Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2001: Report of the Judges
Presented by the Scottish Executive in association with The Royal Town Planning Institute in Scotland
This document is also available in pdf format (909k)
Arrangement of this report
The description of each nomination is based on text submitted by entrants.
Judges' comments and recommendations appear at the end of each entry.
THE NOMINATED ENTRIES
DEVELOPMENT CONTROL or an aspect of the service
Fife development control: customer quality charter
Fife development control efficiency review
Glasgow development control seminars
Stirling local democracy and quality decisionmaking
Aberdeenshire design award scheme
Aberdeenshire development control customer care initiatives
East Ayrshire touch screen access technology
West of Scotland Archaeology: sites and monuments record
Shetland: new regime for aquaculture (marine development control)
South Lanarkshire planning & building control information leaflets
South Lanarkshire housebuyers guide
Aberdeen: Broadford Works design brief
DEVELOPMENT PLANS or an aspect of plan making practice
Stirling: using new technology in mainstream planning policy
Aberdeenshire pilot youth planning project
Aberdeenshire local transport strategy
Highland rural partnership for change pilot project
Highland InfoNet
Cairngorms Partnership work plan
Midlothian: Shawfair local plan and development manual
Falkirk Geographic Information System and development plans
Moray draft Indicative Forestry Strategy
Moray Geographic Information System inward investment project
Orkney Environment Day
Fife Structure Plan
Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Structure Plan: sustainability appraisal
Glasgow City: draft Local Plan
DEVELOPMENT ON THE GROUND significantly attributable to the planning service:
Glasgow: Graham Square redevelopment
Aberdeen: Kingswells park and ride
Fife: West Wemyss townscape heritage initiative
Wishaw Greenhead Moss community nature park
Stirling: lowland highland trail
Arbroath Abbey visitor development
Aberdeen Belmont Street and Backwynd regeneration
Moray local access initiative
Edinburgh Exchange masterplan and development
Cambuslang: Holmhill Woods community park
Dunoon: Bishops Glen project
St Andrews Bay golf resort development
St Andrews: new buildings in a historic setting
REPORT OF THE JUDGES
Barbara Illsley, Gordon Mann, Andrew Raven
The fifth annual Awards scheme for Quality in Planning was announced by the Scottish Executive in June 2001 and nominations were invited by 28 September. We received 39 entries, covering the three categories of development control, development plans and development on the ground. We studied these on 1 November and drew up a shortlist. Presentations for shortlisted nominations in the development planning and development control categories took place on 15 th, 19 th and 23 rd November at 57 Melville Street, Edinburgh with Graham U'ren (RTPI in Scotland) and Roger Kelly (SE assessor) attending. Our inspections of shortlisted nominations for development on the ground were made over a weekend on 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd December. Judy Woollett of RTPI's awards administration arranged the details of our meetings and visits.
The judges have been very impressed by the range of nominations this year and recommend Awards and Commendations in each category. Their recommendations are summarised below, with a guide to the selection process. Notes on all the individual nominations then follow, and the judges set out their overall conclusions at the end of the report.
Judges' recommendations
In the development control and related category
Awards for Aberdeenshire DC Customer Care Initiatives and
Shetland's New Regime for Aquaculture ;
Commendations for:
Stirling Local Democracy & Quality Decisionmaking ;
West of Scotland Archaeology Sites & Monuments Record and
Aberdeen: Broadford Works Design Brief
In the development planning and related category:
Awards for Highland Rural Partnership for Change Pilot Project
and Stirling New Technology in Mainstream Planning Policy
Commendations for:
Midlothian Shawfair Local Plan & Development. Manual
Moray Draft Indicative Forestry Strategy
Glasgow City Draft Local Plan
Falkirk: GIS and Development Plans and
Moray GIS Inward Investment Project
In the development on the ground category:
Awards for Fife West Wemyss Townscape Heritage Initiative and
Arbroath Abbey Visitor Development
Commendations for:
Glasgow Graham Square Redevelopment
Wishaw Greenhead Moss Community Nature Park
Moray Local Access Initiative and
Dunoon Bishops Glen Project
Selection
The judges decided whether or not to shortlist each nomination from the submitted two-page summaries. They looked for evidence of outstanding work, appreciation of sustainable development issues, community and user involvement, consumer testing, a significant contribution by the planning service, innovation, wider benefits, and difficult problems tackled and resolved. They looked carefully for indications of outstanding quality in mainstream development planning and control. They also considered whether the nominated category was the most appropriate. In some cases where uncertain whether to shortlist a nomination, they consulted supplementary information and illustrations provided and reviewed the criteria once more. Then, having selected a shortlist in the three categories, they examined each of the shortlisted nominations individually in a separate presentation or visit. The judges then discussed and agreed their recommendations.
1. FIFE DEVELOPMENT CONTROL CUSTOMER QUALITY CHARTER
nominated in 2001 by Fife Council.
First of a series
The DC Charter is the first in a series to be published by the service (Enforcement and Building Control are in draft form). The Customer Quality Charter is seen as much more than a simple list of response times and percentages. It is also about sharing with our customers our commitment to them in the whole range of activities carried out under the development control umbrella. It is deliberately aimed at all of our customers and answers the questions most frequently asked in the past.
Feedback
An important part of the process was to include a Customer Feedback freepost form so that the next version can be shaped and influenced by the actual comments on the Charter. As well as being available to the general public at all 3 Area Offices, all Councillors (92) and all Community Councils (85) were circulated with copies and a request for comments and feedback. Initial feedback has been limited but positive and will help to influence the Service's thinking on information to customers. In responding to the theme of "Customer Responsiveness", the Service is developing a family of publications which will be influenced and shaped by the needs and expectations of our customer groups. At the same time, it will be an opportunity for the Service to demonstrate its profile and areas of activity, and how customers fit into the process. Complementary to the Charter is to be an A-Z guide to the Service setting out clearly and simply what we do and who does it. Also being drafted is a specific Charter setting out the mutual roles and responsibilities of the Council and Community Council in the field of development control.
Inform and improve
For the first time, we are explicitly telling customers what standards and performance they should expect from the Service and, more importantly, systems are now in place to measure and monitor levels of effectiveness. The first 6 monthly report is currently being prepared as a pilot. The Charter is not seen as an end in itself but rather it is a critical part of our culture and behaviour and it is to be used as a real tool to inform and improve the levels of service delivery we provide.
The judges welcome the chance to look at examples of Service Charters. They think this is a good one, and they suggest that as the preparation of these is now widespread, councils coming late to the process will have much experience to draw on. The key to service agreements is listening to the needs of those who use the service and those who provide it. Fife clearly recognises the value of doing this and is moving forward in future versions. The judges are grateful to Fife Council for this nomination, and suggest other councils may learn from it as well.
2. FIFE DEVELOPMENT CONTROL EFFICIENCY REVIEW
nominated in 2001 by Fife Council.
Following the external audit of the development control function in 1998, Fife Council's Planning and Building Control Service decided to carry out a further, more detailed investigation of its service provision. Initially started under the Best Value umbrella, the final process was termed an "Efficiency Review". It was one of four carried out covering all aspects of the service.
Bringing things together
As well as following the principles and practices of Best Value (including aspects of benchmarking, staff consultation, focus groups) the Review brought together in a holistic way pilot work being carried out within the Service involving EFQM appraisal and Performance Management Planning. The end result has seen the production of an ambitious 3 year Improvement Plan which addresses the critical areas of: improving performance and introducing a performance culture, adding value to all DC decisions, customer involvement, harmonisation of procedures, and single service culture
Maintaining momentum
The positive momentum built up during the survey and consultation stages has to be maintained. The Improvement Plan is being driven forward by two nominated staff: a DC "Champion Manager" from the Service Management Team and a DC Co-ordinating Team Leader from the existing 3 Team Leaders. All DC staff continue to be involved and all are part of at least one of the 5 Improvement Teams set up to transform the plan into action. The themes for each team are: customers, staff, performance, processes, and enforcement. Teams have been deliberately mixed on the basis of experience, job, gender and geography so that they are truly representative.
A comprehensive view
This was the first time since reorganisation that a single, comprehensive view of the DC function across Fife had taken place. The service is decentralised across 3 area offices based on the 3 former district planning authorities of Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and North East Fife. We are now 6 months into the Improvement Plan and there are clear signs of positive progress towards a more effective and efficient DC service. These signs are a single integrated IT system for DC (and Building Control), a DC Intranet site with information available to all staff, a DC Staff Bulletin, Staff Improvement Teams and Away Days, Key Performance Indicators, and Added Value/Quality Indicators.
Results
In the first 6 months since the Review the Service has shown the best performance figures ever! Results are still below the national targets but only just! As well as the speed targets (which are important) more emphasis is being placed on the quality and added value aspects. This is something we have never "measured" before but we are now using/developing codes to confirm what the DC Service has added to a decision/development. Meetings have been set up with key councillors to discuss Committee issues for more efficient decision-making and improved performance. In many ways, the work has only begun but there is a clear awareness among staff of the wider local government agenda and the part they will need to play in it. Current actions include a survey of DC customers, joint discussions with Committee chairs, and joint Development Control and Building Control leaflets to improve customer information.
The judges are not easily satisfied with performance indicators and assessments. They want to see a real sense of value conveyed. They found this Fife example interesting and particularly liked the analysis of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, highlighting an admirable concentration on making the service better and improving user feedback -also a feature of the previous nomination. They were glad to have been given this entry of an Efficiency Review and its documentation. And they very warmly support the work by Fife staff and service users in seeking continuous service improvement.
3. GLASGOW DEVELOPMENT CONTROL SEMINARS
nominated in 2001 by Glasgow City Council Development & Regeneration Services
The seminar series evolved from the initial Scottish Society of Directors of Planning training initiative which was held in conjunction with the University of the West of England (Bristol). The DC Division realised that, with its own limited training budget, it could run properly organised seminars along similar lines to maximise staff training opportunities. Early contact with UWE (Bristol) established a willing partner and a suitable programme of events was quickly identified.
Course history
These courses have been running successfully since February 1989 and each year since then 2 one-day seminars have been held, back to back: l February 1998: 1. Design issues in Development Control, 2. Residential Design Quality l February 1999: 1. Historic Buildings and Conservation Areas, 2. The Enforcement of Planning l February 2000: 1. Planning Appeals by PLI, 2. Advertisement Control l February 2001: 1. Meeting the 8 Week Target, 2. Advanced Enforcement. Each of these full day seminars sets a maximum capacity of 30 persons per session and, to date, each seminar has been over-subscribed. The topics for the original 1998 series were selected by staff in the DC Division. Topics since then have been selected through analysis of the Delegate Survey which forms part of the Information Pack.
The seminars
The seminars are presented by Senior Lecturers at the UWE (Bristol) sometimes in conjunction with professional advisers from the Scottish Executive and/or the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit. The programmes have been geared to attract professionals from the private sector as well as the public sector, which, particularly in the group sessions, has encouraged a wide range of views to be expressed. Over 4 years, 240 delegates have attended 8 seminars. The original aim was to develop improved training for Glasgow DC staff. In all, 48 Glasgow officers (20% of all attendees) have benefited from this initiative. Those attending the seminars have included architects, roads engineers, solicitors, the advertisement industry, planning consultants, government officials, enforcement officers, civic societies and local authority planners. Delegates have travelled from as far afield as Shetland, Orkney, the Highlands and the Borders to attend these seminars, a strong indication of their interest to professional staff throughout Scotland. Three of the seminars were held in the former Planning and Development Conference Rooms at 231 George Street, whilst the most recent seminar was held at The Lighthouse (Scotland's Centre for Architecture, Design and the City) at 11 Mitchell Lane. Both venues are centrally located and well served by public transport. All seminars are accredited for CPD purposes with certificates presented to each participant at the end.
Information pack
As would be expected a detailed information pack is provided for each delegate and this includes a questionnaire, which not only frames the likely topics for the following year's seminars but also gives feedback on delegate satisfaction. There has been a consistently high level of satisfaction and the returns indicate areas where adjustments may be required for the following year.
Organisation
The Development Control Division has been responsible for organising all these events. This has included preparing and sending out details of the seminars together with registration forms to all potential attendees (normally 100 such invitations are distributed throughout Scotland); booking the conference facilities and arranging refreshments and hospitality; organising the finance/budget and paying all expenses/costs required for the seminars; sending out confirmation letters and location map of the venue; preparing and printing detailed information pack and name tags; preparation and printing of material to be displayed at conference venue; organising reception and registration of delegates; chairing the seminars; arranging appropriate presentation facilities for speakers (eg PowerPoint); co-ordinating and arranging outbreak groups and feedback sessions; prepare ad analyse the survey questionnaire which is issued with the information pack; and provide all delegates with a copy of feedback from the questionnaire analysis. The authority is responsible for the welfare of speakers who have travelled from Bristol to spend 2 days lecturing in Glasgow. Organising such an event involves, at different times, a number of staff within the Development Control Division including the Head of Development Control, the Divisional Manager (Central), a Planning Technician, a Secretary, and the DC Admin Support Manager.
Summary
These seminars have helped to provide extremely focussed, quality training whilst, at the same time, giving excellent value for money. At £120 per person the cost of attending the seminars is well below that run by professional training organisations and yet there is no compromise on quality. Customer feedback has consistently shown high satisfaction with all aspects of the seminars and has enabled a significant number of City Council staff to receive CPD training that would not normally have been provided.
The judges are very pleased to see this entry. They recognise that these Glasgow seminars as an innovative approach to staff training which combines meeting in-house needs with the opportunity to benefit other authorities in an extremely cost-effective way. They warmly applaud the initiative and wish the series every success in the future.
4. STIRLING: LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND QUALITY DECISION MAKING IN DEVELOPMENT CONTROL
nominated in 2001 by Stirling Council.
Stirling Council has since its inception striven to ensure that local democracy, community leadership and active citizenship is integral in the delivery of services. The Planning Service has continued to develop its relationship with individuals, communities and all interested parties. We have built upon our track record of openness and accountability and ensured the successful input to Stirling's Area Forums and Stirling Assembly. In the last year we have concentrated efforts in a number of initiatives designed to improve community and user involvement.
Delegation and the weekly list
We operate a delegated powers procedure whereby the vast majority (c98%) of applications are decided through the weekly Planning Schedule. Any Councillor can make a request within 7 days of issue of the Schedule for an application to be referred to the Planning Panel. Formal Decision Notices are issued for applications not referred to Planning Panel. This system was identified as an example of good practice. Scottish Executive Planning Services Audit, June 2000. "We highly commend this practice as an efficient and effective system in determining planning applications, involving Councillors, Community Councils and the general public".
We continually strive to improve the quality of service provided and have developed this system to be both more accessible and to allow greater time for referrals.
User survey
A Planning Schedule Users Survey was carried out jointly by the Steering Group of the Stirling Assembly during summer 2000 to assess users' views on how to improve the service provided. It addressed such areas as distribution, clarity of process, need for additional information; are we providing the right information. 75% of Community Councils responded. This provided invaluable feedback. 100% fully supported the Planning Schedule method. 89% thought the Schedule provided the right amount of information. 50% highlighted need for further training. 17% emphasised the need for more time for their views on planning schedule applications. And 35% favoured receipt by e-mail or through a website. This information has helped us focus our improvements
Recent initiatives
A key initiative has been the development of the Planning Schedule "on line" in response to a need to increase the time available to make responses and to be more accessible. We accept referrals in person, by telephone, or e-mail. The Schedule is now available electronically at all Council libraries and is e-mailed to Councillors who wish to receive information in this format. A Second Programme of Community Council training on planning issues was run in spring 2001 following Community Council elections. In supporting Community Councillors in their role as planning representatives we have developed an induction training programme which explains the planning system, planning policy and development control. A Roles & Responsibilities leaflet, based on customer feedback and frequently asked questions, has been circulated to all applicants and other Schedule Users and is available at our reception. This details roles of applicants, officers, Councillors, Community Councils and objectors and provides information on what happens to a planning application, the law and the issue of material considerations. We have concentrated our internet efforts on the Structure Plan and Planning Schedule. In meeting e-government targets our next step of priorities will be to provide all advice and leaflet information in electronic, as well as traditional, formats. Perhaps our most innovative development has been hearing third parties at Planning Panel. This was introduced for a 6-month trial period in November 2000, reviewed and adopted as a new procedure, to promote openness and accountability. Hearings specifically address the requests from both applicants and objectors for the right to have their views heard directly by decision makers. The Human Rights Act also acted as a spur to open up these meetings. A procedure has been developed which allows objectors to be heard (5 minutes) but avoids repetition and prolonging meetings. The system was reviewed after 6 months and has proved a valuable improvement to the democratic process and is now a day-to-day part of our Planning system. This opportunity to hear third parties is in addition to the Departure Hearings which have been undertaken for a number of years.
In conclusion
The Council's approach to improving the development control system has 2 main strands. Firstly encouraging a greater level of understanding of the planning system, particularly as operated by Stirling Council and secondly improving involvement, transparency and accountability.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They were particularly attracted by the use of the weekly schedule in the delegation arrangements and wished to explore its operation in detail. Looking at the Stirling approach, in many ways unique, they were very impressed by its combination of openness, access to relevant information, and sensible professionalism. Time is precious in dealing with planning applications, and this underlines the need to give councillors and local communities early information for decision making and a chance to take part in the process. The strength of the Area Forums and Stirling Assembly are a testament to the effectiveness of local democracy. Close questioning by the judges about the mechanics of delegation through the weekly schedule left them with one serious reservation. They believe that the way in which a very few applications are selected in advance for Committee attention is not entirely transparent, and they would like the Council to re-examine its approach in these cases. But subject only to this remaining doubt, the judges very warmly applaud the weekly list approach and support the Council's continued efforts towards an informed and locally responsive development control process. The judges recommend that Stirling's entry be commended in the development control category.
5. ABERDEENSHIRE DESIGN AWARD SCHEME
- 2001 nomination by Aberdeenshire Council.
The biennial Aberdeenshire Design Award Scheme was launched in 1997 with the first award ceremony taking place on 7 October 1998. This is a project established to not only reward good development but as cost effective way of assessing the success of current Development Plan policies. Indeed, the results of the design awards are critically analysed by the environment section and the lessons learnt reported back to the 6 area planning committees and the local plan team. It is a means of identifying problems and providing the elected members development control teams and the wider public with examples of good and appropriate design to formulate a benchmark for future development proposals.
How the scheme works
Community Councils, developers, architects and private individuals are all invited to nominate projects which they believe merit recognition or an award in one of 6 categories. In accordance with the local authorities environmental charter, 2 of the categories specifically target projects that impact upon the built heritage and energy conservation. In each case, the award scheme acknowledges both the architect and the individual or company who commissioned the development. The Planning Service have an independent judging panel to ensure that the decision making process is totally impartial and consistent when evaluating the projects.
An independent authority on sustainable design, a landscape architect, a master craftsman and other specialist advisers sit on the judging panel and decide which schemes gain an award.
Learning from experience
The Aberdeenshire Design Awards grew out of the award schemes operated by the previous District Councils in 1997. However, the current administration has continued to fine tune the scheme, to focus on prevailing planning issues and allow the lessons of each event to be fed back into the decision-making process. Indeed, the officers responsible for co-ordinating the programme report back their findings on the biennial event to the 6 Area Committees. This approach allows elected Members to be kept abreast of current planning issues within their area and the criteria that determine whether a scheme is successful or unsuccessful. In some cases, this has included follow-up tours of members to review the impact of their decisions on the ground. In this respect, the Award Scheme does not simply reward good design and craftsmanship, it also enables the planning authority to assess the operation of current planning policies and decisions. In addition, the authority can establish if there are any policy gaps in the Local Plan on which the planning service needs to focus its attention in the future.
Raising awareness
These Design Awards have been a vehicle to raise the general public's perception and awareness of design. Indeed, we actively seek nominations from members of the public as well as from professionals working the various strands of the building industry. The nomination procedure has been deliberately kept simple in order to encourage ordinary members of the public to participate in the scheme. Nomination forms are made available in all local government buildings and libraries so that the members of the local community have the opportunity to put forward their suggestions. This strategy will continue to evolve with the Planning Service's proposal to target local school children in the 2001/2002 programme.
The number of submissions and actual design award winners has continued to grow across the whole of Aberdeenshire. This appears to be a reflection of the increased prominence and status of the scheme. We have also noted a rather higher standard of submission, which may stem both from better policies now being in operation and from the building industry putting considerably more time and effort into attaining an award.
In conclusion
In sum, we regard the Aberdeenshire Design Awards as a positive development that is generating greater awareness of the importance of good design within the Council, higher standards of design and craftsmanship by practitioners, and a more attractive and stimulating environment. The scheme has grown in stature since its inception in 1997 and is now an important part of Aberdeenshire Council's calendar. As a proactive initiative, it is now recognised by local architects and developers as a way of gaining greater recognition for their work and enhancing their businesses image. It has raised the quality of development throughout Aberdeenshire and enabled the Planning Service to better evaluate the success and failure of development control policies in the local plan.
The judges have seen the value of local award schemes before, in Argyll & Bute. This, too, appears to be a very worthwhile initiative, which makes vital connections between past decisions and future standards, and between council, citizens, and local architects and developers. Time did not permit them to explore the entry in detail, but the judges are in no doubt of the value of this and similar awards schemes. They applaud Aberdeenshire's work as an excellent example to others, and hope to see similar schemes develop elsewhere in the future.
6. ABERDEENSHIRE: CUSTOMER CARE INITIATIVES IN DEVELOPMENT CONTROL
-2001 nomination by Aberdeenshire Council as outstanding work
Customer Care has been one of the principal corporate aims of Aberdeenshire Council since its inception in 1996. The importance of providing a high level of care for all of its customers was quickly grasped by the Development Service arm of Planning & Environmental Services in both development and building control. This nomination relates to all aspects of customer care initiatives within development control. Customer care activities have been a focal point of a number of initiatives driving service improvements, notably, the Scottish Office audit of the Service of March 1998 and an internal Best Value Review of 1999. While the Scottish Office audit found that "despite many pressures, the Authority is delivering a largely effective development control service" it did make a number of recommendations for improvements, some of which related to customer care. Following closely on from the audit, the Best Value Review reinforced customer care as a central theme of the improvement initiatives which emerged. Establishing a clear understanding of the needs and aspirations of our diverse range of customers has been the key to targeting improvements to service delivery.
Area focus: taking the service to its customers
Aberdeenshire has one of Scotland's largest administrative areas -6300km_. At reorganisation, development control staff were based in the offices of the 3 pre-existing District Councils. Aberdeenshire embarked on a scheme of decentralisation which it has termed its Area Focus. Six administrative areas have been established within which non-delegated development control decisions are taken by all-purpose Area Committees. It is a Service Plan aspiration to locate dedicated development control teams in the areas they serve. Meantime, an outreach surgery service has been established bringing planning advice and information into all of the principal settlements in Aberdeenshire. This service is provided face-to-face with a planner, mostly without the need for an appointment. It is widely publicised and has been very well received by agents and communities. Details of the Service's Area Focus are provided on an A3 map-based information sheet which has also been adapted in the Council's web site.
Development Control Charter -setting out our staff
Our charter was published in April 2000. Written in plain language, it provides a clear statement of the service level and rights which our customers can expect. It explains our administrative procedures, and explains what we will do if things go wrong.
Information leaflets -explaining key service elements
At the same time as publishing the Charter, we distributed widely 4 leaflets detailing, again in plain language, key elements of the service for the benefit of customers with little or no knowledge of town and country planning. The need for these leaflets was identified by the customer consultation. These leaflets are: Making a Planning Application; Commenting on a Planning Application; Planning Appeals; and Planning Enforcement.
Householder applications -making things simpler
In 1996, the application forms for a householder development were the same as those required for a major industrial development. They ran to 4 complex pages and had to be completed in quadruplicate. Together with certificates and guidance notes on application package comprised of about 24 pages and differed for each of the 3 pre-reorganisation District areas. The new householder application forms, which achieved the Crystal Mark of the Plain English campaign were introduced in April 2000. A postal questionnaire survey of all of the Service's regular agents and of a representative sample of householder applicants guided the design of the new forms and a focus group session of agents was convened to "test" the draft forms prior to introduction. Feedback from agents on this care initiative has been very favourable.
Complaints -resolving difficulties & learning lessons
The complaints system is a corporate initiative which deals with comments, compliments and complaints in a systematic way. It ensures that a definitive answer is given to any complaint and that any lessons to be learned are adopted by the service.
Council website -access to planning information
The Aberdeenshire Council website - www.aberdeenshire.go.uk - is developing rapidly. The Register of applications received can be interrogated; the Development Control Charter is available as is the Area Focus information which is map based.
Best Value -a culture of service improvement
Customer Care initiatives are driven by the Best Value Review process and the Service has embraced the concept of continual improvement. On-going initiatives include further customer surveys, a commitment to producing further information leaflets and an Enforcement Charter. A new series of standard letters based on the customer care ethos and using plain language are due to be introduced later this year.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They found a range of initiatives to provide better service in Aberdeenshire, one of Scotland's busiest planning authorities, working through 6 area committees, 9 local offices and 6 local surgeries. Through Best Value review and benchmarking, and a continuous improvement policy to do better and prove it, this authority has worked hard to learn lessons from elsewhere and to listen carefully to its service users. It has monitored complaints and acted upon them. It has taken steps to harmonise service standards between areas. And it has begun to explore how to improve synergies between development control and building control. The emphasis has been on better face to face contact, and better information for both users and case officers, making good use of new technology. The currently-nominated Awards scheme is a further example of good information to raise interest in standards among applicants and the public. Looking at the range and depth of Aberdeenshire's work in customer care, and commending the enthusiasm and commitment shown in the presentation, the judges recommend an Award for this Aberdeenshire entry in the development control category.
7. TOUCH SCREEN ACCESS TO THE PLANNING SYSTEM
2001 nomination by East Ayrshire Council: Planning Division.
The touch-screen facility
The Council has invested substantially a wide area network (WAN) which provides linkages between departments, other councils and our community planning partners and has installed a touch screen facility within the Planning reception area. The touch screen facility in planning offers free access to Planning Division's intranet pages and provides comprehensive access to a range of services and information. These can be categorised into the Planning and Building Control web site; Council wide information; and links to: Ayrshire Electronic Community, Government Gateway, UK on line, Ayrshire and Arran Tourist Board, and Ayrshire and Arran NHS Trust.
Innovation
Installation of touch screen technology in the Planning Division's Reception Area arose from 3 key drivers. A Vision to use the most up to date technology to give public access to the planning system as a key priority (an issue recommended from the Scottish Office Development Department Audit of our service); Development work in the Division to web-enable a range of services and maximise linkages to our Community Planning Partners; and finally, support from the Modernising Government Fund to install new public facing touch screen information points as part of the Council's e-government strategy.
