This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning
11/03/2004
Highland Council today scooped Scotland's top award for quality in planning for the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Inverness.
Phase II of the Eastgate was judged to be a hugely impressive project and a beacon of good urban design and partnership working, which transformed a disused site in Inverness city centre.
Communities Minister Margaret Curran was presenting the annual Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning in Edinburgh, the planning sector's equivalent of the Oscars. The aim is to encourage and reward quality in planning throughout Scotland.
Presenting the Awards, Margaret Curran said: "Quality must be at the forefront of all that we do in planning. Good design really can change people's lives. Many of the entries are collaborations - partnerships which work with residents, businesses and developers and help deliver real, tangible improvements.
"I am delighted to be presenting these awards which recognise the high quality work of planners throughout Scotland. I was very impressed by the diversity and range of the projects, especially the Eastgate centre, which I recently saw at first hand.
"These Awards have played their part in improving the planning service. The continued quality and number of entries confirms the value attached to the Awards by planning authorities, their partners and the planning and design profession."
In addition to the Eastgate, there were four winners and 12 commendations in the three categories of Awards. The Award recipients are as follows:
OVERALL QUALITY IN PLANNING
The Eastgate and Falcon Square Shopping Development (Phase II), Inverness - an entry submitted by the Highland Council in partnership with Royal & Sun Alliance and ISIS Property Asset Management. This project involved the regeneration of a large site adjoining Inverness city centre comprising former railway land, disused buildings (some listed and falling into disrepair) and a former cattle mart. The judges said this demonstrated good urban design combined with partnership and community consultation, and had no doubt that this is one of the most impressive planning projects in Scotland in recent years.
DEVELOPMENT CONTROL AWARD WINNERS
The Edinburgh Standards for Urban Design - an entry by the City of Edinburgh Council. The Edinburgh Standards for Urban Design is Edinburgh City Council's response to the Designing Places policy statement, which was issued by the Scottish Executive in 2001. The judges believed that the urban design guidance had set an excellent example, in particular the attention paid to addressing the training of staff and councillors.
The Public Access e-Planning system as implemented in Stirling Council and the City of Edinburgh Council - an entry by CAPS Solutions in partnership with Stirling and Edinburgh Councils. The judges were very impressed by CAPS' approach to improve access to the service, and to make it easy for users. This was achieved by the drive to understand the range of different people who would potentially use the service, and the different levels of the information they would seek. The judges were impressed with its success, and were confident that this would provide for better communication and clearer understanding.
DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AWARD WINNER
Policy Framework for Delivering Affordable Housing - an entry by The City of Edinburgh Council in partnership with Communities Scotland. The judges appreciated the effort which the council had made to develop an effective planning framework for securing affordable housing contributions from developers. The judges applauded the enthusiasm and commitment of all involved and felt that the team had made great headway with a complex subject. The Award was given for the process which had been carried out to achieve the policy.
DEVELOPMENT ON THE GROUND AWARD WINNER
Glenboig Village Park - an entry by North Lanarkshire Council in partnership with Glenboig Environment Group, Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire, Central Scotland Forest Trust and SNH. With the council, the community have developed a highly imaginative solution to create a safe and pleasant area - that not only looks good, but is well used by residents. The enthusiasm of the council and the community was clearly evident.
Scottish Quality in Planning Award Commendations were awarded as follows:
Development control
Aberdeenshire Council - For its business friendly development control
Midlothian Council - Development briefs for Local Plan housing sites
Development Planning
East Ayrshire - Opencast Coal Subject Plan
East Dunbartonshire - For its Greenspace Audit
Clydebank Rebuilt - For the Clydebank Plan 2003-2008
Aberdeenshire Towns Partnership - Helping to Develop Sustainable Communities
Stirling Council - Countryside Access
Development on the Ground
Moray Council and partners - For Burghead Headland Trust Visitor Centre
CDA and partners - For Multrees Walk, St Andrew's Square
Ogilvie Homes Ltd and Vernon Monaghan Architects - For the Drum Phase 2 in Bo'ness
Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise Tayside - For Dundee's Facade Enhancement Grant Scheme
Highland Council and SNH - The Cairngorm Funicular Railway Project
Local authorities have the primary responsibility for operating the planning system in Scotland. They deal with applications for development under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, and prepare development plans as the policy context for their decisions.
The Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning were first launched in 1997 to recognise and encourage quality in planning. They have attracted more than 250 nominations over the seven years to date.
Applications for the 2003 Awards were assessed by three judges Barbara Illsley of Dundee University, Paul Gregory, Director of Economic Development and Environmental Planning, Scottish Borders Council and Joan Burnie, Associate Editor of the Daily Record. As in previous years, the Awards are run in association with the Royal Town Planning Institute.