planning controlson development in relation to existingdwellinghouses, thus reducing the need forplanning applications. (14/01/11)

� Public Bodies' Climate Change Duties:Putting It Into Practice (26/11/10)See Climate Change Corner

� Changes to the Renewables Obligation(Scotland) Order 2010 (01/12/10)See Climate Change Corner

� Sustainable Land Use Strategy (17/12/10)See Climate Change Corner

FORTHCOMINGCONSULTATIONS� Right to Adapt Common Parts in ScotlandConsultation on the use of regulation-makingpowers under section 37 of the Equality Act2010 to ensure that disabled people have aright to adapt common parts of premises inScotland. (Autumn 2010)

� Dounreay Waste SubstitutionProposals are to allow two forms of wastesubstitution; the substitution of one type ofcemented waste with another and thesubstitution of vitrified waste in place ofcemented wastes. (Autumn 2010)

SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTPUBLICATIONSSPICE Briefings

These are written by research specialists in theScottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).SPICe research briefings are for use by MSPs insupport of parliamentary business in theCommittees and in the Chamber, and are alwaysimpartial. Briefings can be browsed either bysubject or by date of publication.

� SB 10-62 Cycling in Scotland: Update 2010This short briefing provides backgroundinformation on cycling as a form of transport inScotland. It provides a brief summary ofnational policy developments and cyclingstatistics, lists key cycling organisations andoutlines the funding regime for cycle relatedcapital projects. (28/09/10)

� SB 10-60 The Spending Implications ofDemographic ChangeScotland’s population is currently in transition.Like many other developed economies, it facesan increasingly ageing population which bringspressing policy implications. The aim of thisreport is to address these questions, currentlyof great political and public interest. (17/09/10)

� SB 10-55 Wildlife CrimeThis briefing considers the definition of a“wildlife crime”, reviews the main legislationcreating offences which are considered wildlifecrimes, and provides some statistics on theincidence of wildlife crime (in particular thepersecution of birds of prey). It then describesthe main initiative of central government tocombat wildlife crime. It also describes theNatural Justice review of arrangements fordealing with wildlife crime and its follow up;and concludes with a section relating the issueof wildlife crime to the current parliamentaryconsideration of theWildlife and NaturalEnvironment (Scotland) Bill. (08/09/10)

� SB 10-49 Historic Environment(Amendment) (Scotland) BillThis briefing gives an overview of the currentlisted building and scheduled monumentconsent systems. It goes on to describe thechanges introduced by the HistoricEnvironment (Amendment) (Scotland) Billand the differences between this technicalamending Bill and the previous consultationdraft. (01/09/10)

� SB 10-47 Protection of Workers(Scotland) Bill This Members' Bill seeks tocreate a specific statutory offence relating toassaults on people whose work brings theminto face-to-face contact with members of thepublic. This briefing considers the proposals inthe Bill, including how they compare withexisting common law and statutory offencesdealing with assault. (26/08/10)

� SB 10-46 Mapping the EconomyThis briefing maps the latest data for aselection of indicators from which trends withinthe Scottish economy can be identified.(26/08/10)

19

CLIMATE CHANGE CORNERIf space permits, each set of policy pages fromthe Scottish Planner will have a corner devotedto Climate Change matters, giving additionalemphasis to those consultations andpublications addressing issues of ClimateChange mitigation and adaptation, and sharingboth problems and solutions.What keyreferences and sources do you use? Tell usabout them so we can share them with otherpractising planners!

� The Government’s National Strategyon Sustainable DevelopmentThe UK Government and devolvedgovernments are pursuing their goal ofsustainable development – to enable allpeople throughout the world to satisfy theirbasic needs and enjoy a better quality of life,without compromising the quality of life offuture generations – in an integrated waythrough:

• a sustainable, innovative and productiveeconomy that delivers high levels ofemployment

• a just society that promotes social inclusion,sustainable communities and personalwellbeing

• protection and enhancement of the physicaland natural environment, and efficient useof resources and energy

• promotion of a clear understanding of, andcommitment to, sustainable development sothat all people can contribute to the overallgoal through their individual decisions

The Government’s overarching strategy forsustainable development is detailed inSecuring the Future.

� Sustainable Land Use StrategyConsultation

Scotland’s first such Strategy proposes a long-term framework. It sets out Minister’sobjectives and the proposals and policies whichcontribute to meeting them. The Strategy mustcontribute to other obligations under theClimate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 onemission reduction targets and climate changeadaptation objectives, as well as sustainabledevelopment. The Land Use Strategy will be

laid by Scottish Ministers before the ScottishParliament by 31 March 2011. (17/12/10)

� Getting the best from our land:A draftland use strategy for Scotland EnvironmentalReport: Non-Technical Summary (30/09/10)

� Scotland's Offshore Wind Route Map:Developing Scotland's Offshore WindIndustry to 2020 Publication (28/09/10)

� Scottish Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2008Publication (07/09/10)

� Public Bodies' Climate Change Duties:Putting It Into Practice ConsultationPart 4 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Actplaces duties on public bodies relating toclimate change. The duties on the face of theAct (section 44) require that a public bodymust, in exercising its functions, act:

• in the way best calculated to contribute todelivery of the Act's emissions reductiontargets;

• in the way best calculated to deliver anystatutory adaptation programme; and

• in a way that it considers most sustainable.

The duties come into force on 1 January 2011and apply to all 'public bodies', defined as aScottish public authority within the meaning ofsection 3(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information(Scotland) Act 2002 (as amended).Whilecompliance with the duty is a matter for thepublic bodies concerned, the Act requires thatScottish Ministers must give guidance topublic bodies in relation to their climate changeduties, and those bodies must have regard tosuch guidance. (26/11/10)

� Changes to the Renewables Obligation(Scotland) Order 2010 Consultation

Proposals to amend the Order, including theintroduction of phasing for offshore windprojects, sustainability criteria for biomass andbioliquids, changes which would allow waveand tidal projects in Scottish waters to receivegrant plus enhanced ROCs and questionsaround the introduction of grandfathering forbiomass and other types of station. (01/12/10)

Thistles to grasp? © Image courtesy of Charles Strang

Details of Scottish Government publications andconsultations are reproduced courtesy of CrownCopyright.

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