Significant planning input
Planning authorities have traditionally centrally held a substantial amount of data, indicators and statistics. At the time of the Scottish Office Audit this was being developed for display on a geographic basis and a new computerised planning application package was also being implemented. The key innovation was to link the two and this is currently being rolled out on a corporate basis to provide wider benefits to other departments. These wider benefits are available at no cost to the public and allow full access to view the digital mapping system. Further significant planning input related to the promotion of development opportunity sites giving information on key sites identified in the mainstream process of local plan formulation. Any person wishing to enquire about or develop any of these sites can obtain on line access to who will deal with the application, known opportunities and constraints, previous planning history and can download appropriate forms for submitting an application. Mainstream planning work
The entire system has been designed to improve public access to planning and this is exemplified in our planning guidance notes which explains the need for planning permission, and how to apply for consent. The key information prepared and installed within the Planning Division includes: A guide to the Division, who to contact, and how an application is processed; An easy read guide to the need for planning permission; Application forms for submitting applications; and the full text of the East Ayrshire Local Plan. Key development opportunities are available in summary, with full planning history and constraints on development, access to digital maps on an OS basis, plus key population, employment and other statistics on a ward by ward basis
Wider benefits
Located in the Planning and Building Control Division the touch screen facility offers users wider benefits through access to the Council web site which includes information on the Council, its structures, its members; Committee minutes and agendas; up to date developments within the Council; leisure, creation and tourism facilities; and general information on the area. In addition there is a talkback facility, which gives the public access to the Council's e-mail address and thus a direct interface with officers and members in line with our Corporate ICT Strategy. Wider benefits to the public include free access to other key links identified above which covers all aspects of local and central government and key partners in the Community Planning process. In addition there is access to over 230 selected web sites on the internet via the touch screen unit.
User involvement
All the information described above is not only accessed free of charge within the Planning reception area, it is also available in local offices, libraries and community centres. Analysis shows consumers using these facilities on average 180,000 times per month and with over 1 million "hits" over a 6 month period. Testing of earlier terminals shows that the public prefers touch screen technology and consultation on the information to be provided. An on-line feedback service is also built into the system which has been used in developing the type of information provided to users.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They can see how East Ayrshire's use of touch screen technology can benefit both development control and development planning. As a means of providing citizens with information in public offices and libraries, it already appears to have proved its worth. Other councils are recommended to look at what has been achieved. This is essentially a corporate initiative, which has been used to good effect by the planning service, and the judges hope that it will continue to develop.
8. WEST OF SCOTLAND SITES AND MONUMENTS RECORD - AN INTEGRATED ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATABASE & GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM
2001 nomination by the West of Scotland Archaeology Service.
The archaeology service
The West of Scotland Archaeology Service (WoSAS) is jointly provided by a Joint Committee of 11 Councils within the former area of Strathclyde. Its host authority is Glasgow City Council. One of the principal duties of WoSAS is to advise the development control function in terms of National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 5 and Planning Advice Note (PAN) 42. The 11 Councils advised by WoSAS cover a very large geographical area, rich in archaeological remains from all periods, and generating substantial volumes of casework requiring detailed archaeological input. WoSAS processed around 1500 consultations in 2000/01, originating from many sources but including 460 planning applications, and this caseload is continuing to grow steadily. The successful implementation of NPPG5 is dependent on the efficiency of the communication and project management between WoSAS and the Planning Authority, as each casework item leads to a series of correspondence, actions and decisions that need to be tracked and cross-referenced. In addition, WoSAS needs to be able to quantify and analyse its casework, both in terms of the work done for the 11 Councils, but also to provide statistics on the efficacy of national policies for sustainable development and the protection of the archaeological resource.
Sites & monuments record: an innovative approach
The foundation on which WoSAS's advice is built is the Sites and Monuments Record (SMR). This holds detailed information on over 20,000 archaeological sites cross-referenced to archive and museum holdings, bibliographic references and images. In order to manage this large and complex dataset, and to support WoSAS's advisory role, the SMR has migrated through many stages of sophistication and is now an integrated GIS and database system, developed within WoSAS to meet its particular needs. This innovative decision-support system has been in full operation on every desk within WoSAS since 1 April 2000, greatly increasing the speed and efficiency with which WoSAS can respond to enquiries. The development of the system over the last 5 years has been crucial at a time when the workload, and the need to audit and analyse that workload, has continued to grow, but without the complementary ability to increase staff resources. Not only has the time spent on enquiries been shortened, but there is now more confidence that WoSAS can provide reliable and consistent advice based on all the relevant information in every case.
Geographic basis
Central to the SMR is a Geographical Information System, using software from ESRI that has been customised in-house. In addition to the Ordnance Survey mapping, the GIS module contains a range of data layers, some generated by WoSAS, others imported from agencies and Council Departments. Specifically archaeological and historical layers include known archaeological sites, areas of archaeological potential within 60-plus historical towns, scheduled monument areas (now supplied directly by Historic Scotland), archaeological fieldwork locations (excavations, surveys, watching briefs etc), designed landscapes, and digital survey data from the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and archaeological contractors. A range of other data layers are used to give information about the geographical context of any consultation, including the OS 1 st edition maps, geo-referenced to display in their true locations against the other data, an index to about 20,000 RAF aerial photographs (in process of entry), and external data such as the SSSIs and the National Inventory of Woods and Trees.
Trigger maps for early warning
As well as providing the desktop system used by the archaeological casework officers, the WoSAS GIS is also used to generate Archaeological Consultation Trigger (ACT) maps, designed for incorporation into each Planning Authority's own development control GIS (alternatively they are provided in hard-copy where no such system yet exists). The ACT data provides the planners with an early warning system, showing areas within which archaeological issues are known or thought likely to exist, and triggering a consultation with WoSAS or with Historic Scotland for scheduled monuments. The increasing use of this data by the Planning Authorities is having a directly positive impact on the implementation of NPPG5. The linked database application (built in Microsoft Access) provides fully referenced descriptive details for known archaeological sites, with cross-referenced indexes to the reports and images held by WoSAS and to external holdings such as the National Monuments Record of Scotland archive.
Consultations register
In terms of its impact on the delivery of services to the Planning Authorities, the most significant development in the WoSAS SMR has been the Consultations Register. For each consultation received or project initiated, this allows the casework officer to record information about every action, recommendation and communication, cross-referenced to the manual filing system and fully linked into the GIS. This allows casework officers to see at a glance not only the current state of any one consultation - useful during telephone enquiries and in covering officer absence - but also any previous casework in the same or adjacent land parcels, which helps to promote consistency of advice. Perhaps most importantly from an archaeological point of view, the Consultations Register includes date-stamped recording of the impact of each casework item on any archaeological sites affected. This, together with the explicit recording of archaeological recommendations and outcomes, provides the ability to quantify and analyse the efficacy of policy and practice in a way that will become every more valuable though time as the data is compiled. The Consultations Register also provides hyperlinks to digital files, allowing word-processed letters and incoming contractors' reports, for example, to be viewed directly without the need to retrieve the manual files. This has proved to be particularly valuable during telephone queries, and shows that the adoption of a fully digital filing system is a realistic possibility.
In conclusion
With WoSAS's casework and archaeological information now managed within a spatial database system, we are significantly closer to be able to meet the requirements of e-government. We have already developed a pilot project to make user-friendly information on the archaeological sites in Inverclyde available via the web, and this could be extended in future to cover our casework and archive holdings across all 11 Councils.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They were amazed at what has been achieved by the West of Scotland Archaeology Service, pooling resources from the subscribing authorities. To access information and keep track of changes and comments is perhaps an obvious role for a Geographic Information System, but WoSAS has managed to make this a working reality remarkably quickly, and points the way for similar approaches in mainstream planning work. Already, the public interest benefits from this innovation in the 11 council areas served by the WoSAS agreement, and in future the public may be able to access the information more directly. The judges have been delighted to see this high quality entry by an archaeology service, and are reminded of Highland Council's Award-winning 1999 nomination of their Archaeology Week. The judges recommend this West of Scotland Archaeology Service entry for commendation in the development control category.
9. SHETLAND'S NEW DEVELOPMENT CONTROL REGIME FOR THE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY
2001 nomination by Development Control Section - Public Protection Service, Shetland Islands Council
Shetland's marine powers
Shetland Islands Council controls all development in coastal waters from the high water mark to 12 miles offshore under the Zetland County Council Act 1974. Development of fish farms, piers, harbours and marinas etc is controlled through the issue of "works licences" for such development which until recently was administered by the Council's Legal Services section.
Background changes
In February 1999 the Development Control section of the Public Protection Service assumed responsibility for the control of aquaculture development under the ZCC Act which coincided with the start of an unprecedented phase of expansion for both the salmon farming and shellfish farming industries. The salmon farming industry alone employs some 750 people in Shetland and has a value of in the region of £77m per annum to the local economy (Shetland Salmon Farmers Association "Salmon Success" 2001). In the context of a population of just under 22,500 the aquaculture industry is of vital importance to the Shetland economy and is the equivalent of a major industrial sector on the UK mainland. In March 1999 the Environmental Impact Assessment (Fish Farming in Marine Waters) Regulations 1999 came into force which introduced a new level of complexity into the regulatory process with almost all applications for new salmon farming sites requiring EIA. To date 66 requests for screening and scoping opinions have been processed with 20 applications submitted with Environmental Statements.
As a result of major consolidation within the aquaculture industry the Development Control section has dealt with over 80 applications each year for either new developments or the amendment ad amalgamation of existing sites. As of August 2001 there are now a total of 160 sites in Shetland with "live" licences for salmon production and 88 sites with "live" licences for shellfish production.
Developing the regime
The establishment of a new type of regulatory regime for the aquaculture industry has required the development, from first principles of a control regime based on the precepts of the planning system namely openness, consultation, accountability, fairness, consistency all without the benefit of NPPGs, PANs, case law or supporting regulations. The development of this system has involved firstly the creation of a register and database with linked mapping and secondly the development of an application handling and decision making process.
Database and mapping
One of the key initial tasks was to systematically map (for the first time), the location of all live "works licences" and aquaculture developments in Shetland's coastal waters. This was a lengthy exercise given that Shetland has over 900 miles of coastline and was accomplished, after an extensive investigation of file information first onto paper copies of Admiralty charts. File information dating from the early 1980s was screened to sort sites by status into "live", "expired" and "revoked". Site information including location, size, type, operator has been entered in a database developed in-house. Following validation of the database information the individual site records have been geo-referenced to a GIS system (Mapinfo/Intelliscan software) handling Admiralty charts of the coastal zone. This has represented an innovative use of GIS for "marine development control" and provides a vital source of information for both consultees in the regulatory process and for potential applicants seeking new development sites.
Challenges for applications and decision making
The development of an administrative process presented a whole new set of challenges as the development control powers contained in the ZCC Act have marked differences from the planning system. These are principally: l a requirement to determine all applications within a 3 month period after which they automatically become deemed refusals, l a requirement to advertise all applications, and l a right to third party appeal (objectors and consultees). The 3-month determination period requires flexibility on the part of both applicants and planning staff in phasing the submission, advertising, consultation and preparing reports with recommendations for Member decisions. The application handling process has involved the development of new procedures and documentation in the following areas: Application forms/guidance notes for applicants; Administrative procedure; Consultation procedure (SEPA, SEERAD, SNH, Council departments and the wider community; Application and works licences database and register.
In conclusion
The development of a new and innovative parallel marine DC system has presented planning staff with a number of challenges not the least that of continuing to deal with a case load of up to 500 conventional planning applications each year. However as of 2001 the system is substantially complete and operating smoothly within the constraints imposed by the legislation. The work undertaken is nominated for its creative contribution to development control work, innovative use of GIS technology and as a model for the handling of marine development control functions when primary planning legislation is amended in the near future to take in the control of coastal zone development.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. With current interest across Scotland in future arrangements for marine aquaculture, the judges were able to see how much Shetland has been able to achieve. On the basis of the special Zetland Act powers already in place, the innovation here has been to move beyond what was originally a legally-administered process to create a new planning-led marine development control regime. The use of new technology has been effective, and the achievement in resolving the difficult issues of combining land and sea based map data has won the praise of judges in the Association for Geographic Information/Surveyor GI in Local Government Award' recently. The judges were extremely impressed by this entry and its use of information in monitoring and decisionmaking. They compliment all those in developing this innovative approach. The judges recommend an Award for this Shetland entry in the development control category.
10. SOUTH LANARKSHIRE PLANNING & BUILDING CONTROL INFORMATION LEAFLETS
-2001 nomination by South Lanarkshire Council
The Planning and Building Control leaflets produced by South Lanarkshire Council are nominated for a Scottish Award for Quality in Planning because they reflect the Council's commitment to quality and customer service. They provide clear guidance and information to the public in plain language on a range of planning and building control topics about which inquiries are commonly received. Where possible, the leaflets bringing together both planning and building control information in single publications have been produced. This provides easy access to information and contacts for the public when seeking guidance on particular issues without having to consult a variety of different sources. The information leaflets take account of guidance and advice issued by the Scottish Executive which encourages planning authorities to provide a high standard of service and customer care including the provision of guidance leaflets and publicity for pre-application discussions.
Background and description
Following internal reorganisation in 1998, South Lanarkshire Council's Planning Service and Building Control Service amalgamated to form one united Service. Since that time, efforts have been made to integrate service provision where possible. In March 2001, the combined Service produced a series of joint information leaflets designed to inform the public about a range of planning and building control topics on which queries are most frequently received. These explain the requirement for planning permission or building warrant for different types of householder development, and cover topics such as the difference between planning permission and building warrants, demolition, pre-application discussions and monitoring and enforcement.
Thirteen leaflets have been produced and these supplement the existing provision of a Planning Applications Charter, a Local Planning Charter and a Building Control Charter. These Charters advise the public more generally on how the planning and building control systems operate, the services provided and standards of service that can be expected.
The leaflets
For householder development, each coloured leaflet explains the circumstances in which planning permission and building warrant are required, provides details of any other consents that may be required and ends with a list of contact names and numbers for the different Area Offices within the Council. The Information Leaflets which address other topics give a simple explanation of the particular issue, together with officer contact details. The new series of leaflets comprises: l 1. Planning Permission and Building Warrants - What are they and why may I need them? (includes information on the difference between the two consents, why they are needed, how to make an objection to a planning application and material considerations) l 2. Do I need planning permission or a building warrant for a satellite dish on my house? l 3. Do I need planning permission or a building warrant for a domestic heating fuel tank? l 4. Do I need planning permission or a building warrant for roof alterations to my house? (Includes dormer extensions, velux windows, loft conversions, changes to roofing materials, removal of chimneys.) l 5. Do I need planning permission or a building warrant for minor alterations to my house? (Includes the erection of walls, gates and fences, formation of hardstandings and driveways, replacement windows and doors.) l 6. Do I need planning permission or a warrant to carry out demolition work? (Includes the potential need for various permissions including listed building or conservation area consent with details of other bodies to be contacted such as utility services and the Health and Safety Executive.) l 7. Do I need planning permission for an extension to my house? l 8. Do I need planning permission for a garage or other buildings in my garden? l 9. Do I need a building warrant for an extension to my dwelling house or to erect a building in my garden? l 10. Do I need a building warrant for minor alterations to my house or flat? l 11. Do I need a building warrant for an agricultural greenhouse or building? l 12. Planning and Building Control Pre-Application Discussions (Sets out the Council's positive approach: How to arrange a meeting, the advice that will be given, what happens afterwards). l 13. Monitoring Development and Enforcing Planning Regulations (An explanation of the main objectives of monitoring and enforcement, how the Council will assess the need for formal action, how to make a complaint, what happens after a complaint is made, an outline of the more common types of legal notices that may be served and the timescales associated with them, what happens after a notice is served, standards of service). After a Best Value Review of the Planning Enforcement function, one of the recommendations was the need to raise public awareness of monitoring and enforcement and to provide a relatively simple explanation of what can be a complex system. This leaflet has been prepared in response.
The majority of queries received by the Planning and Building Control Service are simple enquiries as to whether planning permission or building warrant is required for particular types of work, usually involving householder development. For most benefit to users of the Service the information leaflets required to be informative about the relevant regulations, whilst also being clear and easy to understand by people who may have little knowledge of the planning and building control systems. All efforts have been made to explain the information as simply as possible using plain language and avoiding overly technical phraseology. Production of the leaflets was influenced by PAN40 which emphasises service to customers and the importance of having guidance leaflets and information available at reception, with any written material being attractively presented in plain language. PAN40 suggests that authorities produce written guidance on how pre-application discussions should proceed. The leaflet on Pre-Application Discussions was prepared in the light of the Scottish Executive's 2000 Research into the Role of Pre-Application Discussions in Planning and the subsequent inclusion of this advice in PAN40.
Promotion
The Planning and Building Control Information leaflets have been made widely available, free of charge, from the 4 Area Planning and Building Control Offices and from the Council's 7 "one Stop Shops". It is intended that when the Council's web site undergoes further development during 2002, they will be available online.
Achievement
South Lanarkshire Council has produced accessible and user-friendly information leaflets that give customers clear advice and guidance on a range of development control and building control subjects about which enquiries are often received. In the case of the householder development leaflets, these explain the requirement for planning permission and building warrant in a simple, easy to understand format. Where possible, planning and building control requirements have been incorporated into a single leaflet, thereby improving customer care by enabling access to all necessary information in one publication, providing an integrated service. Where planning and building control regulations differ significantly, separate leaflets have been produced. The other leaflets promote awareness of other important aspects of development control, namely enforcement and the encouragement of pre-application discussions.
Conclusion
The Planning and Building Control information leaflets contain detailed information and clear advice for the public on a range of householder developments and other development control related issues. They bring together information on both planning and building control regulations in an easy to read format and make a significant contribution to improving the quality of customer service provided.
The judges are pleased to see that South Lanarkshire Council continues to provide its citizens and service users with explanatory information. They note particularly that the often-neglected topics of enforcement and pre-application discussions have been tackled. A wide range of development control leaflets has now been submitted over the years of this Award, and the judges are happy to draw these further examples to wider attention.
11. SOUTH LANARKSHIRE HOUSE BUYERS GUIDE
2001 nomination by South Lanarkshire Council
The House Buyers' Guide is nominated because it reflects the Planning and Building Control Service's commitment to quality service and its contribution to Best Value. It clearly explains, in plain English, the processes involved in buying a new home, together with advice on who to contact and where to obtain information to assist in the house buying process. It provides a clear step by step guide to buying a new home in one concise document. And it sets out the responsibilities of the house builders, the Council and other relevant bodies involved in the house buying process.
Background and description
The House Buyers' Guide has been produced by the Council in response to a number of enquiries from members of the public who had either bought a new home or were in the process of doing so. The guide only refers to newly built homes and does not include advice on buying previously occupied homes. The Council wish to ensure that the process of buying a new house runs smoothly and that new house buyers get the highest standards of service from both the Council and the house buyers.
The House Buyers' Guide is aimed at new house buyers to assist them through the 4 main stages of buying and owning a newly built house. The 4 main stages of the process and therefore sections in the guide are: choosing a suitable development, choosing a particular plot, taking possession of the new house, and the initial period of living in a new house. The guide also contains a useful section detailing whom to contact and their telephone numbers should a query or problem arise. The guide also contains a section outlining Consumer Rights. In addition to the full House Buyers' Guide, the Council has also produced a leaflet summarising the main advice contained in the guide. The leaflet sets out the main responsibilities of both the Council and the Developer and contains a short checklist of the main points to check when buying a new home.
Promotion
The guide's launch in May 2001 was attended by the main parties involved in the house buying process such as lawyers, estate agents, planning officers, building control officers, all Council services, and Councillors. The Council launched the Guide jointly with Miller Homes. Miller Homes are the lead developers in a number of sites within South Lanarkshire Council area and as such are important partners in the distribution and promotion of the guide. Miller Homes were approached initially as a high profile and high volume builder in South Lanarkshire. A number of other house builders have expressed interest in supporting the scheme and signing up to the actions outlined within the guide.
The Council has carried out a comprehensive promotion of the guide to all lawyers, estate agents, architects and house builders active in the area. Copies of the House Buyers Guide are displayed within their premises as well as all Council Libraries and One Stop Shop facilities. This will ensure that there is a wide availability of the House Buyers Guide throughout the Council area to members of the public.
Achievement
South Lanarkshire Council has produced an accessible and user-friendly guide to the house buying process. The House Buyers Guide aims to equip new house buyers with information, advice and contacts required to ensure that the house buying process goes smoothly. It raises the awareness of potential house buyers as to which questions should be asked of the Council developers to ensure that the purchase of a new house is tailored to their needs and aspirations.
Conclusion
South Lanarkshire Council promotes its development control functions as "Development Advice". This "House Buyers Guide" extends through the full development control process, to be able to offer reassurance to the end users of the Council's housebulding approvals.
The judges appreciate that it is an unusual step for a planning authority to produce a guide of this kind with a major housebuilder. They were glad to have had it brought to their notice. It is an interesting initiative, and the judges hope that the Guide will prove useful to citizens.
12. ABERDEEN: BROADFORD WORKS DESIGN BRIEF
2001 nomination by Aberdeen City Council
The nomination is for a design brief produced to assist in the conversion and development of an historically important mill complex into an urban village. The works contains the oldest iron frame mill building in Scotland. Particular attention is drawn to the process of producing the final document.
Broadford Works
Broadford Works is a 3.5 hectare mill complex, originally based on flax spinning, located just outwith the city centre of Aberdeen. Although currently still in use, the buildings are not well suited to the machinery and production processes that they now accommodate and the owners are seeking to relocate to purpose-built modern premises. At the centre of the site is the oldest iron-framed mill in Scotland dating from 1808. This is flanked by later spinning mils built in1820-30 and 1860. As the technology changed, new and larger buildings were erected to house the latest machinery and production processes. The complex grew and spread out from this central group of spinning mills until the Works, at one time in the 19 th century, became the single largest employer in Aberdeen. Most importantly, however, as the Works grew the older buildings were retained and not demolished. The result is that the site comprises a complete history of the development of this particular industry. The entire works are listed Category A.
Potential for excellence
Initially the owners had envisaged selling the works and realising the value as a cleared site. When the consequences of the listing were explained, and the possibility for a really high quality development that made the most of the potential of the historic buildings they were persuaded on the merits of producing a design brief to guide development of the site. Given the importance of the site, the complexity of the planning issues for such a large development and the clear potential for achieving real excellence in terms of design, a special approach was called for. It was decided to commission consultants experienced in this field to produce a development study on which the brief would be based. Scottish Enterprise Grampian and the City Council agreed to jointly fund the study. What the consultants were expected to provide was set out in a developers brief prepared by a team largely drawn from the Planning and Strategic Development Department but also including representatives from the Roads Authority and Scottish Enterprise Grampian. The developers brief was issued in February 2000 and tenders for producing the study were invited.
Conservation plan
The starting point of the development study was to be a Conservation Plan. This was to be a self-contained document, which would inform any subsequent design guidance and would be available to read in conjunction with the final design brief. The following key outputs were identified: urban design guidance; identification of appropriate uses for new and retained buildings; an infrastructure study including access to the site, parking, drainage and school capacity, and an assessment of economic viability.
Three submissions were received. A team led by Page and Park, Architects were the successful tenderers and were commissioned to carry out the study.
The fundamental importance of the Conservation Plan was explained in the developer's brief. It was stressed that this should not be produced as a means of justifying one particular scheme of conversion neither should it lose sight of the fact that the ultimate aim of the exercise is to find viable appropriate new uses for the buildings. Preservation as monuments or some sort of museum would not ensure the buildings had a future. Therefore for each building or structure on the site the conservation plan was required to provide:
- A description of the building and its original purpose
- The building's history including alterations and adaptations to new uses
- Its significance including its relative importance compared to other buildings on the site
- Specific elements of the building that should be retained or emphasised in any conversion to a new use
- Particular problems (including structural issues) likely to occur in re-use or conversion and practical means of addressing these
- Opportunities for development and new design.
A particularly important element of the infrastructure study was a survey of parking in existing recent housing developments in and around the city centre. The purpose of this was to establish a realistic level of parking provision for Broadford Works. This has long been a problematic issue in Aberdeen. Planning staff are of the view that the Council's parking standards result in too many urban residential schemes being dominated by parking to the detriment of residential amenity and environmental quality. The survey work undertaken allowed the Council's Roads Section to accept a lower parking provision than they would have otherwise. This work will also prove useful in other future city centre housing schemes.
The development proposals
These formed the major element of the consultant's study: the urban design content of the report. Here the most appropriate uses for the retained existing buildings were analysed with options for adding new development. Most importantly the concept of a pedestrian only public realm at the core of the development was proposed. The essential elements of the urban village were thus identified. In detail, the development proposals examine the setting of the site within the City and analyse its relationship to the surrounding neighbourhood. They propose new linkages into the site. They analyse the qualities and the potential of the external spaces between the existing buildings and propose a central pedestrian-only core. They set out appropriate new uses for each building within the Works. They provide a land values and development analysis. Finally they set out a number of development options.
The design brief
Using the development study (the Conservation Plan; the Development Proposals and the various technical appendices) the design brief was produced within the Planning and Strategic Development Department. The design brief is intended to:
- Ensure that the buildings of historic interest are converted to viable appropriate new uses
- Ensure that new development is added to the retained mill building in such a way as to respect the integrity of individual listed buildings while creating a cohesive and comprehensible network of public streets and spaces and clearly defined private spaces
- Maintain a distinct character within the development so that the new urban environment is a recognisable place and at the same time, improve the pedestrian linkages between the site and the surrounding streets
- Ensure that any new development within the site will be of a scale and density appropriate to the existing buildings
- Ensure that the site is not dominated by roads and parking and that amenity is maximised.
The draft brief was presented to the Planning Committee and it was approved for wider public consultation. This included: the owners of the site, the local Community Council, Historic Scotland and the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland. Amended in the light of comments received the final brief was approved by the Planning Committee and published in June this year. The brief is also now available on the Council's website. Planning applications are awaited.
Community Involvement
So far community involvement has consisted of consultation with the local Community Council over the draft Design Brief. The Community Council held a well attended public meeting and views were reported back to the Planning and Strategic Development Department. There proved to be wide public support for the aims of the brief.
Wider benefits
The larger part of the projected future requirement for housing in Aberdeen is to be accommodated on brownfield sites. The new Local Plan contains brownfield residential design policies aimed at raising the standard of design and amenity of such housing and achieving a wider range of types and sizes of accommodation. The same aims are also central to the Development Proposals for Broadford Works and are incorporated into the Design Brief. Thus it is intended that Broadford Works will prove to be a flagship development that will demonstrate what can be achieved in creating high quality urban residential environments.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They found it a particularly informative one. The Broadford Mill complex presented a special problem for development control because of its unique importance and potential. It was difficult to reconcile the normal interplay of applications, land transactions and values, with the need to look long and hard not just at the historic assets and potential of the buildings, but at securing the employment currently on-site. The judges were impressed by the way Aberdeen City officials had approached the problem with vision and delicacy. As in bomb disposal, securing the best outcomes in a case of this kind is not easy work, and the complexities of the Broadford situation are not for the faint-hearted. A false move by the planning authority might have caused the whole situation to deteriorate irrevocably. It was natural for the judges to voice doubts at the way the City had side-stepped the issue of the future of the Works in the local plan, but also possible for them to appreciate the wisdom of the course finally taken. The decision to try to save the unique buildings and aim for a development of high quality was courageous, and the role of all the parties seems to have inspired mutual trust. Time will tell whether these efforts are ultimately successful. But looking back, the value of the step by step approach to design guidance has been clear. It has been informed at each stage by a wide range of professional expertise, and the Council is commended for the way it sought to commission it. This is a development control case study of the utmost interest. The judges recommend this Aberdeen City entry for commendation in the development control category.
