Application form
Please make sure you have read all the notes carefully before you start to fill in the application form. This application form can either be completed by hand or electronically - it is available on the Planning homepage at www.scotland.gov.uk/planning. Please complete all five sections. The deadline for submitting applications is 8 September 2006. An acknowledgement letter will be sent to the person who has completed this form.
1 Please provide a name and contact details of the lead organisation responsible for this work.
Name | John D Rennilson |
Job title | Director of Planning & Development |
Organisation | The Highland Council |
Address | Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX |
Telephone | 01463 702251 |
Fax | 01463 702298 |
Email | john.rennilson@highland.gov.uk |
2 If this is a joint application, please list the other partners who had a key role. You should also inform your partners that you are nominating the project for an award.
1 Highlands & Islands Enterprise | 2 Scottish Executive |
3 Inverness & East Highland Enterprise
(previously Inverness & Nairn Enterprise) | 4 Scottish Natural Heritage |
5 Keppie Design | 6 Synergie Scotland |
3 Tick the category of nomination
Title of entry | Scottish Natural Heritage Headquarters at Westercraigs, Inverness |
Please complete the form on the following pages by providing a brief summary of the piece of work you have entered. You must also conclude with a key reason as to why you think this work merits an Award. Only the two A4 pages supplied here can be used and your text must fit within the boxes. The font size should be no less than 12pt.
The judging criteria are set out below. Please tick only the key criteria relevant to your entry:
You must describe, in your written submission, how the criteria which you have ticked relate to your project.
Description of project
In December 2001 with the announcement by the Scottish Executive to relocate Scottish Natural Heritage ( SNH), the Highland Council ( THC) identified an opportunity to attract inward investment and job creation. THC liaised with Highlands & Islands Enterprise ( HIE) to lobby Scottish Ministers for the relocation of SNH to the Inverness area. In March 2003 the Scottish Executive announced that SNH were to move to Inverness and THC worked in partnership with SNH and Inverness & Nairn Enterprise ( INE) to examine a number of sites which resulted in the selection of Westercraigs (previously referred to as Craig Dunain) for the new SNH Headquarters. THC staff negotiated with the applicants for the provision of the highest quality Headquarters building which has received acclaim for its sustainable development features. The Headquarters opened in June 2006. |
Context - describe the background to the project
With the depopulation of the Highlands, THC felt it imperative to identify means of securing investment and job creation in all aspects of the employment sector. The dispersal of service jobs allowed this opportunity but this could only be achieved by working in partnership with HIE, INE and other agencies to trawl for and evaluate appropriate quality sites and to persuade business and Government agencies to relocate to the Highlands with its internationally renowned environment, education opportunities, high quality facilities and quality of life. |
What are the aims and objectives of the project?
The aspirations of the project were to attract the relocation of SNH's Headquarters development in Inverness with its employment and economic spin-offs for the area. The aims and objectives of the project had therefore to be clearly defined from the outset. The high quality end product could only be achieved by THC's aim to work in partnership with a variety of agencies, the applicant, and the developer to select an appropriate and prestigious brownfield site for development of a high quality Headquarters building with full regard to the Scottish Ministers demands for sustainability. |
Timescale - over what timescale has the project been developed?
In November 2001 the Scottish Executive announced that SNH should have a new Headquarters based outside Edinburgh. In January 2002 THC met HIE to establish a task force to locate the National Agency in the Highland area. These efforts which identified a number of proposed options culminated in the announcement in March 2003 that SNH would relocate to Inverness. Further site identification and negotiations resulted in the submission of a planning application for the Headquarters building in October 2004. Successful negotiations with SNH and its architects resulted in the granting of planning permission in February 2005. The building was opened for operation in June 2006. |
Action - explain the process and action taken
In its efforts to secure inward investment the Council's initial action was to liaise with HIE for the submission to the Scottish Executive for a case for the relocation of SNH to Inverness. The consultants appointed to assist with the task produced a property options paper submitted to PIEDA (on behalf of SNH) resulting in the Scottish Executive's announcement that the Agency would move to Inverness. This then necessitated in partnership with INE the preparation of an analysis of available sites. The working relationship between THC, INE and SNH resulted in site selection, the appointment of contractors for a design and building project and the submission of a planning application for the Headquarters building at Craig Dunain in the south-western part of Inverness. Following detailed discussions between THC, SNH and their agents and contractors, planning permission was granted and the construction work completed. |
Explain the role of the key partners
The Council's partnerships with the Scottish Executive, HIE, INE, SNH, the Council's consultants and SNH's agents and contractors are explained above. The success of these relationships and partnerships were critical to each part of the process. The partnerships identified the Highlands and Islands as a most suitable location for an agency such as SNH and went on to introduce SNH to a number of sites resulting in specific site selection. THC was instrumental in briefing the SNH workforce about the quality of facilities and the quality of life in Inverness. The partnering relationship with agents and contractors resulting in the design and construction of a high quality sustainable development in a prime location to the ultimate satisfaction of SNH and its workforce. |
Results - what results were achieved?
Scottish Natural Heritage has successfully relocated to Inverness with the benefit of potentially 300 jobs and the economic spin-off from these. The trawl of suitable sites by the partners involved resulted in the selection of the Craig Dunain site and the master planning exercise and continuing dialogue between THC and SNH and their agents has resulted in the imaginative re-use of a brownfield site achieving a prestigious Headquarters building of high architectural quality employing distinct sustainable features. |
Conclusion - in summary, why does this piece of work merit an Award?
The relocation of SNH to Inverness illustrates a number of successful town planning outcomes resulting from working in partnership with a number of agencies and compliance with the Scottish Executive's strategic economic policies to relocate civil service jobs to the Scottish hinterland. The development of a prestigious Headquarters building for a National Agency on a high amenity site using brownfield land and adopting the good principles and best practice in sustainability has shown commitment to and quality architecture and sustainable development of the prime aspirations of Scottish Ministers for town and country planning in Scotland. The acceptance of staff to relocation and its satisfaction with the working environment within an area of high amenity, excellent facilities and a quality lifestyle is also indicative of the end product of this successful project. |
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