13. STIRLING'S: USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY IN MAINSTREAM POLICY PLANNING -
2001 nomination by Stirling Council
Stirling Council's vision is "to provide an integrated communications channel for our 83,500 citizens through new and existing media". We are committed to using information to its best effect, allowing increased access and improving understanding of how we do things. Utilising new technology our Planning and Policy Team have provided a range of valuable information to internal customers, partners, citizens and communities in a more accessible and meaningful format. This has allowed us to provide tangible benefits in improved land use planning by using new technology in interesting and powerful ways.
Local plan
The adopted Stirling Council Local Plan was published on our internet site in the spring of 2001 ( www.stirling.gov.uk/lplan/Lp1999/local_plan_contents.htm). This includes maps with interactive functionality allowing much easier access to the plans, policies and proposals. The Ordnance Survey, who assessed the Internet version of the plan in February, commented: "This is an excellent piece of work. It is exactly the kind of application that we wish to encourage local authorities to use our data for. I think your work should not go unnoticed. You are one of the first to do this and the work is exemplary...".
Structure plan
Similarly the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Structure Plan, finalised draft, was made available on the Council's web site, in addition to traditional formats ( www.stirling.gov.uk/splan/Index.html). The site had over 1200 "hits" during the formal consultation period. We gave the opportunity to download objection forms provided by the Scottish Executive and create a link to allow the submission of comments and objections direct to the Executive (using e-mail). Although this latter facility was not greatly used it provided a demonstration of the possibilities for inter authority "joined up" service delivery and is likely to prove more popular in future years.
Surveys
The Service has also reviewed the way in which it collects, analyses and presents data for annual publication and submission to the Scottish Executive. In particular the format of the Housing Land Audit, Vacant and Derelict Land Survey and Employment Sites Register have been significantly revised and upgraded. A map and photograph now accompany details of each site and each document is prefaced by graphically illustrated analysis. Each of these annual reports traditionally has a small and specific audience, but the improvements made to date have undoubtedly made these more accessible to a greater number of people. Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley applauded the revised Employment Sites Register.
Housing land audit
The need to review these documents was identified during the Public Inquiry into the Stirling Council Local Plan where flaws in the level of detail and presentation of the historical Housing Land Audits created a degree of confusion. Reflection on this has led to the creation of a new database using Microsoft Access. We have delivered a vastly improved document, commended by the Scottish House Builders Association. A representative of that organisation said, "Stirling Council has produced an excellent housing land audit which more than meets the needs of the house building industry". Benefits of this improved approach include not only greater access to and understanding of the local land supply but a more effective monitoring tool and better informed decision making. Site boundaries for all surveys have been captured using the Council's Arcview GIS system. This allows for spatial analysis across and between all data sets leading to a greater understanding of the land use issues associated with the supply of land. Through these developments we have identified potential benefits from interaction between these data sets. Over the next year we intend to work towards a web enabled product pulling together this research for assessment and review via a single portal. Once delivered this will take data about land availability to a far greater audience and so have the potential to better influence service delivery across the public sector.
Housing needs assessment
The document that best demonstrates the innovative use of GIS is the Draft Housing Needs Assessment. In this document we have brought together data from a number of sources including Scottish Homes, CACI, Council House waiting lists, Council Tax, GRO and Sasines. This approach provides us with a far better understanding of the housing issues across the Council area, particularly those of density, house price and tenure. This work has been developed to help the Council's understanding of issues across the Planning and Housing Services. It forms an integral part of the supporting documentation for the revised Local Plan and will also form part of the Council's Local Housing Strategy.
Conclusion
Using information from a number of sources better informs the planning process and enables us to plan for sustainable, balanced communities. The planning team at Stirling has embraced new technology and has used it to improve the quality of mainstream planning work. We are striving to make information more readily available to the general public in a format this is more easily understood compared to traditional text only documents.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They thought the use of new technology in Stirling policy planning intelligent and effective, and they were particularly impressed with the way findings are displayed and published. The work on housing land audits and housing needs assessment gives a lead that many authorities will wish to follow. This entry is one of a number this year that explore the use of new technology and the possibilities opened up by Geographic Information Systems. Many of these are technically exciting, but the Stirling entry stands out as an outstanding demonstration of how the this technology can be used to generate results presented in a way that people can easily understand and relate to. This has gained it the highest praise from the judges. They therefore recommend this Stirling entry for Award in the development planning category.
14. ABERDEENSHIRE PILOT YOUTH PLANNING PROJECT
2001 nomination by Aberdeenshire Council
Background
The Pilot Youth Planning Project has been run in Aberdeenshire since September 2000. It was developed as part of Aberdeenshire Council's participation in the Intereg 2c-funded NOORD XXI project. This was a multi-national project to look at the identity of the regions on the periphery of Europe. The authorities involved were Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City and East Lothian in Scotland; Buskerud and Østfold in Norway; Vestra Gotaland in Sweden and Gronigen in the Netherlands. The focus of the project was "Quality by identity, beyond traditional spatial and economic planning" in essence how can the planning process be improved through enhanced public participation and involvement which reflects the particular local circumstances and aspirations of the communities. As part of the process Aberdeenshire Council offered to pilot a youth planning project to try to increase youth awareness and participation in the planning process at all levels.
Project development
The start point for the development of the project was a study commissioned by the NOORD XXI project on Youth Participation in the planning process entitled "Playing with Power". It contained recommendations and noted a number of benefits to be gained from involving young people and children in the decision making process. The main benefit is that they gain educationally and in terms of personal development. Participation brings co-operation and understanding. The project was developed to meet a number of criteria. It had to be open to all young people in Aberdeenshire between the ages of 14 and 25. It had to be easily understood and easy to participate in. It needed to tie in with the main areas of work that the planning service covered. It had to allow informal contact between the young people and the decision-makers and build confidence on both sides. It had to be relatively inexpensive to operate and run.
The project
Bright, colourful and easily understood application forms for the project were developed in the summer of 2000. The form was set up so that a group of young people could fill it in themselves. Guidance was provided on the main areas of work that the planning service undertook and the type of projects that would fit each category. A set of questions was asked at the end of the form to allow the young people to describe the project they were working on and what support they required.
Funding of 7000 Euros (around £5000) was made available by the main Intereg project and Aberdeenshire contributed officer time in the shape of a Planning Officer and a Community Education Officer to run the project. The project was supported by the Council's main committees. Each Area Committee was asked to nominate a Councillor to be the contact for the young people and agree to receive a presentation from the successful young people, in whatever form the young people felt comfortable with, at a future Committee meeting. Agreement was also given to host an end conference to bring all the successful applicants together, with Councillors, Area Managers and Heads of Service to share experience and knowledge.
A total of 10 applications were made to the project and following a series of meetings held in community centres, scout huts and schools with the young people the Councillors decided to award each applicant £400. The successful projects could be broken down into five groups: four groups carrying out surveys and information gathering exercises about facility provision; one group carrying out a site identification project; three looking a facility development to meet identified demand; one looking at redevelopment of existing building and location and one group developing ways of sharing information. Each of the groups presented their projects to the Area Committees and at the end seminar in Easter 2001. The presentations ranged from high tech PowerPoint through low tech verbal presentations to the Scouts holding a sing-a-long with the Councillors to describe their project.
The benefits
The Council made contact with over 50 young people throughout Aberdeenshire and got a better perspective on the types of issues that affect young people. The young people gained a better understanding of how the Council and the Planning Service operate. It built bridges and provided information that has been fed into our developing Local Plan and will help shape future development of the Council's Youth Strategy. It has also fed into the development of youth policies in the Council.
The way forward
The Council now proposes to operate the project annually. Funding has been identified and the Customer Service Project Team will lead the project. This has the benefit of seeing the development of the Pilot Project into a mainstream part of the Council's activities particularly with the ability to learn from and listen to young people's interests and aspirations as well as supporting the implementation of their projects.
Feedback: young people, councillors and officials
Throughout the development and operation of the pilot project, young people were consulted. Young people, Councillors and Officials were asked for feedback during the end seminar and the overwhelming consensus was that the pilot had been a success and the young people appreciated the opportunity to work closer with Councillors and Officials on their own terms. It widened Officers and Councillors understanding of the issues that are important to young people. It also provided a different perspective on the spatial planning issues in Aberdeenshire.
Conclusion
Young people have as much right as any other part of the general population to be consulted on planning issues. It is often difficult to consult with them in a fair and equitable way. They are either forgotten or talked down to. Most consultation processes are geared to adults. The Pilot Youth Planning Project in Aberdeenshire opened the door for wider consultation with young people on all aspects of Planning. Its success as a method that is liked and understood by both young people, councillors and officials has meant that the Council has sought to identify funding to continue the process and widen its remit to allow other Council Services to benefit from the process. Planning issues will be a prominent part of the extended Project. Local and strategic planning are benefiting from the interaction with young people.
The judges looked carefully at this entry, and warmly welcome another initiative to involve youth in planning issues, following the award-winning Highland structure plan youth forum in 1999. The benefits are not only in bringing young people face to face with the planning issues Councils deal with, but also in drawing the attention of councillors and officials to the distinct perspectives of their younger citizens. Aberdeenshire Council have clearly made the most of this European initiative, focusing the 10 applications on a good range of planning-related tasks. The judges are delighted that the Council has decided to run the project annually and hope that other Councils will be inspired to seek similar involvement in youth planning work.
15. ABERDEENSHIRE'S LOCAL TRANSPORT STRATEGY
2001 nomination by Aberdeenshire Council
This nomination has been made to recognise the Aberdeenshire Strategy's robust methodology, involving innovative application of the Government's five key transport appraisal criteria. It has been based around an extensive public consultation process, which sought to involve all relevant parties in the creation of the Strategy, including continuing dialogue with the public. And it exemplifies the partnership approach to regional transport planning in the North East.
Background to the strategy
The Aberdeenshire Local Transport Strategy supersedes the Council's 1999 Interim Transport Strategy document. The Full Local Transport Strategy was approved by the Council and submitted to the Scottish Executive in December 2000. The Executive had granted an extension to the general submission deadline of 31 October 2000 to Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils. This was to allow account to be taken in both Councils' Strategies of an ongoing study into the delivery of the proposed Western Peripheral Route around Aberdeen, and associated development of the Modern Transport System (or Integrated Transport Strategy) for north east Scotland. The Modern Transport System is being developed by the North East Scotland Transport Partnership (NESTRANS), made up of Aberdeenshire Council, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, and Scottish Enterprise Grampian.
Aim and vision
The aim and long-term vision of the Aberdeenshire Local Transport Strategy is to develop a sustainable and effective transportation strategy for Aberdeenshire that preserves environmental quality and contributes to the development of an inclusive society and strong economy. It recognises that there are distinct and separate issues faced by Aberdeenshire's urban and rural communities. Similarly, many accessibility issues affect both urban and rural areas and the Strategy seeks to deliver integrated solutions to problems facing all communities. The Strategy sets out the Council's transportation policies for 2001-2004, within the context of a 10 to 15 year vision for transportation in the North East. It also acts as the basis for determining funding priorities to develop these policies. The Strategy's objectives mirror the Government's key criteria for the assessment of transportation projects: combating social exclusion by improving accessibility; promoting a sustainable economy; reversing degradation of the environment; furthering the integration of transport, and; improving safety in transport. The Aberdeenshire Strategy takes these objectives further in two key ways, by explicitly considering each objective, and by carefully assessing the schemes.
Integrating transport policy
Integration is a dominant theme of the Strategy. This relates to: 1. Modal integration - the Council will work to ensure that transport modes are integrated to encourage more people to travel sustainably. 2. Integrated regional transport planning - the Council has been working closely with Aberdeen City Council on transport planning matters for many years. Through the NESTRANS partnership, the Councils, and their partners, are committed to the delivery of a Modern Transport System. 3. Policy integration - Aberdeenshire's new structure plan, developed jointly with Aberdeen City Council, has been written concurrently with the Transport Strategy, and the two documents fully complement each other.
Role of the planning service
The Council's Planning Service was involved in the development of the Local Transport Strategy from an early stage. The Strategy was written concurrently with the emerging Aberdeenshire Local Plan and North East Scotland together, the new Structure Plan, written jointly with Aberdeen City Council. It was an explicit aim from the beginning to ensure that in transportation matters the 3 documents were complementary. There was thus during the development phase of each document, a two-way flow of information between the Transportation and Planning Services (and with the Planning Service of Aberdeen City Council). Both structure and local plan teams were further asked to comment on the draft Strategy as part of the Council-wide internal consultation. Early in the development of the Strategy a workshop was also held, for members of the Transportation and Planning Services. The aim was to discuss and create a prioritised list of projects or schemes that could be implemented to address the transport needs of users in Aberdeenshire, in the context of the emerging transport elements of the Local Plan and Structure Plan.
Innovative appraisal
Aberdeenshire's Local Transport Strategy displays innovation in its comprehensive consultation process and in applying the Government's 5 key transport appraisal criteria (an approach subsequently promoted in the Scottish Executive's Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance, published in August 2001). It was an explicit aim to mirror the Government's key criteria for assessing transportation projects: accessibility, economy, environment, integration and safety. These criteria were adapted and used in the development of the Strategy. To highlight their importance, individual sections were written on each criterion, detailing the approach to be taken to address planning objectives. The Strategy is laid out so that each objective is explored in turn in detail, setting objectives and quantifiable output targets for each and discussing the pertinent issues. It was also deemed important to establish quantifiable output targets that would enable the Council to demonstrate its progress on the development of the Strategy. The 5 appraisal criteria were therefore sub-divided further to create these targets. Each project in the Strategy was given a subjective appraisal against these targets to illustrate how it would help the Council to meet its objectives for transportation. Scheme assessment matrices demonstrate how each scheme will contribute to the targets, grouped under the key objectives. The scheme assessment matrices are divided into 3 scenarios, each reflecting the level of funding available/required. Scenario 1 is based on funding identified in the Council's approved Capital Plan and Revenue Budget, whilst Scenarios 2 and 3 identify options which will require funding from Scottish Executive "challenge fund" sources and other potential revenue streams. These funding scenarios set out specific initiatives the Council is undertaking or considering for future adoption for each group of users (walkers, cyclists, public transport, powered two wheeler and car drivers). The process of linking the Council's initiatives and schemes to the Strategy vision is explicitly demonstrated through a simple flow chart, which illustrates how the initiatives for each user group will help the Council to achieve its targets, which in turn feed into achieving the objectives and long-term vision. In this way the Strategy is fully compliant with the use of the 5 assessment criteria. They are now adopted by the Executive in its Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance, for authorities seeking funding for transport projects
Innovative consultation
Before consultation on the document was undertaken it was decided that the process should be wide-ranging, to reach out to as many individuals, communities and other organisations as possible. It is believed that this process was considerably more inclusive than the norm, and will assist in the delivery of, and public acceptance for, projects contained within the Strategy. Making the document accessible to all was a prime consideration. Presentational aids such as flowcharts help to communicate the issues, aims and objectives simply. Clearly laid out sections relate specifically to key criteria or core user groups. Recognising that public support is one of the most important factors in the delivery of any Strategy, the Council embarked upon an ambitious consultation exercise. Over two months in late 2000, a range of media was used to consult relevant parties: 1. Website - downloadable versions of the Draft Strategy were put on the Council's website. 2. Roadshows -one day exhibitions were held in supermarkets in 9 principal towns. 3. Distribution - around 1,350 copies of the Draft Strategy were distributed to businesses, public bodies and other interested parties, by post and via the roadshows and Community Council meetings. 4. Questionnaire - a questionnaire covering 20 key themes was devised and posted and handed out with copies of the Draft Strategy. 5. Elected Bodies - a seminar was held for Councillors and the Draft Strategy was considered by the Council's 6 Area Committees. Officers also made presentations to 49 Community Council meetings. 6. User Groups - copies of the Draft Strategy and questionnaires were sent to groups representing disabled people, young people and older people. A presentation was made to the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes and to the Council's Taxicard Forum on 24 October, where disabled, elderly and mobility-impaired users meet the Council to discuss relevant issues. 7. Consultation in Partnership - associated consultation took place through the North East Scotland Economic Development and Partnership (NESEDP) in association with the Robert Gordon University. Nearly 14,000 questionnaires were sent to households and businesses in the North East asking for opinions on the future of transportation and on the development of a Modern Transport System. 8. NESEDP Website -the Aberdeenshire and NESEDP questionnaires were both placed on the NESEDP website. Thy could be filled in electronically and a cumulative record of responses was displayed. 9. A summary leaflet has been produced, which sets out the key aspects of the Strategy in a more accessible form.
Documenting feedback
The outcome of consultation was made more transparent by producing the document Response to Consultation, which not only detailed the process and responses but also the ways in which the development of the Strategy was shaped by consultation. This document was sent to the parties involved in the consultation exercise. It was sent to the Scottish Executive with the Strategy and is available for members of the public to read. The report also contains a summary of revisions made to the final Strategy in response to public consultation. Through the production of all these documents the Council aims to continue to inform and involve all relevant bodies in the delivery of its vision for transportation in the North East. Specific proposals and initiatives will be the subject of consultation with business, community and user interests, in accordance with the partnership theme of the Local Transport Strategy.
The judges compliment Aberdeenshire Council on the efforts it has made with its partners to develop the appraisal techniques for local transport strategies and to devote time and energy to consultation in a very comprehensive approach. Other authorities will learn from these efforts, which have been fully documented here.
16. RURAL PARTNERSHIP FOR CHANGE HIGHLAND PILOT
2001 nomination by The Highland Council, Scottish Homes and the Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust
This nomination is for the Rural Partnership for Change Highland Pilot for innovation and best practice in tackling difficult issues in planning for affordable housing.
Background
An adequate supply of affordable housing in rural areas is essential in supporting rural development and maintaining community viability. But decent housing at a price that people can afford is in very short supply in Highland. There are particular and unique challenges in meeting this need in rural areas. The challenges are due to a range of supply factors (eg land ownership and assembly, ground conditions, infrastructure costs), demand factors (eg holiday home, life style changes) and socio-economic factors (eg low/insecure incomes), with the planning system in particular often being blamed for restricting supply. The Pilot, led by the Highland Council, was established by the Minister of Housing and Communities in March 2000 with the remit to look at new and innovative ways of meeting the shortage of affordable housing in rural communities. This was achieved through 3 objectives: identifying areas of housing related stress; developing and implementing sustainable solutions; and learning lessons to apply to community planning and single housing planning processes.
Planning role
Planning's role in this was fundamental because: priority is given to affordable housing in the Highland Structure Plan for which practical solutions are required; innovation was made possible by drawing on planning information, research skills and resources; experience and knowledge of local planning and development control officers was of central importance in identifying need and developing potential solutions.
Special characteristics of the RPfC Pilot
Rural Partnership for Change (RPfC) is nominated for the following reasons: It demonstrates joined-up thinking and has enhanced partnership working both at a strategic and local level. It has developed an innovative methodology for identifying, mapping and prioritising need and challenges which has improved the targeting of action and scarce resources in a manner which is consistent, objective and transparent. It has focused on problem areas where development of affordable housing has previously been prevented or hindered and has offered and is implementing innovative solutions. It has received Ministerial recognition, is being promoted as best practice to improve the planning ad development of affordable housing and is helping guide new housing legislation. And by taking into account the views of local communities and developing a tool kit for involving them in assessing and meeting their needs the RPfC has achieved wider benefits in taking forward community planning.
Benefits of the partnership
The Pilot involved the Council working with Scottish Homes, local housing trusts and housing associations and other agencies with links to housing such as the LECs, NOSWA and SEPA. This partnership approach, which is unique in Scotland in terms of planning for affordable housing, resulted in: l Real integrated planning - agreeing a vision of the future, common objectives and ways of achieving them together, rather than through independent action (including identifying and agreeing priorities for investment); l The joint programming of resources; and l Joint implementation by planning, housing and other related agencies. This helped close the link between high level planning and housing investment and development control at the local level. It also achieved a cultural shift in partnership working, so that despite the differing remits of each agency and service functions, and at times adversarial approaches, the project members first and foremost represent the partnership.
Innovative methods
The Pilot also involved developing new and robust ways of identifying need, which recognise the linkages between housing and other policy spheres by: l Developing a typology of housing related stress which recognises areas of under supply of housing and also the wider context of socio-economic fragility and external market demand; l Devising a methodology enabling the Pilot to score, map and prioritise individual communities experiencing housing related stress. Acknowledging that accessible, accurate and up-to-date evidence is not always available and that local knowledge is an under-utilised resource, this methodology moved beyond standard quantitative analysis and incorporated qualitative elements of local professional knowledge and the experience and the views of communities in identify housing issues at a community level. The knowledge and experience of local planners and development control staff was key to this process.
- Using GIS technology innovatively to inform policy as well as to present the findings.
Innovative solutions
Having identified areas of need the Pilot developed innovative and sustainable solutions, appropriate to individual communities. This involved:
- Recognising the importance of developing solutions to support the key sustainability objectives set out in the Highland Structure Plan. Possible solutions were drawn up and assessed through a review of existing and potential new mechanisms. This was done in consultation with both pan-Highland agencies and local professionals.
- Establishing a number of Local Housing Development Fora across Highland, bringing together for the first time all those involved in developing housing (including landowners and statutory authorities) to discuss housing needs and potential solutions and bring forward action on the ground - recognising the need for individually tailored solutions. The Fora have focused on problem communities and are using local planning knowledge to drive forward development. They have facilitated a more proactive approach to affordable housing development and been independently assessed as "representing real innovation in partnership and housing planning and can be considered as one of the most significant achievements of the Pilot.
- Developing, through the Local Housing Development Fora, a database of opportunities, constraints and actions for individual communities to inform development both now and in the longer term. This helps contribute to achieving increased value for money through early identification of development opportunities and less abortive development work.
- Making recommendations to government and government agencies on options for land use planning processes and mechanisms relating in particular to: increasing land availability, removing development, land and infrastructure constraints; increasing the affordable housing stock; and making better use of existing stock.
The Rural Partnership for Change Highland Pilot has secured £10m of extra money from the Scottish Executive plus £11m of private finance that will provide at least 300 new affordable homes and secure land for many more. A mix of projects are now being taken forward tackling a range of constraints in the most stressed communities.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They were hugely impressed. The title of this initiative does not begin to describe its breadth and innovation in tackling the longstanding issue of affordable housing -a subject upon which relatively little progress had been made to date. The judges believe that this pilot demonstrates how a difficult problem can be effectively addressed. It combines excellent partnership working, with a highly productive use of information technology in analysis and presentation, and above all a readiness to draw upon local experience to find local solutions. The way in which all these elements have been brought together is an excellent model for rural areas, and contains practical lessons for tackling affordable housing right across Scotland. The Highland Council's planning staff has been closely involved. The judges recommend an Award for this Highland entry in the development planning category.
17. HIGHLAND-INFO-NET
-2001 nomination by The Highland Council
The Highland-info-net is nominated as an example of adding value to the mainstream work of the Planning & Development Service of the Highland Council, specifically in relation to its role in providing a corporate information and research resource. The strategic planning function of the Service has a significant research and information component. This uses and generates a range of social, economic and environmental databases drawn from internal and external sources and these have a wider corporate application. Highland-info-net is a web-based network, established in Marsh 2001, as a way of bringing together research interests within the Council to maximise the information resource. In recognition of its corporate role, it is managed jointly by the Planning & Development Service and the Chief Executive's Office.
Special characteristics of Highland-info-net
Highland-info-net is a practical demonstration of how planning authorities can help take forward the Modernising Government agenda in relation to improving evidence-based policy making. It supports, efficiently and effectively, the development of information and research initiatives and data related projects that help inform the development plan process. It contributes to achieving a number of the Goals and Values of the Council and the Planning & Development Service in terms of promoting an understanding of spatial economic, social and environmental changes as a basis for effective policy formulation. It is an innovative model for increasing awareness of information and research issues, widening involvement in related consultation processes and facilitating the co-ordination of information gathering, use and dissemination. The development of a vehicle to bring together the information and research interests within the Council is a good example of cross-service co-operation. The info-net is consistent with taking forward the Council's e-government agenda and its LA21 strategy by reducing the need for meetings and unnecessary paper flow. It is the first group of its kind in Scotland and is supported by over 100 members from all Services, levels and geographical areas of the Council including information and research specialists, policy makers ad implementation staff.
Difficulties overcome
Accurate information and concise analysis is a pre-requisite for ensuring planning policies are soundly based and objectively monitored. Effective sharing of information and research knowledge and resources across the Council has, however, proved extremely difficult and is something that all Councils have struggled with for years. A recent survey of local authorities in Scotland, carried out to gauge the types and effectiveness of measures to disseminate information and research issues, found that no authority had implemented an effective solution but there was agreement that there was a need for a mechanism to fully engage users. Within Highland difficulties have been exacerbated by the size of the Council in terms of staff numbers (over 10,000), its geographical size (over 26,000km_) and the spread of its staff across 8 Areas, 34 Service Points and Headquarters. ICT offered an opportunity to overcome these difficulties and highland-info-net is the result.
What info-net aims to do
Highland-info-net is an electronic group, which aims to: l Provide the Planning & Development Service with a mechanism to disseminate information more widely and gather information more effectively; l Raise awareness of developments in the information arena nationally and locally; l Give all interested parties the opportunity to contribute to Council responses to national, regional or internal consultations on information/data issues; l Provide a general forum for discussion on information/data issues; l Encourage the creation of valuable networks throughout the Council; and l Ensure that policy decisions are based on accurate and quality information. It is a "virtual group" linked by e-mail and supported by a series of web pages held on the Intranet. All staff with Intranet access are able to join the group through the website and to post information on the site for use by and discussion with others. The group is informed by weekly e-mails listing new topics placed by other info-net members.
Modernising Government
The Modernising Government agenda places increasing emphasis on evidence-based policy making to ensure the effective allocation of resources. Highland-info-net is consistent with taking forward the information and research aspects of this agenda, drawing on and reinforcing planners' experience in this area. At both the national and local level there are a number of initiatives to improve the quality of data and information and their use. Nationally, for instance, Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics and the 2001 Census are aimed at improving the quality of data. Although the Planning & Development Service is leading the Council's input to these initiatives, they have implications beyond planning. Highland-info-net keeps Council employees fully informed and has improved the inclusiveness of the Council's responses to consultations on these projects. In terms of data use, highland-info-net has disseminated data provided by national bodies such as ONS and the GRO(S) which is held by the Planning & Development Service to inform its own policy development but which again has wider corporate application. This has included population, household and employment data, as well as summary statistics and headline results from the Highland sample of the Scottish Household Survey. By making information available in this way it has increased the number of people using up-to-date data in policy-making, and promotes the use of statistics in evidence-based policy making.
Better use of information
Highland-info-net has resulted in and will continue to result in better use being made of both Council and national information and research resources. This is evident through the increased awareness, understanding and ownership of data and information resources of group members (including the Planning & Development Service) and improvements in the inclusiveness and quality of Council responses to related consultations. In terms of development planning, the info-net is currently being used to assist in the preparation of both the Structure Plan and Community Plan monitoring documents by drawing on information from across the Council.
Feedback
Feedback from group members has been extremely positive. It has demonstrated that Council employees had not always previously felt they were consulted on or informed of issues which were of relevance to them. They did not always know where to access the information necessary for them to develop evidence-based policy. And they were not always in a position to respond comprehensively to consultations that increasingly require a level of expertise in a number of different fields.
Membership
The Chief Executive, all 11 Service Directors and all 8 Area Managers are members of the highland-info-net. Additional membership by Service is as follows: Social Work Services 14 members, Cultural and Leisure Services 6 members, Chief Executive's 2 Service Point Network members, 13 other members, Planning and Development Service 19 members, Housing Services 10 members, Education Service 8 members, Roads and Transport Services 7 members, Finance Service 4 members, Protective Services 4 members, Corporate Services 5 members, Property and Architectural Services 4 members, Commercial Operations 1 member.
Examples of Topics Covered
Children's Services Plan; Information Sharing for Better Governance Conference; Effective Surveys Training Day; Think Net Discussion Forum for the Highlands; Scottish Environmental Statistics Website; Plan for Defining Neighbourhood Areas; Forthcoming Seminars; Supporting People; Community Council ICT Survey Results; Scottish Household Survey Headline Results; Scottish Household Survey New Questions; Neighbourhood Statistics Update; Census Update; Northern Constabulary Community Consultation Survey Results; Neighbourhood Renewal; Employment Statistics; 2000 Mid Year Population Estimates by Area; Highland Libraries User Survey; Survey Report of S4 Pupils; Scottish Social Statistics; Community Appraisal Audit; Highland Social Justice Charter; Scottish Social Justice Charter; Scottish Executive's User Consultations; Rural Deprivation Update
By building on mainstream planning work, highland-info-net has succeeded in filling a very real gap within the Council and provides a model for others.
The judges congratulate The Highland Council on bringing together data for its departments on Highland info-net. This kind of initiative begins to connect streams of information in a way that provides an excellent basis for policy analysis and dealing with enquiries, and a solid foundation for the kind of innovative work described in the last entry. Although with an internal focus initially, it will no doubt be a springboard for wider public access to information.
18. CAIRNGORMS PARTNERSHIP WORK PLAN
-2001 nomination by the Cairngorms Partnership
This nomination for a Scottish Quality in Planning Award is made on behalf of all the Partners who have combined to produce and deliver an innovative, far-reaching strategy for the greater Cairngorms area. The Cairngorms Partnership Company is making this submission for the benefit of our Partners, who have embraced the philosophy that underlies the Work Plan from the outset, and turned it into something of which they can all be justifiably proud.
The Cairngorms
The Cairngorms mountains are internationally renowned. The area is a candidate World Heritage Site and is shortly to become one of Scotland's first National Parks. It contains 4 of the 5 highest mountains in the United Kingdom; 58 of Scotland's 286 Munros; is the largest range of Arctic Alpine landscape in the British Isles; and holds 25% of Scotland's native woodlands. It sustains over one third of the United Kingdom's 1,250 priorities and endangered species; and is a very special fragile place of immense beauty, which deserves the highest level of care and attention to ensure that the quality of the environment is maintained for the benefit of current and future generations. The Partnership's area extends to 6,500 square kilometres, around 10% of the land area of mainland Scotland. It has a population of 22,000 people, representing less than a half of one per cent of the national population, in 26 communities. It has over 100 national, European and international designated areas; and the local economy is dominated by tourism; walking, climbing, skiing, stalking, fishing; forestry; agriculture; and estate management.
The Partnership
Studies since the 1930s have recognised that some special form of management was needed for the area. In 1994 after much research, and in the absence of the apparatus to create a National Park, the government decided that a Partnership should be formed to draw together all those interested in the management of the area. The Partnership was incorporated as a private Company in 1995, and the mainspring of its remit was the preparation and implementation of a Management Strategy that would guarantee the area a sustainable future. The formal structure of the Partnership comprises an Advisory Panel, chaired by Ian Grant, made up of the Chairmen and Chief Executive of all the main organisations with significant funding influence and powers; and Elected Members groups made up of the 15 local authority councillors elected to wards in the Cairngorms area; a Recreation Forum made up of representatives of all the main outdoor sports and recreation groups in the area; and a Community Councils group designed to involve the 26 communities in the area in the work of the Partnership. The wider informal partnership is made up of all those who have an interest in the management of the Cairngorms area. It includes that people who own and manage the land; those who seek recreation in the area; those who live and work locally; and those with a statutory interest, such as the local authorities and a wide range of agencies. Overall, there are well over a hundred groups involved in the work of the Partnership at all levels. Key milestones in the development of its work programme were the Cairngorms Assets; the Vision for the Future; Managing the Cairngorms; the Management Strategy; the Consultation Responses Summary; the Maximum Transparency Policy; the Policy Cascade; and the Partnership's recently updated Work Plan.
The Strategy:
"Managing the Cairngorms", the Management Strategy commands widespread support; has been endorsed by the Government without reservation; and now influences the plans of the other agencies involved. Its real value is that it has broken down sectoral ways of working, and much of the activity now taking place is corporate, focussed in one direction and complementary in charter. In their report to the Scottish Office and the Royal Town Planning Institute in Scotland, the judges of the 1998 Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning considered "Managing the Cairngorms" "of outstanding value in relating technical appraisal and development plan policy to strategic vision and specific resource management proposals." The judges recommended that if the strategy was considered beyond the scope of the defined categories of the competition, it should receive special recognition. The Minister was happy to accept that recommendation, and a special award was made to the Partnership in Edinburgh in the spring of 1999.
The Work Plan
The Partnership's current Work Plan, the focus of this submission, shows that a total of £123m is now invested in delivering the award winning Management Strategy on the ground. Forged by consensus, it affords an important, innovative, and thought provoking preview of what the future could hold for the new corporate National Park plans called for in the National Park (Scotland) Act 2000. Following on from the Review of Strategic Planning currently being carried out by the Scottish Executive, these may in due course become a formal part of development plans.
In conclusion
Based on the traditional principles of land use plans, extended to cover land management and a wide range of difficult issues at the cutting edge of sustainable development, the Work Plan offers a snapshot of the Partnership's strategic objectives; its vision for the future; and the combined and costed delivery programme that brings its overall strategy to life on the ground. The Work Plan is designed and presented in accordance with the Partnerships commitment to transparency in all its dealings, and its wish to attain maximum public legibility with everything that it does. All the Cairngorms Partnership documents referred to above are available from its website on cairngorms.co.uk.
The judges recall the earlier recognition of work by the Cairngorms Partnership in these awards. They look on the Partnership's Work Plan 1999-2001 as an excellent practical expression of these efforts, and are very glad that it has been entered for their attention here. It will be of real interest as a good example of integrated action planning for land management in the run-up to National Park designation.
19. SHAWFAIR LOCAL PLAN AND SHAWFAIR DEVELOPMENT MANUAL
-2001 nomination by Midlothian Council
This nomination is for the Shawfair Local Plan and Development Manual, put forward as a model of good practice for plan preparation and content in relation to the development of new communities. The nomination is as much for the quality of the process and the future direction of the project, as it is for the documents themselves. Firstly, great efforts have been made to develop constructive partnerships with all stakeholders, and this has resulted in a planning framework that has support from the local community, public agencies ad the private sector. Secondly, there has been great emphasis on promoting sustainable development and, more specifically, developing relatively new initiatives such as Sustainable Drainage Systems and Combined Heat and Power. Thirdly, the documents have been prepared in the context of securing an economically viable, deliverable scheme overall.
Background
The Shawfair Local Plan covers the larger part of the South East Wedge, within the Edinburgh Green Belt, where the principle of major urban expansion (5000 houses, 30 hectares business land) was approved through the Lothian Structure Plan. Midlothian and Edinburgh Councils have worked jointly on wider issues relating to the South East Wedge as a whole. The Shawfair Local Plan relates to the Midlothian part of the Wedge, and its main proposal is for a new community with a town centre and public transport interchange at its heart. The Development Manual is supplementary guidance accompanying the Local Plan, providing further information on the Council's expectations/requirements.
Stakeholder involvement
From the outset, local community involvement has been seen as imperative to the overall success of the project. Considerable emphasis has been placed on engaging local people in a meaningful way, where they are genuinely able to influence and feel part of the planing process. This is planned to continue. With the assistance of commissioned expert advice, the Council employed various initiatives. Direct contact was made with community groups, local schools, and individual members of the public to encourage debate on the issues raised. Central to the process has been a series of public workshops, using "planning for real" techniques, to establish the concerns and aspirations of local people. These events have been well attended, and the contributions made have substantially influenced the evolving development scenarios. The process has been ongoing, allowing the community to see how their comments have been taken into account. The success of public involvement has exceeded our expectations, and provides a platform for continuing constructive dialogue. Emphasis has been placed on engaging the private sector and public agencies, to help develop policies and new initiatives, to secure funding, and to provide guidance on the practicalities of implementation. A number of multi-sector partnerships continue to develop the many facets of the project. The Council has also used computer technology to ensure the availability of information. The Local Plan and Development Manual are accessible on the Council's website and are available on CD-ROM at a nominal charge.
Sustainable development
Sustainable Development, in environmental, social and economic terms, is the overarching objective for Shawfair. Examples include: Movement - a critical mass of residential development is located to best facilitate integrated bus and future heavy/light rail services. Community facilities and public transport will be within walking distance. A comprehensive network of cycle and footpaths requires to be provided. Energy - densities, layouts and design are required to facilitate distributed heating systems and/or solar gain. Partnership working on the feasibility of Combined Heat and Power/district heating, including geothermal energy sources, is ongoing. Biodiversity - the creation of wildlife habitats and corridors is required. The potential of Sustainable Drainage Systems to deliver biodiversity benefits is being examined in detail. Air Quality - emphasis upon public transport and traffic calming measures will minimise car pollution. Water - Sustainable Drainage Systems will reduce pollutants from surface water and reduce flood risk. Grey water recycling will be encouraged. Soil will be reused to regenerate bings. Landscape and Townscape - great emphasis is placed on securing an attractive living environment - this involves development at a human scale with a sense of place and design rooted in the cultural heritage of the Lothians. Social Justice - providing more equal opportunities to access housing and community facilities. Community - it is crucial that the new community has a viable and vibrant heart. The proposed distribution of development will sustain community facilities such as shops and a leisure centre and, in turn, these will sustain the day to day needs of the community. Economic - employment areas are allocated close to residential areas and working from home is promoted.
The Development Manual
An underlying difficulty in developing the Shawfair project is the relative inability of the statutory local plan to promote large-scale development in a flexible and innovative way. We have recognised that over the development period and beyond, new ideas, concepts and technologies will emerge that an adopted Local Plan framework may be ill-equipped to deal with. The content and format of the Development Manual therefore seeks to provide a more flexible approach. It is intended to have an ongoing consultation role, and its loose-leaf format has been designed to allow additions and changes to be made. It is already apparent that there are a number of areas that require further development, eg renewable energy and innovative urban design.
Implementation - the Development Masterplan
An essential function of the Local Plan and Development Manual is to successfully marry the objectives of securing the highest quality development in a sustainable manner, and producing a planning framework that can be implemented. The Local Plan and Development Manual can only provide the context for further detailed analysis. The Local Plan therefore requires the submission of a detailed Masterplan for the whole Local Plan area (Policy IMP2), which must conform to the Local Plan and the Manual. If the masterplan is to deliver a practical and viable development scenario, it is important that the main developer interests contribute to its preparation. The Council is therefore working in partnership with Edinburgh Council and a major developer, and a master-planning team is to be jointly commissioned shortly.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They were able to see how the approach to planning in Midlothian's part of the South East Wedge has been conceived a whole, and to understand the synergy of the separate components and documents. The co-ordination of aspects has been particularly creative and inventive. Scottish Natural Heritage for example has moving beyond its normal consultee status to a partnership role in tackling the issues of landscape, access and sustainable development. Involving the community at an early stage has brought out issues that the partnership has been able to integrate in its proposals. Hard-nosed commercial decisions are being informed by a much clearer appreciation of development requirements, and the judges were impressed by the energy and interest that the team has devoted to issues of environmental planning and social justice. The judges recommend the Shawfair entry for commendation in the development planning category.
20. GIS AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS 2001 nomination by Falkirk Council, Development Services
In 1996, officers from Falkirk Council's Development Services started working in partnership with Forth Valley GIS on the development of Desktop GIS in the context of the Council's Development Planning function. Since that time, the resource created has led to outstanding improvements, not just in the delivery of the Development Planning, but in the integration, development and use of geographically referenced data across the service and Falkirk Council as a whole. Forth Valley GIS is a joint unit, part funded by Falkirk, Clackmannanshire and Stirling Councils, with the responsibility for GIS service support to the 3 Councils and other public sector bodies. It was established in 1996 with its services being offered at a corporate level. It is the substance of this nomination that the Development Planning service and in particular its technical support staff, took up the challenge of this progressive field and in partnership developed key applications which have now moved the service to the forefront of corporate ICT development.
GIS developments - early Data Capture Programme
The Development Planning service at the beginning of 197 convened a monthly review meeting with Forth Valley GIS to develop partnership working and establish an appropriate programme of applications. A key feature of these early meetings was a keen awareness of the potential to integrate the use of GIS throughout Development Services and across the Council as a whole. From the outset a formalised Data Capture Programme was set up to digitise Development Plan data including Urban Limits, Conservation Areas, TPOs, SSSIs, Listed Buildings, Local Plan Boundaries, AGLVs, Local Plan proposal etc. There are now over 300 datasets in the system, including 10 years of Planning Applications and the key Hazard Consultation Zones around the Grangemouth petrochemical complex.
GIS: Desktop Mapping System
During 1997 a Desktop Mapping System (DMS) was developed. This is a general purpose PC-based GIS application developed to provide display, query, analysis and output capabilities. The mapping system is user configurable and includes a standard address gazetteer as an aid to navigation. DMS now provides access to any of the datasets that are available throughout the Council and also enables users to create and save their own map legends and map templates. Map layouts can be archived, recovered at a later date and re-plotted or updated. DMS is designed to provide high GIS functionality with maximum ease of use and can be used with confidence after only 2 hours of training. Since the introduction of DMS Falkirk Council has now over 45 users.
GIS: Local Plan production
In 1998 technical support staff participated in Arcview GIS training courses and then led the development of uses of this software for various projects within the service and across the Council as a whole. The Falkirk and Polmont Local Plan maps progressed at this time from being "hand-made" black and white and 3 colour OS sheep maps to full colour GIS cartographic high quality maps that are attractive and easy to read. Demonstrable cost savings in plan production were also achieved. Since the Development Planning service has been developing the use of GIS in a Local Plan context its technical support staff have given demonstrations on its capabilities to Stirling Council, Clackmannanshire Council, East Dunbartonshire Council, the Scottish Executive Planning Services Division and further afield via the Eurogise Project at conferences in Finland and in Greece. More information about the Eurogise project can be obtained at www.Eurogise.org
GIS: Monitoring of House Building
In April 1999 the Monitoring of House Building application project was piloted and implemented primarily to assist Structure Plan work. This is a PC based application, integrating GIS and Microsoft Access software. The primary use of the application is for undertaking the annual Housing Land Audit, to determine the likely phasing of house builds over the next 10 years for each of the current housing sites. Data held for each housing site include the results of the Housing Land Audit, developer inputs, Structure and Local Plan details, and particular planning application and new build details. Key secondary uses of this application result from wider monitoring of house building in relation to other GIS datasets. In particular school catchment appraisals and school roll projections, housing market area analyses and technical investigations of infrastructure capacity and service provision. Ad hoc reports can be easily generated using the Microsoft Access reporting and querying facilities, whilst analysis can be undertaken using the DMS functionality.
GIS: data capture tool
This application allows users to engage in data capture and editing on their own PCs using a customised version of the desktop GIS. It consists of a suite of data capture and editing tools with associated data management facilities. The editing facilities are easy to use and provide users with the tools they require in their everyday work. If large projects have specific requirements in terms of data capture and editing, then the application can be easily tailored to meet their needs. Users are now able to find out quickly what data is available and how relevant it is to their projects. The data management facilities provide users with the means of comprehensively describing new data as they create it, communicating this information, and querying similar data, held for the datasets that the Council maintains. This application ensures the information captured is of high quality and can be shared with other GIS users throughout the Council, thus avoiding duplication of effort. Compared to the early Data Capture Programme described above this system is much quicker, with the user able to readily digitise large amounts of data eg historical planning applications could be digitised at a rate of 100 a day as opposed to 30 a day as previously.
GIS: Planning Application Logging System
The GIS-based Planning Application Logging System (PALS) began operation in January 2001. It includes links into the Council's Development Control system (LAS) and allows the user to log planning applications once and examine this information in both the LAS and GIS systems. Importantly, it allows the simultaneous display of Development Constraints and Local Plan information with current and historic planning application boundaries - all of which will be used to better inform the services as well as provide planning application information to other users, including now the public. 10 years of planning applications (over 10,000) have now been digitised in the GIS Data Capture Tool for use in the PALs system. PALS will soon be adapted to inform and upgrade the Council's Property Enquiry system by providing instant planning histories for individual properties.
Future GIS Developments - Intranet GIS
Falkirk Council ICT service has now piloted access to GIS and GIS information through the development of a Council Intranet facility. Planning technical support officers have participated in an evaluation of this in the last few months with a view to making the system available across the Council by January 2002. It will eventually be an affordable and effective means of disseminating and sharing GIS data for all the Council's services and customers, including the general public. A key development application here is the Council's Corporate Property Initiative which uses Intranet GIS as the framework on which to develop its gazetteers ad property datasets. The pivotal components of the Intranet GIS corporate tool, are the applications developed by the Development Planning service. The early vision and successful working partnership formed with Forth Valley GIS have now paved the way for the introduction of a wide range of interactive customer focused applications such as this.
Conclusion
In Development Services we believe that we are the forefront of best practice in Planning GIS in Scotland. In our recent Scottish Executive Planning Audit (June 2001) it was observed that our GIS was "an excellent resource". The Scottish Executive in its 21 st Century Government Webpage has also recognised the important developing relationship between government and its citizens via GIS and that "much of the information ... government creates and uses is geographically referenced - related to a particular place. Citizens want to know about their neighbourhood, and how it compares with other areas. So standards for geography are particularly important for sharing data". The basis of this nomination is that the Development Planning service at Falkirk Council has led the way, in partnership with Forth Valley GIS, on the development of a GIS system which is now being utilised to advantage across the Council. From the outset we have worked with a view to the potential for future corporate integration and the development of modern customer-focused services. Significantly, the lead technical officer for the Development Planning service has now been appointed chair of the Council's corporate GIS User's Working Group. Advantages in Development Planning have been in the provision of mapping, monitoring, search and retrieval systems and increased analytical capability. Importantly, closer working with Development Control has resulted through the integration if IT systems and shared datasets. At the Development Services level, progress with GIS has contributed greatly to our declared aim of creating a "One Stop Shop" for development. Corporately, the progress made has fostered collective working through broadening the Council's information base and research capability. It has also brought forward the development of interactive customer focused applications which will advance the Modernisation of Local Government agenda.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They were very much impressed at the way in which Falkirk Council has been able to work with Forth Valley GIS on a range of useful planning-related initiatives. This is the kind of investment in back-office work which can be highly productive. It establishes a much better platform for development planning in-house, and at the same time provides information useful to the development control service, communities, and the public generally. In terms of innovative GIS development, the judges would particularly congratulate Falkirk (and the Forth Valley GIS service whose work lies behind this and other entries). It deserves to be very carefully studied by others with an interest in the practical development of Geographic Information Systems. The judges saw this as a very strong entry. The planning and customer outcomes were perhaps less clearly demonstrated than in some of the other entries and presentations. But they have no doubt of the technical value of the work that has been done here, and found the presentation very worthwhile and interesting one. The judges see the use of GIS by Falkirk Council as innovative and inspiring. They recommend this entry for commendation in the development planning category.
21. MORAY DRAFT INDICATIVE FORESTRY STRATEGY
2001 nomination by The Moray Council, Forestry Commission, Forest Enterprise and Scottish Natural Heritage
Moray has a long history of forestry and has been one of the most wooded parts of Britain this century. Woodland is a major land use in Moray covering almost 28% of the land area. The Council agreed to the preparation of a Moray Indicative Forestry Strategy (IFS) in response to the guidance set out in Scottish Executive Circular 9/1999 and to implement, at a local level, the priorities for Action set out in the Scottish Forestry Strategy. Work on the IFS deserves nomination because of the innovative and lead approach the Council's Planning service has taken to tackle difficult land use issues, promote sustainable forestry and raise awareness of the wider benefits of forestry to achieve quality in planning. The Moray Council have been congratulated by David Henderson-Howat, Chief Conservator, Forestry Commission who commented that the Council are, "in the vanguard of the second round Strategies".
Community involvement
The Indicative Forestry Strategy has been an opportunity to agree a vision of the future of forestry in Moray and pull together a range of economic, environmental and community issues to promote sustainable forestry in Moray. At the outset a Steering Group was formed representing a wide range of organisations including the Forestry Commission, Forest Enterprise, Scottish Natural Heritage, Timber Growers Association, joint community councils and Scottish Landowners Federation. The process has been driven mainly by the Moray Council, Forestry Commission, Forest Enterprise and Scottish Natural Heritage and has been an excellent example of partnership working to deliver national objectives at a local level. Community consultation was at the heart of the process.
The process: sustainable development issues
The first stage in drafting the new IFS was the preparation of an Issues Paper which was made available for public consultation during the summer of 2000 which stimulated over 900 comments. The Issues Paper invited comments on what the main forestry issues in Moray were and these were then used in the preparation of the draft strategy. The overall aim of the Moray IFS is to assist with the implementation of the Scottish Forestry Strategy by guiding and promoting sustainable forestry within Moray. Sustainable development issues have been addressed throughout the strategy and are highlighted in the specific aims of the strategy to support the local economy, conserve and enhance the environment, and enhance the quality of life of communities.
Innovation
An innovative approach was taken to the preparation of the mapping element of the draft IFS with Geographic Information Systems at the heart of the process. Data was shared and made available between the partner organisations to allow a number of layers of data to be combined to build up a picture of forestry in Moray and to target the objectives set out in the supporting text. To simulate discussion a Strategic Map was produced based on the guidance set out in Circular 9/1999. This followed the general format of the Grampian IFS and other first round IFSs and shows various categories of land for forestry and demonstrates the potential areas within which woodland could be expanded within Moray, subject to achieving an appropriate balance with other land uses. The areas identified as preferred offer the greatest scope for forestry with a primarily economic objective. The Steering Group agreed that a more detailed mapping exercise should be undertaken to identify more specific opportunities to support the Scottish Forestry Strategy. A range of GIS datasets was combined to produce two further maps.
Existing woods
In existing woods a number of opportunities have been identified to address economic and environmental issues. These include restoration of moorland habitat informed by the Moray Moorlands Working Group and the Local Biodiversity Action Plan. Opportunities have also been identified to expand and increase native woodlands within existing woodland. This will expand the pockets of native woodlands where non-native species are currently planted and contribute to a Forest Habitat Network.
New woods
The new woods map identifies opportunities in the Preferred, Potential and Sensitive areas from the Strategic Map to expand native woodlands and for opportunities to increase mixed native and non-native woodlands. The areas selected for an increase in native woodlands are based on an expansion of existing native woodlands areas, expanding Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSTs) notified for their woodland interest and in creating new riparian woodland along main watercourses such as the Spey, Isla and Lossie. New native woodland opportunities have also been identified using SNH's Native Woodland model to identify opportunities to expand key Biodiversity Action Plan priorities. A 500-metre buffer zone was placed around existing semi-natural woodland on ancient and long established sites and the buffers identified as areas which offer the opportunity for mainly native woods.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They were able to see how Moray's approach moved forward from some of the earlier-round indicative forestry strategies. There has been clear, though low-key, community involvement. Bringing people round the table has generated better understanding. There has been an important sharing of data by lead partners and an innovative use of GIS mapping to establish the basis of the strategy. Key opportunities for enhancing the native woodland element have been explored in Moray. The needs of sustainable forestry and the local economy have been carefully co-ordinated. The judges recommend this Moray entry for commendation in the development planning category.
Andrew Raven did not take part in either the selection for presentation or the subsequent judges' recommendation.
22. MORAY: GIS INWARD INVESTMENT PROJECT
2001 nomination by The Moray Council
This project is nominated for outstanding performance and quality in the development planning category. It has created a web based Geographical Information System (GIS) which will allow the Moray Council staff to access a wide range of data to assist in the promotion of Moray as a potential site for new business.
Background
Past experience has shown that one of the major factors in encouraging and dealing with business development enquiries is high quality local information, which can be produced to match specific investor requirements. This is often accompanied by the fact that investors may have tight timescales in which to make decisions and that the requirements often change during the course of the enquiry, making it essential to respond timeously with precise and accurate quality information and advice.
Intranet platform
The Intranet was chosen as the best medium for providing this information. It enhances and replaces much of the current paper based media. Content is more easily kept up to date. There can be much easier cross-referencing to other related information sources. There is the opportunity to present tailored information more effectively through animation and user interaction. And there is the ability to reach a much wider audience.
WebMap content
Information available on the web based GIS system includes: l Administrative Boundaries: Wards, Westminster Constituencies, European Constituencies, Parishes, Community Council Boundaries l Social and Economic Information: Demographic Profiles, Unemployment, Development Sites, Existing Businesses l Planning and Environmental Information: Moray Local Plan 2000, All Environmental Designations, Planning Applications l Services and Facilities: Schools, Community Facilities, Dentists, Hospitals, GPs, Post Offices.
Input by the planning service
This project was led and carried out from within the Planning and Development Section. Much of the information required for dealing with business development enquiries is held and managed by the section for the Development Plan process. Information on current planning applications, Local Plan policies and identified development sites can steer business development into particular areas and details of existing services and facilities will help with the identification of opportunities for new enterprises.
Rapid access to location data
The project allows Local Plan Policy information to be accessed directly by clicking on the map. Information has been collected and collated on all environmental designations within Moray to aid both planners and business advisors, with site selection. Demographic information from the 1991 census is easily aggregated within the WebMap system so that a demographic profile can be produced for any combination of census output areas. When the results of the 2001 census are made available they can easily be included to provide instant access for all Council staff. By selecting an output area or a combination of output areas from the map a census profile for that area is generated at the click of a button. Details of monthly unemployment have been incorporated to produce a thematic map of the current situation in Moray and the user can access a report of the previous year's unemployment, by ward. It is now possible for example to produce an aggregated report for 3 wards for Unemployment during 2000. Features which fall within a certain distance of other features can be easily determined using the WebMap, for example, the number of houses which fall within a radius of a site can quickly be determined. For example, now lists of addresses within a kilometre of Crossroads School can be extracted. This has useful benefits, particularly for emergency planning.
Innovation
In the past GIS map-based information was only available to a small number of staff in the Council. GIS software is very specialised and hence very expensive. The Moray Council was one of the first local authorities in Scotland to receive ESRIs new web mapping software last summer. With existing award winning web infrastructure in place it was able to make best use of this software and funding to produce a facility which not only served the purpose of the European project but also created a resource which could be accessed and used throughout the whole Council. Maps and information relating to maps can now be accessed from every PC in the Council network with each user accessing the same information. High specification PCs, expensive software and GIS skills are no longer necessary for easy access to this information. Accessing this type of information via the Intranet also means that many more staff can use the maps simultaneously as the "cost" on network resources is far less than accessing maps via a GIS licence.
Wider benefits
This project enabled by European funding has not only provided up to date, accurate information for business development enquiries, it has created a corporate system for use within the whole of the Moray Council. Indeed, a number of services are already using this system for their day to day business, eg Development Control Officers have access to all planning and constraint details. The Public Transport Unit relies on this system for providing information to parents about school buses and Members Support staff can advise callers on which ward, constituency and community council area they live in. Other initiatives in Planning and Development have also benefited from this technology. For example, Moray Council's Indicative Forestry Strategy maps have also been made available to staff via this website.
The future
We anticipate that the next phase of the project will tackle making some of this information available via the Internet to other public bodies - partners in joined up government initiatives such as Community Planning and Community Safety - Health, Fire, Police. The Moray WebMap initiative has had close links with a similarly developed project by Scottish Enterprise to provide a "location based marketing" solution across the Scottish Enterprise network. We hope in the future to have some data sharing opportunities through this project so that users of the Moray WebMap will not only be able to access local information but information held by other councils and agencies across the public sector network in Scotland.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They were shown Moray's WebMap in action. It is no exaggeration to say that they were astonished at the way in which an enormous range of information had been brought together so elegantly and effectively. The diversity of data sources and apparent ease of use of the Moray WebMap they regard as truly revolutionary, and they have the very highest praise for the technical achievement in developing it locally. In spite of its apparently limited purpose, this is a vitally interesting project for planners and deserves the utmost attention, because of its obvious potential to relate the characteristics of places and make locational information accessible to all. The judges recommend this Moray GIS entry for commendation in the development planning category.
23. ORKNEY ENVIRONMENT DAY
-2001 nomination by Orkney Environment Forum
The day
On World Environment Day, 5 June 2001, the Orkney Environment Forum, which is led and serviced by the Planning section of Orkney Islands Council, mounted a major environmental event of static and interactive displays, talks and debates to put environmental issues in front of the public. This event followed the theme of UNEP's World Environment Day to encourage people all over the world to "connect with the world wide web of life". Its aim was to help people realise that mankind's ultimate survival depends on maintaining the delicate balance of the natural world and to show that the way forward for us all is through sustainable development. It is believed that the event in Orkney, which attracted large numbers of visitors and participants from throughout the islands, was the only one of its kind in Scotland to celebrate World Environment Day.
The Forum
The Orkney Environment Forum is a multi-agency grouping including all groups with an interest in the environment. The Chairmanship of the Forum has been provided by the Council, which was the lead agency in the Biodiversity Plan and now in the Community Plan. The Council, through its Planning Sections, has always provided back-up, and provided a Co-ordinator for Environment Day.
Purpose of the event
The event focussed on a range of local environmental issues, based around 12 environmental themes identified by the Environment Forum as being pivotal in working towards a sustainable Orkney. The Environment Forum felt it was important to involve the wider public in its work and to get feedback from the public about their environmental priorities. Whilst the main focus was on local groups and local issues, the event also made connections with global environmental issues, to show how actions taken by the individual can impact, for better or worse, on the wider environment. The Event was also designed to be fun and stimulating, through interactive displays, talks and debates.
The event itself
Orkney Environment Day was built around 12 themes: Biodiversity; The Marine Environment; Energy Conservation; Green Transport; Waste Management; Agriculture and the Environment; Business and the Environment; Green Tourism; Access to the Countryside; Environmental Monitoring; Using Mineral Resources; and Schools and the Environment. Responsibility for each of these themes was allotted to one of the Forum members, who took charge of producing displays, exhibits, and interpretative materials. A great deal of work went into these preparations, on a very limited budget (£10,000, of which around £8,000 was spent). Over 60 people came and helped on the day with the various exhibits. The event took place in the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall, a multi-functional centre which was the islands' main Millennium Project. The exhibits filled the very large "Arena", the main space in the Centre and spilled over into extra rooms in order to accommodate all the displays. Even the corridors were needed - for displays of schools' environmental art. The cinema was used throughout the day for a series of talks on a wide variety of environmental topics such as climate change, agri-environment schemes and sustainable fish farming. The talks needed extra space as well in the evening when two talks were taking place at the same time.
Attendance
The event was publicised through the local newspaper, including the distribution of a specially printed leaflet via the newspaper, and several broadcasts by the local radio station, including a live broadcast from the Centre on the morning of the event. A particular effort was made to attract schools to the event, and a large proportion of the primary and secondary schools sent parties during the day, including most of the outer islands schools which travelled in by ferry, aeroplane, and bus. The talks attracted a more adult audience and were well attended, with some very stimulating discussions and debates taking place. A steady stream of adults visited the exhibits after work and the last event of the day - a talk entitled "Engineering a Sustainable Future" was attended by more than 200 people. In all it is estimated that some 1,200 people attended during the day.
Feedback
The event attracted a great deal of interest in the local media and served to raise the profile of the environment in Orkney. Feedback from visitors indicated that they had been impressed with the amount of interesting information available and would have liked more time to take it all in. Many people - adults and children - asked for a repeat next year, preferably running for at least 2 days. The main leaflet contained a form to fill in and return to the Forum on which people could express their priorities for the environment. Issues that were shown to be of concern locally included protecting our marine environment, waste management, fish farming and protecting biodiversity.
Input by the planning service
The Planning Service is the driving force in terms of environmental issues in Orkney, including Local Agenda 21 and all the environmental aspects of the Community Planning process. The Planning Service chairs and provides all the administrative support for the Orkney Environment Partnership, who have overall responsibility for developing an Environmental Strategy and Action Plan for Orkney, including promoting the concept of "environment day". The Service contributed directly to Environment Day by providing the co-ordinator for the day. Among the tasks carried out by the co-ordinator were: production of all advertising and promotional material; working with the various partner organisations to develop their themes; organising talks and displays; and arranging school party visits. The Planning Service also developed the displays for 3 of the themes, covering minerals, access to the countryside and green transport.
Work of the Forum
The Environment Forum was formed some years ago as the Biodiversity Forum, when Orkney was one of 4 trial areas in Scotland for Biodiversity Plans. Since then its remit has broadened and it has now become part of the Community Planning structure and process. Membership includes Government and statutory bodies such as SEERAD, SEPA, SNH and Orkney Enterprise, as well as national and local voluntary bodies ranging from RSPB and the Scottish Wildlife Trust to the Orkney Field Club and Environmental Plan for Orkney. Environment Day was part of the process of crystallising thoughts around the 12 themes, which will form the core the plan.
Future events
Some discussion has taken place about the possibility of repeating the event, and the co-ordinators of the 12 themes have had a de-briefing meeting to consider where improvements could be made and whether the event could be repeated. The consensus view is that a second event in the autumn of 2002 could be a possibility. An alternative is to concentrate mainly on talks and debates, to make a sort of "Environmental Festival", which could initially be run as part of the Orkney Science Festival which is now an established part of the September calendar. There would be benefits in organising an event in a way and at a time which could also serve a consultative purpose in connection with the Environmental Plan.
Wider benefits of Environment Day
Amongst the wider benefits were: l Input into an Orkney-wide Environmental Strategy and Action Plan, with further links into the community planning process. l Raising awareness of environmental issues amongst the general public, businesses and young people. l Promotion of links between environmental organisations and the community. l Feedback and inputs into other strategies currently being prepared - waste, tourism, minerals and access
In conclusion
This was the first time that such an event was held in Orkney, and was the only event of this kind held anywhere in Scotland to mark World Environment Day. Bringing together all the agencies with an interest in environmental matters in Orkney, this was very much a partnership led event. Aimed at the whole community but with a special emphasis on attracting young people, this project has raised awareness and understanding of local and global environmental matters to new levels.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They appreciate the value in involving people, particularly young people, in this kind of event and congratulate all those involved in what was clearly a much appreciated -if very demanding- co-ordinated effort. They would encourage a slightly broader interpretation of environment to include the built environment more explicitly, but this does not diminish their pleasure at receiving this entry and in seeing its details here recorded for a wider audience.
24. FIFE STRUCTURE PLAN -
2001 nomination by Fife Council
The finalised Fife Structure Plan sets out a vision for development to 2011 based on a strategy of "Shaping a More Sustainable Fife". The Plan's strategy is set within the context of the revised NPPG1 and "Developing Fife's Future: A Community Plan for Fife". The Plan has been formulated to be inclusive and visionary, whilst brief. There has been innovation in the consultation processes, new policy approaches and a Sustainability Appraisal.
Inclusive
From the very outset of the Plan's preparation, the consultation has been socially inclusive seeking to reach as many groups and individuals as possible, focusing particularly on groups who have not in the past responded. At the outset, in March 1999, a "Planning for Fife" pack was distributed to raise the profile and gain views on the issues to be addressed. Posters were distributed throughout Fife and many responses were received to the questionnaire. Officers promoted the pack through attending meetings visiting schools and community groups. Over the following 11 months a substantial amount of research was undertaken and the draft Plan was issued for consultation in February 2000. Large print copies were also made available on request. Public meetings were held and well attended. A prize draw was also held for all those whom had responded to the Plan, including schools. A positive response was received with over 530 individuals and organisations making comments. All comments were given full consideration in finalising the Plan in January 2001 and indeed resulted in some significant changes to the Plan, including designation of Green Belts for the first time within Fife. Respondents were kept abreast with regular letters. Close consultation was also undertaken with our key partners and neighbouring Planning Authorities through regular meetings. This resulted in best practice being established, for example, the nature conservation policies were jointly developed and agreed with SNH resulting in model policies. Press releases have been constantly issued by the Council to maintain interest and awareness. Feedback on our Service and the Plan's layout and design is encouraged through user survey forms; these are monitored and will be used to implement improvements.
Visionary
The Plan sets out a clear strategy for land use over the next 10 years. Innovation has been central in many areas including the development of new policies, a prize draw, and a sustainability appraisal.
New Policies
l The Sustainability Policy (SP1) sets out the main principles and encourages the submission of a sustainability checklist by applicants which will identify what contribution their proposal will have in implementing the Council's 10 principles of sustainability. This will be developed through Local Plan policy. l The affordable housing policy sets targets for specific areas to be achieved through Local Plans to try and ensure that such housing levels are maintained and enhanced where possible. This was based upon in-depth research analysis in partnership with our Housing Service. l Proposal PN1 sets out the requirement for landscape plans to guide development, assist in the management and enhancement of landscape setting and improve access in the countryside areas around towns. This work takes forward the Fife Landscape Character Assessment and is currently being progressed in partnership with SNH. It is the first time such a comprehensive detailed landscape framework has been undertaken. l A new policy (SS8) identifies Green Belt specifically to preserve existing views to and from the historic cores and to prevent urban expansion. For the first time in Scotland, the Green Belt policy's principle objective is to protect the inter-visibility between the development site and the historic cores of Dunfermline and St Andrews.
Prize draws
Prize draws were held for those who returned comments on the draft Plan in July 2000. Prizes were donated by businesses local to and with interests in Fife. They included 1 st class rail travel from GNER and Virgin railways, Deep Sea World vouchers for a school class and many more prizes. Although the organisation of this took many hours of staff time, the results were very positive in encouraging comments and raising the Plans and Councils profile across Fife.
Sustainability appraisal
A Sustainability Appraisal was undertaken on the draft Plan and the recommendations resulted in amendments to the Plan. This ensured that each objective and policy was appraised in a consistent and systematic way against the Council's 10 principles of sustainability. In addition policies were scoped with Fife's Community Plan and national planning policy guidance and advice. The appraisal was undertaken by a planning officer who had not been involved in the formulation of the Plan. The initial results were validated through 2 workshops involving other Council officers and some of our external partners, including SNH, RSPB, ESW and Fife Health Board. This not only provided a sound validation for the appraisal, but also provided an opportunity to discuss the methodology in detail, thereby assisting with the continuous improvement of a process which is becoming integral to all Fife's Development Plans. The methodology adopted is not only innovative, but also designed to be rigorous yet simple, to ensure that it could be delivered with the limited resources available and within a tight timescale.
Brevity
The Plan focuses on the key strategic issues within Fife and seeks to ensure that it is an easy to read document. Easy read versions of both the Draft and Finalised Plans were published and widely circulated. Supporting text has been kept to a minimum, with the thrust of policy justification lying within the Report of Survey. And all this in 40 pages!
Conclusions
Right from the very start of the Plan the Council sought to encourage comments and raise awareness. Genuine community involvement and input emerged. Innovative consultation methods were used to achieve this. Partnership is vitally important. Our key partners, including our Community Plan partners, have been constantly involved in policy formulation. After all, it is they who generally implement the Plan's proposals and on which the real success of the Plan depends. Our customers are our number one priority. We have kept them informed throughout to ensure that a quality service is being provided. The focus on being inclusive and visionary, and keeping the Plan brief, has resulted in a high quality Plan which sets out the land use framework for Fife and it's people over the next 10 years. The innovative practices that have been deployed will be monitored to check their effectiveness, and further lessons can be learnt in a continuous desire and commitment within Fife to improve the quality of our Development Plans.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. They were taken through some of the plan's innovative features and appreciated the inclusive approach to consultation. They recalled that the issues stage and Planning for Fife Pack had been the subject of an earlier entry in 1999. The judges heard how stakeholders had helped to validate the policies, and how intensive in-house effort had been made to make each one short and simple yet precise. The judges see a lot to admire in Fife's approach and in the structure plan itself, currently awaiting formal approval following its submission to Scottish Ministers in 2001. They very much welcome this entry, and though they have decided on balance against making a recommendation, they think that the details of the nomination will give useful guidance to other authorities engaged in strategic planning.
25. SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL OF JOINT STRUCTURE PLAN -
2001 nomination by Aberdeen City & Aberdeenshire Coun
cils
Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council published the consultation draft of the joint Structure Plan "North East Scotland Together" in June 2000. In keeping with the Plan's emphasis on "sustainable communities" an appraisal was undertaken to how "sustainable" it was. A Steering Group of 2 staff from each Council, none of whom was involved in the preparation of the Plan, was appointed to undertake this work in the spirit of the joint working arrangements established for the development of the structure plan. The Steering Group was asked to establish what is meant by "sustainable" in the context of the development plan, and to identify those policies that might be missing or adjustments that might be necessary to improve the sustainability of the plan. Although in principle the appraisal could have been carried out internally with independent scrutiny, consultants were appointed to ensure the appraisal was completed within the very tight timescale required by the Structure Plan programme. The costs were borne by the budget available for preparing and publishing the Structure Plan.
Managing the Consultants
A brief was circulated to consultancy firms that already had experience in the appraisal of development plans. Prospective consultants were asked to consider the extent to which the Plan would be likely to achieve sustainable development as understood from Government policy and as defined in PAN 37. The brief required consultants to address the thrust and objectives of the Plan as a whole and each policy individually, giving consideration to the extent to which they are likely to deliver or fail to deliver sustainable development. The consultants would also be required to specify the extent to which through omission, the Structure Plan would fail to deliver sustainable development in any respect.
The consultants appointed agreed 23 sustainability criteria with the Steering Group. They then scoped the Plan strategy and policies and tested the policies against the criteria. In devising criteria they took account of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy A Better Quality of Life, but also considered the needs of local communities in the context of Agenda 21. The Steering Group met the consultants at inception and maintained contact with them during the appraisal process electronically. They met the consultants again to discuss their draft report. The findings were reported to Committee and, through a workshop format, discussed with policy staff, representatives of partner agencies and other stakeholders. The conclusions of the appraisal had a deep and significant influence on the Finalised Draft Plan published 4 months later.
What the Appraisal Showed Us
Several deficiencies in the draft Structure Plan were identified through the appraisal. The appraisal had an impact on the substance of policies. And the vision, aims and strategy were rewritten as a consequence. The appraisal particularly identified a lack of clarity in the Strategy. Although sustainability criteria were discussed in the Structure Plan's Strategy, it was not always clear whether a statement of concern or a Structure Plan objective was being discussed, due to the submergence of the objectives in the introductory text. A table of the Core Strategic Land Use Objectives was separated out from a new, clearer, statement of the Plan's vision and aims. This has proven to be of immense value, enabling a direct link to be made between the impact of the policies on the objectives and ultimately, on the implementation of the strategy itself. Without the Sustainability Appraisal it is likely that this link would have been obscured and the plan would have lacked much of its clarity. A further improvement to aid clarity was to add a new Table to the Addendum to the Report of Survey. This presented in more detail how the Strategy had been derived from the Aims of the Structure Plan, and used an extended matrix to identify each of the Vision's 9 aims for each of the Structure Plan's 4 chapters; Working; Living; Looking After; and Moving About. This was accompanied by a brief summary of the objectives identified. The Sustainability Appraisal not only recommended separate objectives in the Structure Plan, but also considered how well the sustainability criteria were supported by the Structure Plan policies. It identified many opportunities, particularly by strengthening policies in respect of enhancement of the quality of the built environment, cultural heritage, biodiversity and countryside character. The Sustainability Appraisal also recommended that local plans should be firmly guided towards sustainable options, by ensuring the structure plan policies specify that the local plan criteria for site selection should be based on sustainable principles.
The wider process
The sustainability appraisal was conducted as part of the wider statutory consultation process. Members of the community, agencies, partner organisations and NGOs had opportunity to respond to the contents of the draft Structure Plan at the same time as the appraisal was being conducted. Amendments made to the draft plan took account of their comments as well as of the observations of the consultants.
Conclusion
The findings of the Sustainability Appraisal have had wide reaching implications beyond the structure plan for both authorities. Principally it provided a context for the policies within the emerging local plans beyond that specified in the criteria of structure plan policies. In Aberdeenshire Council in particular the appraisal criteria have been used in a wider application to identify a "checklist" for the informal assessment of the sustainability implications of committee reports which is being trialled in the Planning and Environmental Service before rolling out through all the Council's committees.
The sustainability appraisal has been innovative both in the way in which it had a significant influence on the content of the Finalised Draft Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Structure Plan and in the way in which the ethos of sustainability is being rolled out in both authorities. The use of an independent appraisal helped to resolve many of the conflicts inherent in joint working between the 2 authorities and provided a common framework to which all parties could relate.
The judges wholeheartedly endorse the principles of sustainability appraisal for plans, and in earlier years have seen other entries in this field. They thank the two councils for this nomination describing the valuable work done by consultants, and the improvements in the strategy and individual policies which this helped to bring about. They suggest that everyone should have access to the findings of sustainability analysis when commenting on plans, and hope that others will learn useful lessons from the work described here.
26. GLASGOW CITY PLAN
-2001 nomination by Glasgow City Council Development & Regeneration Services
On 20 April 2001, Glasgow City Council published its first City-wide development plan for more than 30 years. The Draft Plan aims to secure positive change, encourage creative development, provide certainty and continuity and promote confidence in the City's future.
Background
Despite sustained effort over a number of years Glasgow retains significant social and physical problems that need to be prioritised and addressed. The new Draft City Plan sets out a development strategy that can tackle these difficult issues successfully. Glasgow currently has 44 local plans of different ages dealing with parts of the City in a variety of detail and scale. This coverage proved difficult to deliver, monitor and review. It did not provide a suitable vehicle for the Council to present its vision for the future of the City or provide the context for proposals affecting public and private sector agencies and communities. The move from a multi-plan system to a development plan providing a focused vision and agenda for development was achieved in stages. Stage 1 was the publication in September 1997 of "Glasgow - Planning for Development". Stage 2 was the publication in August 1998 of the Local Plan Review "Glasgow - A New Beginning". The Local Plan Review then revealed strong support for a single City Plan and for the introduction of non-statutory action plans in areas where planning solutions would take time to evolve and to improve local consultation on detailed schemes.
Format of the Plan
l Part 1: Development Strategy - sets out the purpose of the Plan and the Council's strategic aims with regard to 4 City-wide themes covering People, Jobs, Infrastructure and Environment. These are supported by more location-specific sections dealing with the City Centre, the River and the Areas of Focus. l Part 2: Development Policies - sets out the Development Policy Principles and the supporting Development Policies and Design Standards. l Part 3: Technical Appendices - provides additional background information supporting the Development Strategy and policies.
Design quality and sustainability are two threads that run throughout the plan.
Community and user involvement
Following the publication of the Draft Plan, a series of meetings, presentations and workshops was held to discuss the key challenges, policy issues, content and focus of the Plan. These discussions involved other City Council services, Glasgow Alliance partners, the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Structure Plan Committee and Officer Group, outside bodies and various private sector interests, including house builders. Presentations on the future of development planning in Glasgow were given to all the City's Area Management Committees from whom views were sought both at the Review and Finalised Draft stages. As well as being produced in the traditional format, the Draft Plan has been published in full on the Internet through the City Council's web page and is available in CD-ROM format. A leaflet explaining the broad content of the Draft Plan and how to make representations is available in several languages and formats.
Innovation and wider benefits
The new City Plan represents a radical departure from traditional local plans. It makes it possible to meet targets for local plan coverage against a background of changing circumstances and resources by recognising that planning activity need not be at the same level across the City. In Part 1 the Areas of Focus target those areas in greatest need of physical, social and economic regeneration, through Local Development Strategies. The strategic framework established by the Plan adds legitimacy to the production of Local Development Strategies (planning studies and development briefs) for these areas. The established 44 local plans could not deliver a perspective of the Council's corporate aims. The City Plan makes it possible to deliver a coherent and relevant City-wide perspective that has resulted in the Plan and the planning service being drawn to the centre of the Council's corporate decision making process. As well as reflecting corporate strategy, the Plan is now influencing other strategies within the Council and its partners. It also provides a physical complement to the City's "Community Plan".
One of the most significant groups to be involved in influencing the Plan has been the housebuilders. Owners/developers with an interest in sites were brought into a series of meetings to determine their commitment to delivering development within a specified timescale and standard. As a result of this approach, a significant number of major housebuilders were able to influence an important area of the Draft Plan. This is expected to produce wider benefits in terms of quality and delivery of housing in the city.
The Draft Plan strives to provide a less complicated and more flexible approach to development by replacing 42 land-use policies with a series of 13 Development Policy Principles. Significantly, the first of these, DEV1, relates to the overarching requirement for quality and design. The remaining 12 Development Policy Principles are designed to be flexible, recognising that unforeseen circumstances always emerge.
For the first time, the Draft Plan brings together all the development control policies affecting the City.
Conclusion
The new Draft City Plan represents a significant improvement in the approach to the delivery of the planning service within Glasgow. The Plan has adopted an innovative approach to the designation of land and to the involvement of key players in the development industry. It has already positively impacted on the role of planning within the Council and on the delivery of the service for it and the wider community in the City.
The judges asked for a presentation on this nomination. Having followed the slow genesis of the Glasgow Local Plan from its origins in Glasgow: Planning for Development (a 1997 commendation) they were are pleased to see the current Draft Plan and took great interest in exploring its elements. Some of these might be described as complexities, but the judges have no doubt about the immense efforts which have been made to harmonise and simplify what was once an enormous mass of diverse statutory documents and working policy statements. The rewards are already being felt in more focussed priorities for action. The ability to appreciate the city as a whole (as well as to find real policy guidance for particular localities and forms of development) is an immense improvement as a background for investment. The judges particularly commend Glasgow City Council for making the plan available through CD-ROM and the website, and in translated versions also. While encouraging the Council to continue its work of simplification and improvement, the judges recognise how far the process has come. They recommend this Glasgow entry for commendation in the development planning category.
27. GLASGOW: GRAHAM SQUARE
2001 nomination by Molendinar Park Housing Association and Glasgow City Council
Background
Graham Square, in the East End of the City, was first laid out as residential in the 1780s. From 1817, it housed the cattle market, with the meat market built alongside it in 1875. By the late 1980s it had become a run down inner-city area.
Contribution by the planning service
The North Gallowgate Project, prepared by the Council's Planning Service in 1989, provides the framework for the redevelopment of Graham Square, as well as the wider area. The North Gallowgate Steering Group, chaired by the Planning Service and made up of representatives from the other regeneration agencies in the City, oversaw the implementation of the project. In response to the brief, Scottish Homes established the Molendinar Park Housing Association (MPHA) as the vehicle for implementing Graham Square.
The brief required the demolition of redundant commercial premises, land assembly and ground engineering and decontamination work. It also required that the development take-off from particular remnants on site. For instance, it incorporates the façade of the former meat market and an arch, which closes off the north end of the Square. It created plots for 3 distinct housing schemes around public spaces, rather than the easy option of one building. The development involved the redevelopment of the former Market Hotel and allowed a modern response to the design of 2 new build developments.
The development
The project involves the reconstruction of Graham Square to provide housing, public space and art on an ambitious scale. The MPHA commissioned 3 architects following a design competition based on the brief. Planning Officers determined the winner of the brief.
The first scheme by Page and Park began in summer, 1998. "The Matador Houses", runs down the east side of the Square, between the tenement on the Gallowgate and the former Market Hotel. The development comprises 24 flats, based on a traditional tenement layout, with 3 closes and 8 flats per close. Seven fin-shaped rendered walls curve out from the front elevation and represent the cloaks of a matador, facing onto the carvings of a bull that feature on the façade f the meat market.
The second scheme by Richard Murphy began in January 1999. "The Market Hotel", adapts the former Category B-listed Hotel, which consisted of 3 linked buildings behind the market entrance arch, into 17 flats. A new 3-storey structure set back from the building line replaced the central building, which created a private courtyard; the scheme re-built the north and south wings to retain a frontage to Graham Square.
McKeown Alexander's site on the corner of the Gallowgate stretches to and behind the existing stone façade on the west side of Graham Square began in autumn 1998. The development provides offices and 20 flats in a series of 2 and 3 storeys. Butterfly-roofed pavilions linked by tall glass stair towers are located behind new and old freestanding walls. The scheme retains the listed wall, which was part of the former Meat Market. Openings in the wall align with stair towers. On the corner, the buildings are raised a storey above ground to create car spaces. The project contains the Graham Square Millennium Space - pedestrianised and paved with granite setts- created by Glasgow 1999 Five Urban Spaces Initiative. MPHA and the Scottish Arts Council commissioned artwork, including a bronze calf on a stone plinth by artist Kenny Hunter. Artist Judy Spark created a wild walled orchard garden, pat of the landscaped space opposite the Market Hotel.
Innovation
Graham Square provides flamboyant forms of accommodation and urban spaces, which marks a new spirit in innovation. McKeown and Alexander: The creation of sunspaces on the south and west living rooms. A revolutionary look: external materials include zinc and aluminium cladding, white render, glass and cedar. The colour changes from a bluish grey with large floor-to-ceiling sheets of glass to ebony, then silver and eventually honey-coloured cedar boards. The fenestration changes from large to small windows, then large again as the building slips behind the wall. Flats are given double-height living rooms and sliding doors help to maximise interior space. Page and Park The curved walls that break out of the façade terminate in south-facing French windows that funnel sunlight into the living rooms, as well as the main west-facing windows; the curves also accommodate a series of different rooms despite appearing as identical. The top storey has a timber screen that ties in with the tenement building, while the top of the rendered fin aligns with the lower level of the Hotel. Richard Murphy Access features external stairways with stepped walls, galvanised steel walkways, balconies and a glazed canopy.
Community Involvement
To implement ideas for Graham Square, committee members of Reidvale Housing Association (operating in Glasgow's East End since 1975) formed Molendinar Park Housing Association in 1993. This gave the new Committee experience in community-led design and social housing management, and members with backgrounds in public art, design education, town planning, and architecture augment this. As MPHA evolved, the Committee of Management has expanded to include local residents and was at the heart of decision-making during the design and development phase of Graham Square. It commissioned project architects and sanctioned financial commitments that allowed Graham Square to proceed. Molendinar Park Housing Association believes that social-rented housing should be desirable to a broad range of people, not an option of last resort. Views of the representative tenants on the Committee of Management help ensure that homes meet the needs of a wide cross-section of users. All community members on the Committee in this development and design phase had many years' experience in developing social housing and had completed the "Design's On You" course. Molendinar Park is committed to community control and believes that only by giving residents power to control their own environment can the long-term future of the housing investment be guaranteed. Given the long lead-in required, there was no direct involvement with the actual residents of the housing provided. But Molendinar Park monitors satisfaction with detailed questionnaires sent to residents once they have settled in, so it can take account of changing requirements and aspirations in future developments. Key to the future success of Graham Square is client involvement in its management. After a public meeting earlier this year, a Local Management Association was established to represent all the tenants and sharing-owners from Graham Square and the 190 flats already provided in the surrounding area. The LMA is open to all residents over the age of 18 in the area of Bellgrove managed by Molendinar Park, and has nominated a representative to sit on the Committee of Management. The LMA has also elected a Management Committee, serviced by Molendinar Park staff, to review expenditure and the quality of the service provided. This is responsible for setting the local budget for repairs and taking decisions on priorities. It will also be responsible for proposing policy changes, appointing and monitoring maintenance contractors, deciding the allocation of houses and recommending on rent increases and factoring charges.
Sustainable Development
Since its inception Molendinar Park Housing Association has committed its development philosophy to quality in design, construction and management; development of energy efficient housing, durability through quality design and materials, creation of artwork and public space; and commitment to resident involvement in housing management. Key principles applied to Graham Square: 1) The proposals should consist of repeatable elements, demonstrating design features which can be readily incorporated in other projects and indeed become standard, and avoiding unproven, overly complex or expensive technologies. 2) They should provide passive benefits and not rely on input from residents. Allocations are based on need, family connection, economic characteristics, and not necessarily commitment to green issues, so it cannot be assumed that residents will take an active part in making the project work. Many "innovative" projects have failed because designer expectations of residents' lifestyles were unrealistic. 3) The proposals should be controllable by individual households. Different people have different heating and ventilation requirements and all proposals should allow for this. 4) Environmental benefits should not be interpreted purely in financial terms. Financial benefits to residents are important. Equally important, however, are issues such as water consumption, and the creation of interesting and beautiful spaces (by for example encouraging wildlife into garden areas or providing tranquil spaces for residents). 5) The proposals should recognise that the site partly lies on an arterial route into the city and next to major future development opportunities. This high public profile will influence the quality of the proposed private sector element of the North Gallowgate Project (potentially 200-300 houses). As designed, the apartments enjoy the advantages of energy-efficient living spaces. Glazed stair towers act as thermal buffers, which collect winter heat and are thermostatically ventilated in the summer: heat gains are maximised and losses minimised. Graham Square also makes efficient use of former brownfield land and has excellent access to public transport and local facilities.
Wider and lasting benefits
Graham Square is a successful model for future urban housing. It establishes a new standard for housing, public space and art, demonstrating the crucial role of the planning service in co-ordinating architect brief and client. The development caters for a variety of occupiers: 30 shared ownership, 31 for rent, integrated throughout the development. All in all, Graham Square demonstrates the possibility of re-connecting the East End with the City Centre. The Glasgow City Plan promotes this opportunity. For the future, MPHA has established a local management committee with delegated authority over estate management, allocation, repairs and budgets.
The judges visited Graham Square for a presentation on this nomination. Interesting architecture is not what the judges first of all look for in this award scheme. Their appreciation of results on the ground is always influenced by an assessment of the difficulties overcome and the process, including the role of the planning service, towards achieving the outcome. These aspects the judges probed at the presentation. The genesis of Graham Square was not in local plan proposals, but rather through a series of projects in the area which have progressively created an opportunity for imaginative development at the old meat market site. The results on the ground are undoubtedly impressive, and testify to the quality of the brief and the recognition of user requirements. All the elements at Graham Square work together admirably, and new dwellings of high amenity to residents have been created in place of dereliction at a convenient City location. The judges congratulate all concerned, particularly the Council, Molendinar Park Housing Association, the three architectural firms and the artists for the outstanding quality achieved. They recommend this Glasgow entry for commendation in the category of development on the ground.
28 ABERDEEN: KINGSWELLS PARK AND RIDE -
2001 nomination by Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen's second permanent bus based park and ride service started operating on 17 September 2001. It delivers the newest component in the Modern Transport System which is being developed by Aberdeen City Council and its partners in NESTRANS - the North East Scotland Transport Partnership. Ultimately, the Kingswells park and ride could take up to 1000 vehicles a day off the city's congested roads. On the first Saturday over 500 people used the service. The Kingswells scheme serves the area to the west of Aberdeen, a population of 30,000. The 950-space car park covers 8 hectares. It includes extensive landscaping, CCTV, an accommodation unit to house daytime staff and waiting passengers, toilets, ancillary storage and bicycle facilities. Buses depart every 10 minutes in the peak and make use of new, extensive bus lanes in order to reach the city centre up to 10 minutes more quickly than equivalent car journeys. Buses continue across the city to the Bridge of Don park and ride site. This was Aberdeen's first park and ride scheme which opened in 1994,and has proved highly successful. Development of the Kingswells park and ride started with public consultation in 1996 during which 25,000 leaflets sought the opinions of local householders. In the next year, the Council submitted the proposals to the Scottish Executive's Transport Challenge Fund. The successful bid was for £2.1m for the site and £6.43m for accompanying bus priorities.
Basis for assessing site options
Assessment of the site options was a rigorous process. The proposals had to meet the aims and objectives of the emerging Local Transport Strategy as well as development plan considerations, including green belt and landscape issues. The City Council's Road Traffic Reduction Target is, by 2011, to reduce total vehicle mileage travelled within the built-up area by 20% of 1997 levels. A wide-ranging integrated package of measures is proposed to achieve this target including park and ride and bus priorities on 4 major radial corridors into the city. Each site will be located within easy access of the proposed bypass/distributor road called the Western Peripheral Route (WPR). Car users will be able to use the WPR to access the most appropriate park and ride for the onward journey by bus to their final destination. The Strategy is given support through the Structure Plan and the emerging Local Plan. The Structure Plan sets out the sustainable transport policy for the region and Transport Proposal 12 specifically states that the Council will "seek to introduce permanent park and ride schemes allied to bus priority measures from accessible peripheral sites". The emerging local plan safeguarded land for the specific proposal. The site options assessment benefited from the Council's Landscape Character Assessment which was published in conjunction with Scottish Natural Heritage in 1996. This provided informed, qualitative data that could be used in the assessment to balance the more straightforward transport criteria.
Detailed criteria
Eight sites were evaluated in detail using best practice guidelines derived from the Government's "Keeping Buses Moving" document. It should be remembered that these criteria were devised before the Scottish Executive's New Appraisal Methodology was available. The criteria were: l Proximity to the edge of the built-up area. If the site is too far away from the urban edge, this could help undermine the compactness of the city. However, if it is too far into the built up area, car users would be less likely to divert. l Environmentally acceptable in terms of green belt objectives. l Visible but not intrusive, in terms of impact on the landscape and/or built development. l Safely accessible and secure for its users. l On or close to a radial route and preferably on the near side for inbound traffic. l Close to a ring road or bypass and ideally at the intersection with the radial route. l Located before the start of traffic congestion which itself can be bypassed by bus priorities. l Large enough to cope with the anticipated initial demand, with available suitable land adjacent for possible future expansion.
The ultimate choice
As is often the case with a development of this size and nature, there was no absolutely ideal location and each site that was investigated had its advantages and disadvantages. The ultimate choice met most criteria, however significant landscaping measures were required to minimise its visual impact. The site is in attractive rolling agricultural lowland broken up by woodlands, shelterbelts and drystane dykes. The fear was that the development would sit on rather than in the landscape, however the planting of native trees and shrubs and the sensitive use of drystane walling within the site should do much to alleviate this. The Reporter for the Compulsory Purchase Order Inquiry found that "the lie of the ground means that the ground is only visible from a limited number of vantage points within the surrounding countryside; the environmental impact would be greatly reduced by the detailed design and landscaping measures proposed; no special agricultural, archaeological or wildlife features would be destroyed".
In conclusion
The City Council has submitted the Kingswells park and ride site for consideration in these Awards as "outstanding quality in development on the ground". This is testimony to the careful, rigorous planning procedures that were set up to look at and test alternative sites, taking account of development plan policy and the transport strategy. The City Council feels that the chosen site represents the best practicable environmental option not entailing excessive cost. The planing measures should prove to be highly effective as it develops and it is hoped that the scheme will provide an attractive, well used facility that proves to be a key element in the delivery of the Modern Transport System.
The judges welcome transport-related entries and appreciate the Council's efforts to select the most advantageous location for park-and-ride by assessing the available alternatives against the criteria described. They hope that the new facilities will bring advantages to users and to the environment of the city. And they are happy to have the record set out here to inform others faced with similar decisions.
29. FIFE: WEST WEMYSS TOWNSCAPE HERITAGE INITIATIVE -
2001 nomination by Fife Council Planning Service and Fife Historic Buildings Trust
Background
The village of West Wemyss is a rare surviving example of a planned estate burgh. Its origins date back over 500 years, but it is essentially a mining village, which thrived in the 18 th and 19 th centuries. It is a picturesque village, which enjoys an attractive setting on the Firth of Forth. But it had been in decline for over a century and before this Initiative contained the single largest concentration of derelict listed buildings in the whole of Fife. Almost one fifth of its 100 buildings were derelict and another 15 vacant. The Main Street in the centre of the village was lined by a continuous row of 14 decaying listed buildings, set within a large area of derelict ground that once housed the Wemyss Pit and gas works. Decline in the last 20 years had been rapid. The population had halved in this period and fallen from over 750 in 1945. The last shop and post office had closed and the village pub ceased trading. Previous initiatives by Wemyss Properties, the owners of the derelict property, had failed to stem the decline or tackle the main problems and as a result, community confidence was at an all time low.
Project development
The introduction of the Townscape Heritage Initiative by the Heritage Lottery Fund 1998 gave an opportunity to break the stalemate in seeking to regenerate the village and restore its heritage. It closely followed the failure of a further attempt by the owners to secure deficit funding for a restoration of 9 derelict buildings and represented perhaps the last chance to save the deteriorating buildings. The Planning Authority stepped in to convene a working group involving all interested parties, including the owners and community representatives, which examined all potential solutions. It recognised that a more pro-active approach was required and suggested that transferring the buildings out of private ownership would be necessary to attract deficit funding.
Following a reappraisal of buildings at risk in Central Fife in 1996, the Planning Authority had identified the need for a local building preservation trust and in 1997 it took a pro-active role in establishing and supporting the Fife Historic Buildings Trust. And it suggested that the Trust would be an appropriate body to implement a restoration scheme at West Wemyss. This approach was agreed by all parties and the Authority worked with the Trust to put together proposals, not only for the restoration of the buildings, but for the regeneration of the village, in line with the aims of the Townscape Heritage Initiative.
The Heritage Lottery Fund approved the Stage One application in September 1998 and the detailed Stage Two application n March 1999. The Planning Authority continued its support for the project by providing financial support and agreeing to the secondment of its conservation officer to the Trust to manage the Initiative.
Proposals
The project consisted of 3 main elements:
1. Restoration of 9 derelict Category B listed buildings to create 13 affordable houses for sale, and a Community Resource Centre.
2. Reclamation and landscaping of derelict ground and upgrading roads and footpaths in the centre of the village.
3. Continuation of an existing Town Scheme to secure the repair or enhancement of other buildings in the village.
The total cost of the Initiative was around £2.1m. The Heritage Lottery Fund approved a grant of £750,000 and match funding was secured from Fife Council, Scottish Enterprise Fife, Historic Scotland, Scottish Homes, Fife Environment Trust and the Eastern Scotland European Partnership. The Architectural Heritage Fund provided a low interest loan to help finance the project. The Contract was let in December 1999 and work began on site in February 2000. Work was substantially completed within budget in July 2001 with only minor works still to be done. One of the conditions of grant from the funding agencies was that the remaining derelict buildings on Main Street, retained by Wemyss Properties, were restored within an agreed timescale and without grant aid. Work is well advanced on these and should be complete by mid 2002.
Community involvement
From 1995 the Conservation Officer attended all meetings of the West Wemyss Community Council. These were held bi-monthly and many were open meetings attended by 20-30 villagers. This helped develop a close relationship with the community and enabled them to become involved in the search for a solution to the longstanding problems of neglect and dereliction in the village. Community representatives were invited to all round table meetings involving Wemyss Properties Ltd and all the public bodies involved. Their involvement continued through the application process and they organised a petition to be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund in support of the THI application. They were also closely involved in applications to the Fife Environment Trust (successful) and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (unsuccessful). The Community were consulted and encouraged to contribute to the design process and provided valuable local guidance on housing and community need. The type and tenure of housing provided reflects their views and the provision of a community resource centre stems from their identification of the need. Establishing a project office in the village has given close contact with the community and they have responded by accepting 18 months of disruption and upheaval without complaint.
Sustainable development
The Initiative aimed to help re-create a sustainable community in West Wemyss. It is pivotal to the regeneration and repopulation of the village and has already helped to secure the return of services and amenities previously lost. The re-opening of the public house and the village shop and the creation of new community resource centre are important elements in the development of a sustainable community.
The restoration and landscaping and the creation of a new section of the Fife Coastal Path will help attract visitors to the village and sustain new and existing services. Potential will also be created for developing other related activities: the establishment of a pottery in the village is under consideration at present. Providing affordable houses for sale, targeted at local people on low incomes, in a village which had less than 10 owner occupied houses has helped create a more balanced community with opportunities for local people. In physical terms the project has successfully reused 9 derelict buildings and whenever possible, made use of existing traditional materials, while providing high standards of insulation and minimal future maintenance costs. During the project the contractor was encouraged to use local labour and 2-3 people in the village were employed.
Input by the planning service
The Planning Service was responsible for both the initiation of the THI project and the establishment of the Building Preservation Trust. It allocated the necessary staff time and financial support for the project through the 1st and 2nd stage application process until approval was given by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It then provided further financial support and agreed to the secondment of staff to the Trust to provide continuity to enable very tight European funding deadlines to be achieved. It has subsequently worked closely with the Trust providing regular support, advice and liaison with other Council Services involved. This partnership working has helped ensure that the implementation of the project was achieved without major problems or delay.
Difficult issues tackled and resolved
Difficult issues delayed the restoration of the buildings and the village for over 20 years. Whilst the physical problems included mineworkings directly under the buildings and a old gas works and mine shafts on the derelict ground to the rear, these did not pose the main obstacles. The two really difficult issues were reaching agreement with the private owners Wemyss Properties Ltd and implementing a project with funding being provided from 7 different bodies and private loan finance.
The agreement from Wemyss Properties Ltd had to be legally binding, with suitable penalty clauses. Though an early "in principle" agreement to sell was secured relatively quickly, the matter required almost 9 months of delicate and detailed negotiations before a legally binding document could be agreed. This ensures the restoration of all remaining derelict or vacant buildings in the village within an agreed timescale without grant aid and that 5 of these houses will be sold for owner-occupation. This work is currently well advanced. Funding the project was particularly difficult because of the large number of funding agencies, all with different priorities, criteria and conditions and the requirement by them that they had a standard security over the properties. Including Wemyss Properties Ltd, a ranking agreement involving 5 standard securities had to be agreed. The problem was exacerbated by the loan finance of up to £750,000 required to ensure there were no cash flow problems.
Impact and benefits
The Initiative has had a major impact on the village. As well as the restoration of the built heritage and the environmental improvements there have been significant social and economic benefits. The village shop and public house have reopened and the new Community Centre is being used to re-establish community activities and deliver some local authority services. Work has also begun on the construction of 16 new houses on the one vacant housing site in the village. All 13 houses restored by the Trust have been completed and occupied, with priority given to first time buyers on low income and those with a local connection. The houses cannot be used as second homes, or be sub-let.
Whilst the Initiative has directly helped local people by providing affordable houses for sale, its main beneficiary is the whole community. It has brought life back, not just to the built heritage but to a dying community. The restoration of the village will significantly increase visitor numbers, as well as improving awareness and enjoyment of Fife's heritage. This will bring economic benefits and further opportunities for the village to develop its role as a visitor destination. The project is an example of regeneration through conservation and demonstrates very clearly the benefits of partnership working. It also demonstrates the need for Planning Authorities to play a pro-active role if long-standing and complex problems are to be resolved.
The judges visited West Wemyss for a presentation on this nomination. They were very pleased and encouraged by what they found in this village on the shores of the Firth of Forth. Not long ago, a third of the buildings here were derelict and vacant.. Following the story of how the project had been driven forward from its early difficulties through tight funding deadlines to the current achievements and positive prospects for the future, the judges could readily appreciate the outstanding quality of this initiative. Community involvement has been at the heart of the process. Now life is returning to the village, attractive buildings have been restored, well-adapted houses are occupied, and the village shop and pub have reopened. This courageous initiative has achieved the positive critical mass that gives people and businesses the confidence to make their own investment. An attractive environment has been created in which new building and further private restoration can continue. The judges regard West Wemyss as an outstanding example of local regeneration. They unhesitatingly recommend this entry for Award in the category of development on the ground.
30. WISHAW: GREENHEAD MOSS COMMUNITY NATURE PARK
2001 nomination by Greenhead Moss Community Trust
The site
Extending to more than 160 hectares, the Greenhead Moss, on the outskirts of Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, is a substantial remnant of raised mire or Peat Moss, a type of habitat that has become increasingly rare and threatened over the past few decades due to peat extraction, drainage and in this case opencast mining. Although designated greenbelt, Greenhead Moss has a history of industry that includes peat extraction, opencast and deep coal mining and extensive landfill operations. The site has long been adopted by the local communities as a playground and as a well used greenspace, well recognised for its importance as a valuable wildlife habitat. Perchy Pond Local Nature Reserve, which now forms a small part of the new Nature Park, was designated as a Local Nature Reserve in 1992. In 1996, a planning inquiry into proposals for further opencast and landfill attracted vigorous opposition from the local community. The Reporter considered that the drawbacks "were so fundamental that even the fullest observance of the most rigorous planning and waste management licensing conditions could not make the scheme acceptable" and the Secretary of State for Scotland subsequently refused consent. Following this refusal, North Lanarkshire Council acquired the site in early 1999. This purchase was the starting point for the creation of the Greenhead Moss Community Nature Park and provided the basis for the current partnership project.
The project
The aims of the project are to establish a major community resource for the enjoyment of outdoor recreation, environmental education and wildlife biodiversity, managed by the community and driven by local needs and aspirations. It involves that community in taking ownership of what is proving to be a site of national significance in terms of its social and ecological history. The objective is to secure a sustainable facility, empowering the surrounding communities to provide for themselves opportunities for access to lifelong learning, social inclusion, healthy and fitness.
The partnership
The Nature Park Partnership is formed from the founder members of Greenhead Moss Community Trust, the Company now established to manage the project. It is made up of representatives from the communities of the towns and villages that surround the Moss, North Lanarkshire Council (NLC), Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire (SEL), Central Scotland Countryside Trust (CSCT) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
Following the planning appeal refusal for further opencast and landfill operations and with a mixed history of controlled and uncontrolled uses, it became clear to the Council that the site had little prospect of being fully restored and brought back into beneficial use without some major new initiative. It was at this time that staff of Lanarkshire Development Agency (now SEL) were introduced to the site. Significant European funding was still available through the Resider II programme. SEL's ability to bring this funding to the project, and provide direct funding through their own programme for the rehabilitation of derelict land, proved to be the catalyst for progress, and a steering group of representatives of the partners above was set up to co-ordinate action.
Central role of planning
After the 1996 appeal refusal for further opencast and landfill, the Council's Planning Service was charged with seeking the reinstatement of this semi-derelict land with abandoned past workings which, in strategic and local planning terms, was identified for major visual and environmental improvement. Due to the reluctance of the developer/land owner and a collection of historical planning consents with limited restoration conditions, novel and imaginative ways were sought to secure full site restoration with extended public access rights. Through a extensive meetings and negotiations with the landowners and their agents the Council's Planning and Environment Committee eventually agreed to accept the developers Site Purchase Notice in lieu of development subject to any contractual obligations and liabilities in connection with a current SEPA Waste Management Licence for part of the site. This land acquisition was the start of the current project, and with funding from Europe and Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire supporting progress, a steering group of representatives of the project partners was set up to co-ordinate action. Officers from the Council's Planning Service were instrumental in this process and provided both technical and management support for both the steering group and Board of Management for the Trust which includes the Director of the Council's Planning Service along with 2 permanent planning staff members and secondees as necessary.
The project takes support from a Strathclyde Structure Plan Initiative-Greening the Conurbation specifically, Structure Plan policies GB3 and GB4. The latest Glasgow and Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan 2000, as modified February 2001, continues the promotion of a Green Network, NPPG14, through strategic policies 5, 6 and 7. North Lanarkshire Council's Southern Area Local Plan Finalised Draft provides detailed policy support through ENV 7 Urban Fringe Improvements and L2 Leisure Development Opportunities. Corporate Council Policy too requires support and encouragement of community self help initiatives of which the Greenhead Moss Community Nature Park has proven to be very successful in securing a sustainable facility for the local communities to provide themselves with access to lifelong learning, social inclusion, health and fitness. The Council's Planning Services has been central in promoting the project to meeting all these policy objectives and aims.
The position in autumn 2001
Following extensive community consultation, research and feasibility studies, and detailed design preparations, the past 3 years have seen the transformation of the site through the implementation of a major capital programme of environmental improvement contracts to a total value of over £1.42m. These include the construction of many kilometres of access paths, wildlife habitat creation and biodiversity improvement works, pollution control measures and site security and safety measures. The works have been managed on behalf of the partnership through the appointment of the main project consultants, Ironside Farrar, working to a comprehensive brief prepared by the steering group.
The Community Trust, a company limited by guarantee and possessing charitable status, has been established with a Board of Directors derived from nominations by the partnership organisations and directly elected Community Directors representing the surrounding towns and villages. The trust now oversees the management of the project on a daily basis and has recently appointed a full time officer to take forward the proposals for the next phase of developments envisaged for the Park. In recognition of the Trust's achievements to date Margot Wallstrom, European Commissioner for the Environment, officially opened the Park on 21 September 2001.
The following notes are from reports and descriptions prepared by members of the project team leading different aspects of the regeneration works.
Access and the footpath network
"The network has been designed in partnership with local communities ... a number of entrance points will provide local people with access to the park by foot, bicycle or wheelchair." "People can now get close to Perchy Pond Local Nature Reserve without getting their feet wet, with the help of new wooden boardwalks ... the recently completed East Wishaw path network, funded through the Paths for All Partnership, provides links ..." - Stephen McHenry, Access Officer, North Lanarkshire Council.
Woodlands
"Importantly a programme of maintenance has also been committed to ensure tree establishment is successful. In all some 70,000 trees have already been planted." "...the woodland creation has also provided an ideal way to get local people involved. CSCT organised a tree planting day with help from NLC and local people " "The woodland plant was done by the Wise Group training agency and has offered a valuable opportunity for additional skills raining for ETF trainees." - Mike Batley, Team Leader Lanarkshire, Central Scotland Countryside Trust
Water pollution control
"...Precipitation falling on the landfill mixed with these degrading wastes to create 'leachates' which ran via an old system of drainage ditches and pipes into the Perchy Pond." "...Mechanical treatment or disposal off site were discounted as being inappropriate" "... some form of natural treatment was considered - and a reed bed treatment system was proposed." "A variety of different plant species will be utilised in the reed beds to maximise the system performance and adaptability within a range of climatic and hydrological conditions, and to encourage biodiversity." Mark Steele, Project Manager, Ironside Farrar Environmental Consultants
Community involvement
"The Perchy Ponders club runs throughout the Summer Holidays, at Easter, and during the October break, catering mainly for children and young teenagers..." "In February 1999 a series of Participatory Appraisals took place in the 4 main communities surrounding Greenhead Moss and gave a clear view of peoples' aspirations for how they would wish development to proceed" "A public meeting was held in Greenhead Hall to nominate local candidates for inclusion as Board Members of the Trust to join as an Ordinary Member." - Gerry Lewis, Conservation Officer, North Lanarkshire Council
Wildflower meadow creation
"Surveys demonstrated that these old tips required a greater depth of surface soil over them as a safety precaution ..." "...it was decided to spread subsoil available from land operations off site, and kept in store at Strathclyde Business Park ... wildflower seeding mixtures did best where the soil was a poor infertile substrate." "This programme of wildflower meadow habitat creation represents the largest demonstration area attempted in Central Scotland ..." Brian Thomson, Conservation & Greening Manager, North Lanarkshire Council
Time, depth and environmental history
"A core of peat has been extracted from one of the deepest areas of the moss and is currently being analysed by scientists at the University of Stirling." "Changes over time have been recorded in the form of a pollen diagram. The diagram shows that the peat archive at Greenhead Moss covers most of the period since the last ice age ended, some 10,000 years ago." "... there are indications of human disturbance of the forest which may have arisen from the localised activities of nomadic hunter-gatherers as early as 6000 years ago." "It is proposed to create a "Stratigraphic Stairway" on the peat face, joining the path across the former opencast area to the paths that cross the remaining part of the moss..."- Steve Luker, Executive Officer (Environment), Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire
The judges visited Greenhead Moss for a presentation on this nomination. The starting point of this Community Nature Park was the refusal to allow continued opencast extraction and landfill. An appreciation of the potential for landscape restoration by the council, forward-looking land acquisition. A determined involvement by local communities, and well co-ordinated funding have made the present results possible. This is an extensive nature park in which the interplay of woodland, peatland, water, wild flowers, and even the development of the landscape can be sensed by those who walk there. Access pathways have been creatively arranged and the Stratigraphic Stairway is a lesson in itself. The judges pay tribute to all the people and organisations involved in the work at Greenhill Moss. They recommend the Community Trust's entry for commendation in the category of development on the ground.
31. STIRLING'S DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOWLAND HIGHLAND TRAIL
-2001 nomination by Stirling Council
The completion of this route in Stirling Council's area represents a major achievement, basically incorporating all the elements in planning, co-ordinating and delivery of a significant project. Originally termed the Central Highland Way, the route was seen as a major part of an inter-regional network of footpaths and cycleways, based principally on the line of the former railway, between Dunblane -Callander - Crianlarich/Killin. Central Regional Council, Stirling District Council, the Countryside Commission for Scotland and Sustrans had worked in partnership over the 10-year period from approximately 1985 to construct sections of the route. But after the award of £43.5m to Sustrans from the Millennium Commission to help develop 10,000 miles of the National Cycle Network, it was agreed, with the problematic nature of the sections between Callander and Stirling and Lix Toll and Crianlarich, that a re-prioritisation was needed in view of the short timescale to deliver such a major, and in places, potentially contentious project. The National Cycle Network north of Glasgow was planned to pass through Dumbarton and Balloch and enter Stirling Council's area just south of Drymen. It was then intended to head northwest through Aberfoyle and Callander, eventually leaving our area just east of Killin, on the south side of Loch Tay. While some sections of the 60-mile route were in existence, it was clearly recognised, at the outset, that negotiations were likely to be protracted, with construction in certain sections also likely to be difficult and costly. In 1995 Central Regional Council had been successful in obtaining European funding to develop sections of the route through Callander. Following agreement on the line of the National Cycle Network, a second application, was supported by Forth Valley Enterprise, Sustrans, Scottish Natural Heritage, a major private landowner on the south side of Loch Venachar, and with Stirling Council as the lead player. This was approved in 1996. In the latter stages of the project, the Scottish Executive, in particular, also provided invaluable financial support to allow the project to be completed.
Planning involvement
From the outset, the planners in Central Regional Council, and then Stirling Council, co-ordinated the whole scheme. As construction progressed, our transport planners inevitably played a more significant role in administering and advising on the work. Particular attention had to be paid to the co-ordination, design and installation of a new bridge at the Kendrum Viaduct and the refurbishment of 2 other significant Listed Structures in Glen Ogle. While much of the project was mainstream planning work, the wide ranging nature of both the local countryside and communities lead to our involvement in a range of spin-offs, including interpretation, artwork development, visitor monitoring and economic development. Three documents are seen as the principal vehicles for promoting the development of the Central Highland Way/Lowland Highland Trail: l Central 2000: The Structure Plan for Central Region (August 1992) l All Change - The Transport Challenge for Central Region (February 1993) l Stirling Council Local Plan (December 1999).
The development of the route not only met Sustrans' underlying principle of sustainable transport, but also helped meet our aspirations to promote further recreational use of the countryside and reduce cycle use on main roads.
Community involvement
Involvement with local communities in the development of the route can be seen in a number of ways. We worked with Sustrans in a community consultation exercise to address the alignment of the route between Kingshouse and Glenoglehead. Site meetings were held with local groups to discuss the exact line of the route and consider potential issues of safety. The agreement with the consultant (appointed to design and supervise construction work on sections of the Trail) required consultations with community councils along the route. Our ongoing involvement with local communities along the Trail in Callander, Strathyre and Killin is reflected in more recent meetings, held to discuss general issues of access, including, of course the significance of the Lowland Highland Trail as part of the core path networks. Apart from the normal negotiations that arose out of the submission of planning applications for major development works, Callander residents were invited to give their views on a range of designs that had been drawn up by a variety of environmental artists. This 2-day consultation process proved immensely beneficial and resulted in the selection of 4 pieces of artwork. Members of the Scottish Disabled Ramblers Association were also asked to look at one of the most popular sections of the route, north of Callander, and provide feedback on its suitability for use by wheelchairs.
The counter monitoring system, which had been an integral part of both European applications, has been extremely valuable, in recording numbers of users, monitoring visitor flow and as a benchmark for economic performance.
Promotion
Before the route's formal opening, it was agreed that the title Central Highland Way needed to be altered to distinguish it from the West Highland Way and the Millennium Link, which had also been referred to in such terms. A steering group of officials from Stirling Council, Loch Lomond and Trossachs Interim Committee and Scottish Natural Heritage drew up a brief and appointed a consultant to prepare a development strategy that would address route name, branding and the production of an information leaflet and panels. The consultant proposed changing the name to the Lowland Highland Trail, in recognition of the route passing through the Highland Boundary Fault and the rich contrast in landscape that was apparent north and south of the fault. The leaflet, which was free, had an initial print run of 20,000 copies. It was recognised that the print run was fairly modest in such a popular tourist area, however this reflected our requirements for an evaluation of the leaflet, after the Summer season, with a view to a significant increase in production once the findings had been digested.
Comments on both the development of the Trail and the leaflet were in general very favourable. A number of constructive comments were received on the availability of local services and these have now been incorporated in the document. The production of the interpretative panels remain the only element of the whole project to be completed.
Benefits:
The project has brought benefits in terms of accessibility, community and visitor use. Cycle hire is now available in 5 outlets along the Trail. The 60 mile Trail acts not only as a significant visitor attraction, but provides for residents in communities such as Croftamie, which had little informal recreational facilities. The calibration of counters is ongoing, but user numbers are considerably higher than anticipated. The development of a cycle activity centre and bunkhouse to the west of Callander was seen as a commitment of faith by the owners in the National Cycle Network and Lowland Highland Trail.
The development of the Lowland Highland Trail has provided a corridor of activity through an area of international standing. While the principal component of the project addresses is recreational, it has also highlighted the importance of sustainable access to the countryside and tourism management.
The judges visited the Lowland Highland Way for a presentation on this nomination. The route of the new pathway is a very important part of the National Cycle Network. Its development, mostly along the line of old Caledonian Railway formations, has created a hugely impressive scenic route through Glen Ogle and beside Loch Lubnaig. It is a big project. Major structures and small-scale access issues had to be resolved along the route. It was difficult for the judges to take in the extent of the work in the limited time at their disposal, but they give credit to the Stirling planning service for helping to secure this very attractive and important link for walkers and cyclists which will bring new opportunities to local people and visitors. As the nomination points out, the private development of a cycle centre and bunkhouse on the route has already shown the way for investment to make the most of this new asset. The judges wish the new Trail every success and thank Stirling Council for submitting this very interesting entry.
32. ARBROATH ABBEY VISITOR DEVELOPMENT
-2001 nomination by Arbroath Abbey Partnership
Introduction
Arbroath Abbey was founded by King William the Lion in 1178 for monks of the Tironesian order. It has a central place in Scottish history, not least for the signing of one of the nation's most important documents, the Declaration of Arbroath. Today, the ruins of Arbroath Abbey are the most extensive of the 8 Tironesian houses originally established in Scotland. The Abbey is a Scheduled Ancient Monument under the care of Historic Scotland and is open to the pubic. But despite its rich history and association with "The Declaration", the Abbey was under-performing as a visitor attraction. A feasibility study commissioned by the project partners, Angus Council, Historic Scotland and Scottish Enterprise Tayside found that the Abbey suffered from a lack of profile, even at a regional level. Visitor approaches were poorly defined and unattractive and reception and interpretative facilities were limited and outdated. The study recommended a purpose built visit reception centre, upgrading existing facilities and remodelling the external environs. The new centre would house a reception area for visits to the Abbey and interpretative and audio facilities to introduce the Abbey, its role in Scottish history and the architectural interest of the building itself. To perform its role the centre had to be at the start of the visitor experience before entering the Abbey. Development in the Abbey precinct was not an option and the site chosen was on open space next to the west elevation. Such proximity to the Scheduled Ancient Monument demanded imaginative and innovative design.
Visitor Reception Centre
In response to the challenging and sensitive site the new building is a layered "soft" horizontal form, in contrast to the high vertical mass of the Abbey. To achieve this the building steps back in 3 volumes slowly rising up, each space within gaining height and light until it finally "peeks" over the rear graveyard wall, giving views of the Abbey behind. This view of the Abbey grounds is key to the design and helps the visitors understand the layout of the Abbey buildings before they set out to explore them.
Care in construction
The building's construction uses of natural materials, stone, timber, glass, and a green planted sedum roof, in response to the site and the Abbey itself. The aim was to create a building with minimal impact on the environment. The timber structure is of Douglas Fir, Larch and Oak, hand-crafted off site by a specialist sub-contractor. The timber trusses have been designed to be simple and elegant, mixing traditional materials with modern, and using timber in a way that expresses the joints and the way the building is put together. Timbers for the curved section of roof were selected from curved trees, avoiding the use of laminated beams containing glues. The roof covering is vegetation -a sedum blanket sitting on a mineral wool blanket which supports the roots and stores water to help the plants survive during dry periods. This type of roof installation is the first of its kind in Scotland. Natural ventilation is achieved by the form of the building. Low level grilles in the front elevation, controlled by dampers, allow air intake as required. This is drawn through the building by high level dampers and opening windows in the curved sections of the north and south elevations.
External Works
A key element of the project was the pedestrianisation of Abbey Street along the front of the west elevation and though the Abbey Arch, one of the main entrances to the Abbey complex. Using the Arch as a vehicle route was no longer sustainable and removing through traffic was critical to the long-term preservation of the monument. This gave the opportunity to significantly improve the visitor approaches to the Abbey and to upgrade the area in front of the west elevation. The design aims to create the sense of a courtyard, partially enclosed by the west elevation of the Abbey and the Guest House Range. The visitor reception centre encloses the courtyard on the north side and acts as a central focus for visitors to the site. The western edge has been defined by a beech hedge that will be kept low so as not to enclose the space completely or obscure views of the west elevation. Beech hedging is already a familiar sight I the area having been used elsewhere to define the Abbey precinct and therefore helps connect the development with its local surroundings. A wide processional route has been created alongside the Regality Range linking the formed courtyard with the north end of Arbroath High Street. The route aligns with the main gate in the west elevation (historically only used on ceremonial occasions) and creates a dramatic and safe visitor approach to the Abbey. Flame-textured stone paving has been used extensively in the courtyard and re-cycled Carmyllie stone paving (unique to Angus) in the reception centre. This continues the design theme of high quality natural materials. Vertical features such as lighting columns were not used, to avoid conflict with the verticality of the Abbey. Selective external lighting highlights the main architectural features of the Abbey's public elevations.
Role of planning
The visitor development was undertaken as a partnership between Angus Council, Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Historic Scotland with financial help from the European Regional Development Fund through the Eastern Scotland Objective 2 Programme. The Planning and Transport Department of Angus Council took the leading role from project reception to delivery on the ground. This included securing adequate funding including European funding, investigating Notice of Intention to Develop procedures, obtaining all necessary agreements and chairing the partnership client group established to oversee the design and implementation.
Policy background
Arbroath is the largest town in Angus. Employment in its traditional manufacturing and industry has been declining. Arbroath has for many years had one of the highest unemployment rates of any travel to work area in Scotland. There are also physical and community regeneration issues to be tackled. Angus Council and Scottish Enterprise Tayside developed an Economic and Environmental Strategy for Arbroath, approved late in 1997. It was structured around a "Master Plan" 5 year rolling programme of co-ordinated projects to address the problems in Arbroath's central area. It identified priorities for the town which it aimed to deliver: Stem the decline in the performance of the town centre. Help improve self-confidence in the local community. Halt the leakage of retail spend to other town. Address the under-performance of Arbroath's major visitor assets. Engineer an image of greater quality and visitor interest. Provide the right circumstances for private sector investment in leisure facilities. And increase tourist numbers and spend.
The approach was to focus on the regeneration of the central area. This concentrated effort and resources on the area of greatest potential, offered the most attractive and tangible means of improving the image of the town and impacted on the greatest number of visitors and residents. The strategy had sectoral components in tourism, retail and leisure and 4 main locations: Arbroath Abbey, High Street, Harbour and the town's approaches.
The Abbey and Harbour were recognised as two of the town's most important assets. North and south of the town centre, they gave a unique opportunity to maximise their tourism potential and that of the town centre between them. With fewer than 10,000 visitors each year, Arbroath Abbey was clearly under-performing and the development of the visitor facilities was a key element of the Economic and Environmental Strategy. The Abbey development accords with the Angus Local Plan, adopted in November 2000, which aims to promote and enhance Arbroath's tourist attractions to secure improved visitor numbers within the wider town. The Abbey was seen as central to achieving this objective (Policy A/RT1: Arbroath Abbey Precinct). The Angus Community Plan also refers to the strategy, recognising the value of a "whole town" approach to waterfront, Harbour and Abbey.
Consumer testing: informing the approach
In 1996, System 3 surveyed 20 Historic Scotland visitor attractions. Arbroath Abbey was included and was found to have an unusually high day trip market. One third of Abbey visitors were on a day trip. Nearly half of Abbey visitors were Scottish and only 15 per cent came from England. Over half of the overnight visitors stayed the previous night in the Dundee and Angus area. Almost 20 per cent of visitors were staying with friends and family. 40 per cent gave the main reason for their visit as interest in history and historic buildings. The Abbey attracted a market which had a greater interest in historic issues than at other venues. But it had poor linkages. Few visitors intended going to other historic attractions that day. Nearly a third felt there was not enough information provided. All these findings were taken into account when the proposals for the Abbey were being developed. Historic Scotland keeps a visitor book at the Visitor Reception Centre and comments are encouraged. These are checked regularly to gauge visitor reaction to the development and to date have been very complimentary. Tourism marketing targets
The study commissioned by the project partners estimated that the Abbey could attract around 37,500 visitors a year. This represents 28,500 extra visitors of which roughly 18,500 will be tourists from the UK and overseas. This will generate an estimated further £654,000 in gross economic expenditure annually and a further 11 to 17 jobs at the Scottish level including construction. The Abbey and the new visitor reception centre are the subject of Guardianship Agreements between the Council and Historic Scotland. Under these, Historic Scotland is responsible for the conservation, upkeep and day-to-day running of the Abbey as a visitor attraction. Historic Scotland treat the property as if in their ownership and take responsibility for its marketing and promotion as part of the national campaign. A monitoring Committee representing the project partners is being set up to bi-annually review marketing, performance and future plans.
Wider regeneration benefits
The Abbey, the Harbour and the town centre are the key elements in the strategy for the regenerating the centre of Arbroath. In that context, the Abbey Visitor Development increases the number of visitors to the Abbey and therefore to Arbroath and Angus. Over 60% of these visitors will be tourists (UK and overseas). It impacts on the local economy through increased visitor spend in the area and through additional jobs created. It exploits an identified market opportunity to develop Arbroath in the sphere of cultural heritage. It brings together the 3 public sector agencies in close working partnership not just for design and construction but also longer term. It generates on-site income from admission charges and retailing to ensure the long-term viability of the project. The new operation will break even if 28,500 visitors are attracted (9,000 below projected level). The Visitor Centre adds significantly to the quality and diversity of the Arbroath tourist experience, with the opportunity to develop links with other heritage based visitor attractions throughout the area. Led by the Planning service proposals for the Harbour have also been developed and negotiations with the private sector are well advanced. Implementation of the proposals is expected to begin in 2002 and with the success of the Abbey Visitor Centre will further enhance the tourism profile of Arbroath. A Stage 2 bid for funding under the Townscape Heritage Initiative has been submitted and is currently under consideration. Included in the package of proposals are measures to improve the physical environment in the vicinity of the Abbey and in the Harbour. Though less tangible, the new Abbey Visitor Centre has raised the level of interest and civic pride of Arbroath residents.
Community involvement
As part of its decentralisation policy, Angus Council set up Area Forums in each of the Angus burghs. These meet quarterly and members of the public are actively encouraged to submit agenda items and speak on them. The Forums are also used to involve the community in the projects and initiatives the Council is progressing. Several presentations were made to the Arbroath Area Forum both on the feasibility study and on the detailed designs for the Abbey development as they progressed. Updates were also provided to the Area Forum during construction. In addition, an exhibition of the detailed proposals for the Abbey was held in Arbroath Library during July 1999 with a public meeting for the community to examine the proposals and make comment. There was strong support for the project and only one objection was received during the statutory planning process.
Community involvement was also a feature of the opening of the Visitor Centre. Arbroath is proud of its Abbey and its association with the Declaration of Independence. A Pageant Society of local residents organises events to celebrate and re-enact this part of the town's national heritage. The Pageant Society took part in the official opening, providing a colourful backdrop and enhancing the medieval fair in the Abbey grounds. Historic Scotland estimated that 7,600 people visited the new centre during the first weekend. This is an indication of the civic pride residents have for the Abbey and their interest in the new centre. In a town that has suffered economic setbacks, the value of this is not under estimated. The new Visitor Centre also provides Historic Scotland with new opportunities to offer education and awareness sessions with local schools, supporting on-going interest in the Abbey.
The judges visited Arbroath Abbey for a presentation on this nomination. They thought that the new visitor centre was an outstanding building in itself. What interested them was the way in which the creation of the new centre had been the opportunity for related improvements at the entrance to the Abbey, and had been grounded in a strategy for enhancing the attractiveness of Arbroath as a visitor destination. This is just the kind of example of co-ordinated work to achieve long term benefits that the judges are especially pleased to recognise in these Awards. They are encouraged by all the evidence presented of community involvement. Pride of place has been enhanced. The basis for educational and economic benefits has been laid. The judges see this entry as an outstanding contribution to the appreciation of Scotland's heritage, in which the planning service has played a full part. They are delighted to recommend the Arbroath Abbey entry for Award in the category of development on the ground.
33. ABERDEEN: BELMONT STREET AND BACK WYND REGENERATION -2001 nomination by Aberdeen City Centre Partnership
The Belmont Street and Back Wynd project is Aberdeen City Centre Partnership's (ACCP) largest and most complex streetscape project thus far, with a scheme, which significantly enhances the environment of a key area at the heart of the city. The Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Enterprise Grampian and Aberdeen City Council financed the work, at a cost of £935,000, under the banner of the client - ACCP.
The project - focusing on environmental improvements to the public realm areas of Belmont Street, Back Wynd, Little Belmont Street and Gaelic Lane - was also closely related to the overall regeneration of the area and the redevelopment of several prominent buildings and required careful planning and inter-disciplinary co-operation, as demonstrated by the ACCP Management Team. The project included re-design and reconstruction of the pavements - with surfaces laid in Caithness Sandstone; redesign of carriageways to create new and improved surface treatments - with surfaces in smooth granite setts; new street and amenity lighting; and the introduction of public art. Adjacent buildings were redeveloped. ACCP, a partnership of Aberdeen City Council, Scottish Enterprise Grampian, Scottish Homes - the National Housing Agency, Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce and Aberdeen City Centre Association, has now completed more than 300 projects.
Background
The Belmont Street/Back Wynd area project is a major integrated environmental improvement project of extensive streetscape works. It forms part of a series of environmental improvements designed to give Aberdeen City Centre an urban environment of Northern European renown as per the Partnership's Strategic Plan. The City Centre is one of Aberdeen's prime assets and the Belmont Street area lies at its heart. It is an important mixed-use area, with many buildings dating back to the 18 th Century, behind the 19 th century Union Street.
Role of planning
The Planning and Strategic Development Department was closely involved in the overall formulation of the project and are a key part of the City Centre Partnership Team and is represented on the Team by the Assistant Director of Planning and a number of senior staff. The co-ordinator of ACCP is a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. For consistency with the Project's overall objectives, the Department appointed a nominated Development Control Officer as the single point of contact for all planning applications in the area. This gave a one- door approach to applications ranging from redevelopments to stone cleaning, floodlighting and signage.
Related property development
The improvements are adding to the attractions and vibrancy of a prime location for the property and retail sectors. They complement recent developments there - such as the Academy Shopping Centre and restaurants and the Belmont Cinema. The Congregational Church, North Kirk and English Club have all also recently been redeveloped, with more refurbishments planned. The area is an important pedestrian link between Union Street and Schoolhill.
Project justification, appraisal and evaluation
An economic impact evaluation of the project was carried out by consultants at the concept stage, with impacts to be monitored again in 2 years. The property market sees the Belmont Street area as a prime location in Aberdeen City Centre, albeit one that has not performed as well as its location would suggest. By improving the general environment and holding events there, the existing retail offering will improve in quality and footfall will increase. Local businesses and residents were consulted. Proposals are also being drawn up as part of the project for face-lifting key buildings. Some of the derelict buildings are subject of current planning applications, or have recently obtained permission for development.
Design team and costs
The Belmont Street area project was designed by the Property and Technical Services Department of the City Council, with assistance from Urban Designers, Gillespies. ACCP had overall design control. The total cost of the project was £935,000 with £420,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, £245,000 from Scottish Enterprise Grampian and £270,000 from Aberdeen City Council
Phases
The work was carried out in distinct phases and during construction parts of the streets were closed in a way to minimise disruption to traders, building owners, residents and shoppers. This included suspending work over the busy festive season. A detailed plan, approved by the Design Team, the Police and the City Centre Manager, was forwarded to local traders and residents. A Community Representation Group formed by the City Centre Manager and regular update meetings held has achieved a new level of liaison with interested parties.
Best Management Practices
Activity in the busy area required access to be maintained for a variety of users, including residents, visitors, shop and office staff, delivery vehicles and taxis as well as the emergency services. The Project Team and City Centre Manager worked closely with the contractor to and local businesses establish a number of best practices in order to secure positive public relations on site. Customer safety and access were of the highest order and special measures included construction of a small number of wooden bridges with handrails. These helped general access as well as aiding the contractor when digging across doorways. Every effort was made to allow deliveries and pick-ups to ensure a minimum of inconvenience. The contractors removed refuse and litter daily. Innovative and informative signing was erected during construction to inform the public of the project. A detailed cleansing regime for the project area post-completion, including a maintenance plan, was developed and agreed by all partners.
Conclusion
The project was successfully completed in July 2001, following a 46-week contract period. It has attracted considerable praise and positive comments on the significant contribution it has made to enhancing the City Centre and the image of Aberdeen as a whole. It is a fine example of the pro-active approach taken by the Planning Department in using high quality planning skills in a market-orientated approach to regeneration.
The judges recall that Aberdeen City Centre Partnership received a Scottish Planning Award in 1998. They see this entry as very welcome confirmation that the outstanding work continues, and they believe that it deserves equally close attention as an example of practical regeneration in action.
34. MORAY LOCAL ACCESS INITIATIVE
-2001 nomination by The Moray Council and 4 Community Access Groups
The Moray Access Network Initiative (MANI) was launched in December 1999 by the Moray Council as a demonstration project of how to develop local access networks and subsequently manage and promote them with local communities taking a central role. Creating footpaths networks is not exactly a new concept but the initiative was innovative in its delivery, allowing an integrated approach to access provision; development through partnership; and community empowerment, support and capacity building.
Project background
It was clear during 1998 that a number of communities wanted to develop access in their areas. There was a clear need for action, with plenty of ideas and enthusiasm but little in the way of support through centrally available expertise and resources. The Paths for All Partnership approached the Moray Council with a view to setting up an initiative to "pilot" development of 4 Local Access Networks. The MANI was launched in 1999 as a partnership, (SNH, Paths for All Partnership, The Moray Council, Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist Board, Moray Badenoch & Strathspey Enterprise), set up to provide centrally available financial resources and to give strategic direction. The key element of the initiative was to support local community efforts focused through 4 Local Access Groups established in the pilot areas. These groups were Forres Footpaths Trust, Speyside Footpaths, Burghead Footpaths and Drummuir 21. The groups contrasted in terms of local membership and characteristics of the areas that they covered. Forres presented the challenges of a medium sized market town, Speyside and Drummuir were rural areas and Burghead was closely identified with his historic heritage. Drummuir was unique in that the initiative here was led by the local landowner focussing on sustainable development and transport. The central theme in all 4 areas was to provide access for as wide a range of abilities and a variety of users (ie pedestrians, cyclists and horseriders) where practical or possible.
Project Outputs
l Formation of 4 Local Access Groups; l Development of 4 Local Access Networks as "pilots" (totally 50 km of footpaths developed and managed as part of the integrated Local Networks); l Employment of an access officer to provide guidance, expertise and facilitate community efforts in developing access; l Widespread marketing and promotion of routes by leaflets, maps and guides distributed locally and via Tourist Board Networks.
Process
Strategic direction and management of the overall initiative was facilitated through a steering group involving all principal partners with the Moray Council taking a lead role. The Partnership administered an "Access Development Fund" set up to allow the Local Access Groups to bid for grants. The application procedure ensured consistent quality control and robust assessment of the merits of any submitted project. It also promoted standards in the way routes were developed and promoted creating a "Moray Product" whilst allowing for local identity. The Access Development Fund could pay for general path development (stiles, surfacing, fences etc); waymarking, signage and interpretation; promotional literature; and public liability and legal expenses. Practical and technical input was given to the access groups through the Access Officer who was the main link to the partnership steering group. A guiding principle was that where possible the Local Access Groups would take a lead role in all stages of project development continually supported through the initiative.
Community-led solutions
Stages of development led by the communities included: l Audit of current access provision and local "issues"; l Setting out ideas and draft proposals; l Community consultation and needs analysis - established through local input to a series of open days, workshops, meetings and surveys; l Formulation of a Local Access Network Plan; l Project implementation - detailed costing, contract documentation, site works (surfacing, waymarking, signage, gates, fences, bridges etc as programmed); l Marketing approach - preparation and distribution of promotional literature and materials; and l Sustaining networks - public liability and provisions of long term route management and maintenance.
Project costs and funding
The Project has been achieved through partnership working and contributions by: Scottish Natural Heritage; The Moray Council; Moray Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise; Leader II; EC Objective 1 and EC Objective 5b to total funding of: Access Officer £ 32,835,000, and development works £115,973.50
Strategic integration
The initiative allows the provision of free and safe access for all. It accords with material policy directives relating to sustainable development, health and equal opportunities. It accords with corporate guidance and policies of the Moray Council ie Moray Development Plan, Moray LA21 strategy, Moray Environmental charter and the Moray Corporate Plan. It provides potential for realising multiple community, health, sustainable transport and environmental benefits. It creates potential for employment (eg green tourism). And it provides a valuable tourist infrastructure resource that could help make Moray more attractive to a wider variety of tourists.
The benefits
The project due to finish at the end of November 2001 is just the start! As a pilot project it has been very successful in demonstrating "good practice" and what can be achieved. It has been well received across Moray and beyond. All the 4 Local Access Groups involved agreed that the expertise, advice and continual support of the Access Officer were critical to their success. The Initiative has increased awareness by Council officials and the general public of access, and interest by other Moray Community Groups in developing local Access Networks. It has led to further efforts by the 4 pilot groups in developing and promoting their local networks. It has inspired the setting up of "Moray Abounds", a consortium of the 4 "pilot" Local Access Groups and others to develop a "brand identity" for Access across Moray and to arrange maintenance. It has also led to the development by the Partnership of the Moray Local Access Strategy to "roll out" access development across Moray. A further £355,000 has been secured by the partnership and from ERDF to implement the strategy during 2003-2004. Experience gained from this project will inform all aspects of the Strategy's development.
The judges visited Forres for a presentation on this nomination. In just one of the four project areas they could see the enthusiasm generated by this initiative as well as the results on the ground. What makes this project special is the degree of local involvement at every stage. Footpath projects like this one (and Falkirk's work at Denny commended last year) are a testament to close and detailed work to build on the knowledge and expertise available in local communities. The judges consider this an excellent initiative by Moray Council and the four Access Groups. They recommend this entry for commendation in the category of development on the ground.
35. EDINBURGH'S EXCHANGE MASTERPLAN: THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE EXCHANGE
-2001 nomination by City Of Edinburgh Council
The development of the Exchange in Edinburgh has illustrated the benefits of master planning and how planning within the wider planning process can contribute to the effective implementation of its aims and objectives. Beginning in 1989, the development of the Exchange has created the largest development scheme in Edinburgh since the Georgian New Town was built in the 18 th century. The Exchange is consolidating itself as the hub of Edinburgh's financial and commercial sector. In a development first envisaged in the mid 1980s, the persistence of those involved has paid off and a new financial district and focus for Edinburgh's conference market has been created, generating employment and a significant boost to the economy. The influence of good contextual urban design is clearly visible in the form of the development and the result is the successful integration of planning and economic development strategies. The initial masterplan had very clear aims and objectives and planning has ensured that all developments in the Exchange redevelopment area were designed to a standard in accordance with its principles.
The winning master plan proposals by Sir Terry Farrell led to the subsequent development of his design for the Edinburgh International Conference and Exhibition Centre, which has become one of the most successful conference facilities in Europe. Indeed, at the opening of Conference Square, the First Minister, Henry McLeish and other influential figures acknowledged the redevelopment of the Exchange area and recognised its importance as a significant contribution to employment and to the economy.
1985 Lothian Region Structure Plan
During the 1980s, it was acknowledged that there was a significant amount of interest in the financial sector and particularly, its need for a central location. The need to enhance the city's developing conference industry was also recognised. The 1985 Structure Plan therefore required the then District Council to identify an area of land in Central Edinburgh for prestige office development. Furthermore, the demand for office space during the mid-late 1980s exceeded supply and existing floorspace was inadequate to meet the demand. New central office development was required and a suitable area was sought. Consequently, the West Central Edinburgh Redevelopment Strategy was presented to secure land suitable for development.
1987 Redevelopment Strategy
The West Central Edinburgh Redevelopment Strategy was prepared to safeguard the West Central Edinburgh area as an area for future development. The Strategy highlighted the current restrictions on office development within Edinburgh and brought to light the need to secure a central area of land for office development. At a time when employment across many work areas was in decline, the office sector was noteworthy because of its growth potential. Of particular importance was the financial sector. An area between Haymarket and Castle Terrace, known as West Central Edinburgh, was shown as the main area capable of providing redevelopment opportunities and initial responses from property agents confirmed that office development should be the main focus in the area. The Strategy included an objective of securing a new conference centre for Edinburgh and recognised the importance of the mixed-use character of this area of the city centre. Around 700 houses have been built in the strategy area around the Exchange.
1989-1990: The Exchange Masterplan
The site for the masterplan was located at a crucial point between the old town and the new and the main aim was therefore to create a link between these 2 areas to allow easier integration for pedestrians throughout the city. The development of the masterplan was also concerned with the provision of linked public spaces. It was considered important that the Exchange was not purely an office development devoid of activity outside office hours, so a mixed-use scheme was proposed. Cafés, bars, restaurants are provided and 2 major public areas are all part of the Exchange development.
Implementing the masterplan
The development of the winning masterplan proposals led to the development of the Edinburgh International Conference and Exhibition Centre, the focus within the Exchange master plan. Further developments followed and to date, only one building remains to be constructed. The development of the Exchange has had a strong knock-on effect with new prestige commercial developments occurring in several locations nearby and the enhancement of existing properties and streets in the area has also been seen. The masterplan was not just about the development of office buildings but was also concerned with the improvement of the public realm with the provision of public spaces all linked to integrate with other parts of the city. The north boundary to the Exchange development is dictated by a crescent shaped office building which encloses the urban space and leads pedestrians into Conference Square, a triangular space which forms the centre of the masterplan. Here, the public, and the local workforce can enjoy the quiet urban setting and use the various cafés, bars and restaurants at ground level. Linked by a pedestrian walkway from Conference Square, running along the inside curve of the crescent is Festival Square which is located on the Lothian Road elevation of the Sheraton Hotel. To the north of Festival Square is the east end of the crescent and to the south is a new office building which encloses the space and enhances the relationship between the square and the Usher Hall.
Involvement
The policy and master planning process extended over some years, principally in the early and mid 1980s. The Lothian Region Structure Plan that set the overall objectives for economic and environmental matters for Edinburgh city centre was subject to the normal consultation process. The central Edinburgh Local Plan also underwent extensive consultation and has been influential during the later stages of the development. This, however was preceded by the West Central Edinburgh Redevelopment Strategy, adopted as District Council policy. The area of the Strategy extended from Castle Terrace to the east, Haymarket to the west, Tollcross to the south and Lothian Road - West Approach Road (The Exchange) to the north. Local politicians were significantly engaged during the preparation of the Strategy, representing the interests of local communities and street associations. Some of these groups were also directly consulted during the process. The Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland and amenity bodies such as the Cockburn Association were also engaged in dialogue on a wide range of issues.
Although the main driver of the initiative was economic development, the view was firmly taken that the opportunity must be taken to consolidate and enhance local residential areas within the Strategy boundaries. This involved housing associations connected with the local communities to ensure a wide range of tenures would be represented in the building of new houses to maintain a balanced community. This has been successfully achieved with over 700 houses having been constructed between Haymarket and Tollcross. Tenures range from private flats for sale, flats at economic rent, social housing at subsidised rent, student residences and also includes a "car-free" development at Tollcross. Additionally, the principal commercial developments (including the Exchange) all have included a proportion of retail/café uses at pedestrian/street level to achieve consultation led objectives to enhance local amenities for residents, workers and visitors to the area.
Delivering the vision
Since the masterplan was produced to redevelop West Central Edinburgh, city planners have kept a close liaison with Terry Farrell & Partners to ensure the design and use of developments has been of the highest possible standard to guarantee delivery of the vision as set out in the Exchange Masterplan.
The judges looked carefully at this nomination and they followed the description of the stages leading to the masterplan. The redevelopment of this prime area of the capital has been a long process. The judges are pleased that the pattern of activity and mix of uses were considered for the land covered by the masterplan, and that houses have been provided in large numbers in the surrounding area. But they were disappointed that the entry did not provide them with the evidence they normally look for on community involvement. The planning and development of this area has undoubtedly provided Edinburgh with some significant new assets, and care has been taken with aspects of the public realm. The judges thank the City Council for submitting this entry. They are happy to see the record included in this report.
36. CAMBUSLANG: HOLMHILLS WOOD COMMUNITY PARK
-2001 nomination by South Lanarkshire Council
This project demonstrates the successful reclamation of derelict land into a sustainable green space solution. It project is an excellent example of engaging the local community from the early stages of consultation to project implementation, including the provision of training opportunities for local unemployed people. And it demonstrates highly effective partnership working between the Council, Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire, Central Scotland Countryside Trust, the training provider and the community.
Background
Following Local Government reorganisation in 1996, the Council undertook an assessment of vacant/derelict land in the Cambuslang/Rutherglen area. From that assessment, 4 sites were identified as being suitable for long term sustainable "green" development and as such the Cambuslang/Rutherglen Greening Strategy was born. The Holmhills site is also part of Phase 1 of the Cambuslang Urban Parkland Initiative, established to improve Cambuslang's green spaces. The Cambuslang/ Rutherglen Greening Strategy was launched in 1998 to bring about the regeneration of vacant/derelict sites in the area. The Strategy considered sites, which could not easily be developed for housing, industry etc, but lent themselves more for community use/open space. Holmhills Wood was identified as a priority site as it lay beside the Cambuslang Social Inclusion Partnership area where it was felt that residents would benefit from the creation of a "community" park together with opportunities for learning, play and improved access. Holmhills Wood and another nearly site Annan Drive, formed phase one of the Cambuslang Urban Parkland Initiative (CUPI). The aim of CUPI is again to reclaim vacant/contaminated sites for public benefit. CUPI was successful in securing European funding and at present a second phase is being considered. The project also met the objectives of Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire's Derelict Land Strategy.
Community participation
From the outset, community participation was seen as critical to the success of the Greening Strategy. As part of our assessment, we also wanted to establish how each of the 4 sites was used by local residents and any aspirations they had for their improvement. Scottish Participatory Initiatives (SPI) were approached to prepare a custom-built consultation process. To gain a true perception of each of the 4 sites, it was important that the consultation was at "arms length" from the Council. Local people were employed to act as facilitators to meet a wide cross-section of local residents and to record their views and ideas. A total of 10 local unemployed residents were engaged in the project as facilitators, ranging from a student to a retired businessman. A 2 day intensive training programme was provided advising the facilitators of the aims of the consultation process, approaches to be adopted etc. The facilitators targeted post offices, pubs, petrol stations, parks, front gardens etc in a bid to gauge local residents' views of each of the 4 sites. For each site, residents were asked their likes/dislikes and any aspirations they had for its improvement. These were then plotted on large-scale plans and displayed at public meetings. In the case of Holmhills, 277 residents were targeted ranging from 10 years to 60+ years. Current problems identified included dumping and anti-social behaviour with current uses including dog walking and golf. Aspirations included foot & cycle paths, wildlife areas, and dog walking routes.
Project design and implementation
Due to funding availability and the fact that Holmhills is in the Council's ownership, it was agreed that it should be the first Greening Strategy site implemented. On the basis of the public consultation, a draft scheme was drawn up including woodland planting, footpath construction, play areas, establishment of a wetland area and drainage works. This scheme was the subject of further consultation in a public meeting where residents were asked for their views and to suggest changes to the plan. Surprisingly, whilst the most residents supported the play areas in principle, there was the view that they would be vandalised and act as a meeting point for youths in the evening. It was recommended that this aspect of the project be deleted. The scheme was refined and a planning application was submitted and duly approved. A site start was made in December 1999 and the project completes in December 2001, to a value of £550,000. All the physical works are already in place.
Continued community involvement
As part of the project a Community Development Officer was appointed to harness community interest generated through the earlier participation exercise by preparing a Community Action Plan. This plan includes for a range of events to be held on the site together with the production of an education pack for on-site environmental education. To date 9 events have been held from "beastie hunts" to mini orienteering. Two community newsletters have also been prepared and distributed locally. The post of the Community Development Officer has been so successful that funding was sought to continue the post beyond December 2001. The Park has now secured £45,000 over 3 years from the Esmee Fairbairn Trust towards the revenue costs of the Community Development Officer. Additional funding is being sought from other sources to continue the work.
Partnership working
Holmhills Wood Community Park is an excellent example of partnership working. The project was funded by Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire Council and European Regional Development Fund. However close working relationships were also established with Central Scotland Countryside Trust, the Wise Group (the training provider) and the community.
Role of the planning service
The Planning Service has been instrumental in the delivery of the project from the initial assessment of vacant and derelict land, the preparation of the consultants study brief and setting a framework for the community consultation to overseeing the official opening of the park. Other aspects included the assessment and determination of the planning application, appointment of contractors, liaison with local residents, overseeing budgets and undertaking day-to-day client responsibility.
Outputs
The creation of the Park has resulted in: l 17 hectares of derelict land reclaimed; l 3 hectares of community woodland planted; l 3 kilometres of new footpaths; l Creation of wetlands and ponds; l 10 unemployed local residents employed to undertake public consultation; l 15 local unemployed people offered employment training as part of the construction works; and l 2 local newsletters prepared and 9 events held in the Park to date (a further 2 newsletter and 4 events are scheduled to be undertaken by December 2001). In line with the Council's community plan "Stronger Together" the project has clearly helped create successful & inclusive communities - by way of the public consultation/participation; safe & healthy communities - by creating an attractive and safe environment; working & learning communities - by providing employment training and environmental education opportunities. Through effective and innovative consultation an area of derelict land has been transformed into a valued community park, well received by local residents and schools.
The judges visited Holmhills Woods for a presentation on this nomination. The Holmhills Woods project has given a very high priority to community participation and development, and the judges are keen to endorse this approach. Much has been done to restore the landscape of the area, and the Park has dramatic views across Cambuslang and Glasgow. This is a very highly valued entry in a strong field, and although failing to gain a recommendation by a short margin, the judges hope that the full description of the project and of the ways in which local residents have been involved will give useful pointers to others across Scotland.
37. DUNOON: BISHOPS GLEN ENHANCEMENT PROJECT AND ENVIRONMENT TASKFORCE PROGRAMME
-2001 nomination by Argyll & Bute Council: Economic Development, Tourism & Leisure.
Bishops Glen is an attractive woodland gorge in Dunoon, much used by local people, but which had become degraded over time. The Cowal Local Plan 1993 highlighted the need to develop the glen as a woodland park for the people of Dunoon. The Bishops Glen Project set out to implement this policy in a way that maximised the involvement of local people while using the project to provide a group of local long term unemployed young people with vital work experience, training and qualifications. The Project sought to enhance the woodland, bringing it into active management, making it more people and wildlife friendly. The Enhancement Project, included path and bridge improvements, woodland management, interpretation and events, and ran in parallel with an Environment Task Force (ETF) Programme, which employed 7 young unemployed people for a year, working alongside the mainstream contractors, under the direction of a supervisor and the ETF Manager.
Sustainable Development
Bishops Glen contains attractive and diverse woodland with rich bio-diversity particularly in the riparian woodland sections along the steep banks of the gorge. But the planting of sitka spruce coups in the 1950s had degraded the woodland. The project replaced the dense sitka coups with native species, compatible with those already thriving in the glen. The project also involved the removal of invasive species such as Rhododendron and Japanese Knotweed. An original Management Plan has been updated and will guide future work. Through the Interpretation and Events Programme, local people and children have learnt about the Glens' bio-diversity.
Partnership
The many and diverse aspects of this large project were reflected in the wide partnership which was involved in funding and implementing the £300,000 project: Argyll and Bute Council; Argyll and Bute Countryside Trust; Argyll and the Islands Enterprise; Forestry Commission Scotland; Millennium Forest for Scotland Trust; Scottish Natural Heritage; European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund; European Social Fund; and The Employment Service. Other non-funding partners included Forest Enterprise, Tillhill Economic Forestry, and Dunoon Angling Association.
Innovation
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the Bishops Glen Project has been its unique involvement of the ETF Trainees. The concept behind the Project was that the Enhancement Project and the ETF Programme would link tightly together but that each would have its own distinct budget. Each was in fact fully funded. Therefore the involvement of the Trainees brought added value to the project instead of being used as a cheap way of getting the works done. This complementarity was a significant factor in achieving the 2 European grants. The benefits of the Bishops Glen approach were that: the quality of the mainstream contracts did not suffer. The mainstream contractors were able to involve the trainees in the works they were undertaking. This gave them an opportunity to see the potential of using trainees. The trainee teams were funded for a full year rather than the usual 6 months which gave them sufficient time and training to gain full SVQs in Environmental Conservation as well as a number of Industry recognised qualifications. Finally, the Programme could afford to be focused on the Trainees needs and could provide them with high quality work experience and training.
Social Inclusion
Tackling Unemployment. The ETF Programme gave 7 long term unemployed local young people, from a Social Inclusion Partnership area, the opportunity to develop skills and gain qualifications which have enabled them to compete more effectively in the labour market. Increasing Accessibility. The project includes a Wheelchair Access scheme. Keys are available from the Tourist Information Centre for a locked gate at the entrance to the glen, to enable only disabled users to drive to the level ground at the upper car park and take advantage of the wheelchair access path round the reservoir to the new picnic area.
Community involvement
From its earliest days the Project sought to include local people. In the Wildwood Project, l people used the glen to discover what Scotland would have looked like once covered in woods, presenting their discoveries as a slide show. An Interpretation project involved a series of interactive workshops, which encouraged local people to talk about the glen and how it should be interpreted and managed. This resulted in an Interpretation Strategy, a series of leaflets, and a series of interpretation panels. An Events Programme has been run for 2 years involving local people in learning about, enjoying, and helping to manage the glen. The climax of the events programme has been the Childrens Week which is run annually in the glen and has been oversubscribed. At the recent official reopening of the glen, the concept of the "Friends of Bishops Glen" was launched. This idea has met with an enthusiastic reception and will involve local people in making and implementing decisions. It is hoped that this will give people a stakeholder attitude to this vulnerable site adjacent to an urban centre and subject to vandalism.
Difficult issues tackled and resolved
Throughout the implementation of the works, the policy of the Dunoon Woodland Park Group was to give proper consideration to the concerns of local people. This was considered vital if the public bodies were to gain the confidence and trust of local people, which would be essential to the long-term management of the glen. This principle, on more than one occasion, resulted in additional costs to the project but was felt to be the appropriate approach when dealing with a sensitive resource much prized by the population of the area. One example of this arose during the initial felling of the sitka spruce coups in the areas of the glen adjacent to local residential areas. One local resident grew concerned that this felling would remove a valuable habitat area for the red squirrels, which thrive in the glen. Having been contacted by the resident, work was stopped immediately while her concerns were addressed. Various experts were contacted and a survey of the sitka coups conducted in order to determine whether any active dreys existed in the coups being felled. The survey found one active drey. On the advice of Scottish Natural Heritage and a number of other experts, a plan was developed to protect this drey from disturbance and to allow escape routes for the squirrels into the upper glen where no felling was taking place. The consensus of opinion was that the benefits to the entire range of species in the glen of the removal of the dense coups sitka justified some minor adjustments to the habitat of the red squirrels. This issue reinforced the wisdom of an earlier decision not to employ a rigid programme of sitka removal throughout the glen. The project had sought to retain a mixed canopy of native non-native trees in the upper glen in order to provide a wide range of habitat while retaining an attractive glen for present generations. This issue also highlighted a significant weakness in the existing management plan for the fauna of the glen. The weakness was and is being addressed in the revised management plan produced recently. There are plans to involve interested locals in a wildlife survey through the "Friends of Bishops Glen".
Team work
The size and complexity of the Project required a large team for implementation. It included the following people and groups as well as 5 sets of contractors and consultants: Argyll and Bute Countryside Trust (developed the first concepts of the project prior to the Trust closing); Councillor Dick Walsh (local member for the glen); Debbie Mackay (overall Project Manager: Senior Planning/Development Officer, Development and Environment Services, Argyll & Bute Council); Terry Marwick (responsible for the management of the glen: Amenity Services Manager, Development and Environment Services, Argyll & Bute Council); Ailsa Clark (overall management of the ETF team, organising training and career development: ETF Manager, Argyll & Bute Council); Tony Rees (ETF Supervisor, organising workloads, client/contractor liaison, and training); ETF Trainees (worked in the glen for a year).
The judges visited Bishops Glen for a presentation on this nomination. They readily appreciated the attractiveness of Bishops Glen for recreation and the standard of the works carried out. They liked some of the interpretative material produced for visitors. Above all, however, they were impressed by the human aspects of the project, with local trainees gaining good experience of a range of skills which some have already started to make more of. This is a well-rounded project. The decay of a particularly valuable local asset has been reversed in a way that has brought real benefits. The judges would like to congratulate all those involved, and particularly to commend the way in which training and environmental improvements were brought together in the project to such evident local advantage. They recommend the Bishops Glen entry for commendation in the category of development on the ground.
38. ST ANDREWS BAY DEVELOPMENT
2001 nomination by Development Team (East Area) Fife Council
St Andrews has a distinct edge to the settlement giving clear definition to both the town and the surrounding countryside. The high quality of the setting in terms of topography, landscape and unbuilt coastline is recognised as an Area of Great Landscape Value and incorporates Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It was against this sensitive and important context that the Kingask development proposals, now known as St Andrews Bay, were dealt with by the Development Team. The proposals involve a hotel with 208 bedrooms, conference centre and leisure facilities together with 2 18-hole golf courses and clubhouse. In dealing with this proposal the following issues were successfully tackled: l a highly articulate and mobilised opposition; l successful assimilation into a sensitive landscape setting; l an innovative Green Travel Plan; l scoping of environmental impacts; l planning and environmental gains; l first class international resort facilities; and l a legal challenge to approval of the planning application.
Key issues
The Kingask planning application was processed in tandem with 2 other golf resort applications in the St Andrews hinterland. As a consequence, key strategic issues were raised in the Fife-wide context to be dealt with in association with the St Andrews and site specific issues. A Development Team was established by Fife Council to deal with the application, incorporating Development Control and Policy Planners, Landscape and Transportation Advisers.
Innovation
Innovative approaches were invoked by the Green Travel Plan as well as golf course policies to ensure that the development would make a significant contribution to the St Andrews and Fife economies, whilst not adversely affecting the important landscape setting of St Andrews, the local road system and the unique historic and golf related character of the town.
Consultation
Extensive consultation exercises were undertaken, including public meetings. A significant number of both objections and submissions of support were received, together with a high profile and lengthy press coverage. Officers and Councillors were put under intense pressure as a result. Following this and despite a very open debate and decision making process, a late legal challenge was invoked against the approval, by which time the development was progressing at a pace. The challenge was eventually dismissed. Although now operational, there are still elements to be completed and the development is still scrutinised closely in some quarters.
Results
The development has created an international resort location, in line with the current Scottish Executive approach to targeting international markets for tourist led initiatives. It has created a significant number of jobs in the surrounding economy and widened the tourist base. The landscape of this former "prairie-like" farm has been transformed through extensive planting and golf course formation. In summary, the Development Team has tackled uniquely wide-ranging and complex issues successfully through forward-thinking and innovative approaches.
The judges are always glad to see entries for development on the ground that result from significant input by the planning service, whether at the application stage or in other ways. They recognise the work done by Fife Council's local team on the St Andrews Bay development and are pleased to see how the complexity of a controversial application has been dealt with.
39. ST ANDREWS: NEW BUILDINGS IN A HISTORIC SETTING
2001 nomination by Development Control Team - St Andrews (Fife Council)
St Andrews is a very special place. It is a well-preserved and conserved outstanding conservation area retaining much of its original medieval layout. Fife Council and a range of external partners want it to aspire to world heritage status (WHS). To this end, a variety of joint initiatives and investments are being targeted: Environmental upgrades within the town fabric; Revitalisation of the harbour and its environs; A Tourism Management Plan to create development opportunities and control visitor impacts; and a re-focussed St Andrews University with commercial ambitions linked to world leading research facilities. All this is taking place in an environment of increasing development pressures, the creation of a greenbelt and informed, articulate and influential local community and pressure groups.
Development quality
Development control plays a pivotal role in this matrix of strategies and the Planning and Building Control Service has placed deliberate emphasis on the quality of design and developments. Some of this work has taken the form of pro-active partnerships. For example, joint discussions and consultations with St Andrews University staff have led to: a land and buildings appraisal process; a landscaping strategy for all University properties throughout St Andrews; new build schemes being selected after architectural competition; and commissioning of new projects being led by prominent and award winning architectural practices.
Public realm
Discussions with Scottish Enterprise Fife have led to significant investments in public realm works and the production of design standards and principles which will be needed to co-ordinate all aspects of street furniture and public works and to upgrade existing facilities.
Design focus and examples
The Development Control team for St Andrews comprises in essence 2 Planners with urban design qualifications which further focus our approach to design issues and solutions. Recent examples of this detailed and integrated approach include: l Gateway Building - Rotunda style feature building at entrance to the University and St Andrews. Issues resolved include the height of building against medieval skyline, position of the building on site and the architectural style details and finishes. l Byre Theatre - Significant modern building in the heart of the St Andrews Conservation Area. Critical issues dealt with included the height of the building, its visual impact, impact on neighbouring land and buildings, site planning details and the architectural and historical context of adjoining buildings. l Woollen Mill - Wholesale redevelopment of a well-loved building adjacent to the famous golf links. Again, a modern design solution has been achieved to maximise floor space and internal efficiency but the building is in many ways of traditional appearance. All these high quality design solutions add to a succession of previous buildings including the St Andrews Links Clubhouse and the St Andrews Golf Museum. Individually and collectively these help to showcase the fact that although St Andrews is an important traditional and historic town, it is also modern, dynamic and progressive. It continues to attract inward investment and accommodate modern buildings of quality which do not spoil the natural assets and overall character and quality of the town.
To conclude
This is a clear demonstration of the contribution of the wide range of skills available to Development Control staff. These skills are focussed with a clear vision and awareness of high quality urban design and buildings, which are not hung up on architectural pastiche but clearly demonstrate a modern identity, without losing an appreciation of the local historical and architectural context.
The judges congratulate the St Andrews Control team for its attention to design, its close work with the University, and the projects initiated through Scottish Enterprise Fife. The examples given here show the range of important projects in which the team has helped to secure better outcomes on the ground. The judges see this as a good example of the way in which a creative approach to mainstream planning work can have a lasting impact on the quality of life and the character of Scotland's built environment.
Concluding remarks by the judges
We have thoroughly enjoyed our work in judging this year's Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning and it is with pleasure that we here submit our recommendations for 2001. We have already commented on the range and quality of the nominations. As always, our special thanks go to the many individuals who gave us presentations or accompanied our visits on the ground, often at difficult times.
Sifting each entry from the starting point of a brief nomination is always difficult. We have tried to be fair: selecting projects for investigation, recognising the small as well as the large and remembering that our task is above all to identify the outstanding. We have sought out evidence of community involvement, sustainable development, innovation, problem resolution, and value for money. We have been alert to the added value that can be created through effective work by the planning service. In spite of our efforts, we may have overlooked or undervalued entries that deserve further scrutiny by those with an interest in achieving quality in Scottish development, conservation and service standards. Some may be disappointed with our recommendations. But we acknowledge the real worth of all we have seen in the nominations, presentations and visits. As usual we include full details of each and every entry in our report.
Quite apart from our own recommendations and comments, the record of all the nominations in the five years of these Awards has grown to become a valued resource in its own right. It is in ever-increasing daily use through the internet, and now contains more than a hundred and seventy notable examples of recent planning endeavours in Scotland from which lessons can be learned.
This year's nominations have opened our eyes to the potential of new technology in planning. Geographic information systems (GIS) have made a powerful contribution to many of the successful entries, for example those for the Highland Rural Pilot, Shetland Aquaculture, West of Scotland Archaeology and Moray Forestry. Three GIS-based entries contain exceptional features which we recognise in our recommendations: Stirling's innovative use of GIS in local planning, Falkirk's extensive technical work in tandem with the Forth Valley GIS service, and Moray's outstanding WebMap implementation for inward investment. We expect future work across Scotland to raise standards significantly in this field. We suggest that the Executive may be able to help by encouraging IT benchmarking. And we encourage the planning profession to work with other stakeholders and users to make the most effective use of new technology.
We continue to be keen for authorities to nominate outstanding quality in their mainstream planning functions, and identify examples where the planning service has been able to overcome site development problems. We have seen some good examples this year. We applaud the excellent work we have seen in restoration and regeneration. And we ask councils to continue to use their resources creatively in helping communities to look ahead to secure good outcomes by design.
In our report a year ago we made some suggestions. We thought it would be valuable for the Scottish Executive to examine the implications on the planning process of Public/Private Partnership projects by local authorities in the light of recent experience. We challenged planners and housebuilders to bring forward good examples of new residential development on the ground. And we repeated our 1999 suggestion that the Scottish Executive, Royal Town Planning Institute, and all other relevant bodies in Scotland investigate setting up Scottish Sustainable Development Awards open to all forms of sustainable development initiative, public and private. All of these are suggestions we repeat today, if anything with even greater emphasis.
In our opinion the judging criteria for these awards have stood the test of time. The focus on the role of the planning service is vital, we believe. But wider issues are important too, and we are delighted that nominations continue to bring them to notice.
These Awards have been raising the awareness of quality standards in Scottish planning year on year. We hope that the Scottish Executive, the RTPI in Scotland, and all the people who put up nominations, will continue to support this initiative to such good effect.
Barbara Illsley
Gordon Mann
Andrew Raven