Name: | Anthony Aitken |
Organisation: | Colliers CRE |
Role / Daily Tasks: | Planning Director. Responsible for the Planning team in Scotland and ensuring our professional planners provide sound commercial planning advice, to achieve successful planning outcomes and that these meet our client's instructions. I undertake business generation and am involved in a number of wider property projects with fellow colleagues where planning plays an important role. As part of a nationwide Planning Department within Colliers CRE, I am also involved in discussion with colleagues around the country in terms of wider Planning Department objectives |
Time in post: | 2.3 years |
| Past Experience: | MRTPI since 1996. Joined Colliers CRE as an Associate in August 2004 to assist in setting up the Planning Department in Scotland. Since then promoted to Director in July 2006 and led the Department since May 2007. |
August 2009
How do you expect the role out of the new system to affect you?
The New Planning Etc (Scot) Act 2006 has had a direct bearing upon the planning advice that I provide to clients. To date, I have sought to advice clients to embrace the changes coming forward, in terms of good practice, before the new regulatory framework commences in earnest.
Since the White Paper was unveiled, there has been substantive debate amongst people who engage with the planning system, concerning the form and content of the amendments proposed to the Planning Act. I was fortunate enough to be a witness to the Communities Committee when they were reviewing the changes to the Planning Act, to offer views on this, on behalf of the Scottish Chamber of Commerce. I have also fully participated in the consultations concerning the new regulations. The details of the precise changes, in terms of the new regulations, are now largely known. However, their practical implementation is keenly awaited.
To ensure that our colleagues and clients are aware of the forthcoming changes to the planning system, my Planning team at Colliers CRE have undertaken our own 'Planning Roadshow', to advice colleagues and clients of the implications of the amended Planning Act for their landholdings and developments. This has been favourably received.
In terms of imminent concerns, these primarily relate to planners becoming consumed by the process of the new amendments rather than their desired outcomes. In these recessionary times, it is imperative that all planners are as practical as possible and focus on the economic benefits that derive from appropriate development, especially in these tough market conditions.
I believe that there is a genuine opportunity to be grasped, in terms of culture change, to accentuate the positive aspects of Scottish Planning with a 'can-do' attitude, it is important that this generational chance is taken!
October 2009
What are the key changes you have experienced in the initial implementation of the modernised system?
Rome Was Not Built in a Day!
The key changes that have I been experienced a little over a month into the new Planning System primarily relate to continually providing full planning consultancy advice to clients to explain the new regulations, now that they have arrived and are in place, the rehearsal is over and people are often slow to adapt to change. I have heard more than a few murmurings of regret at the passing of the former system, in a few instances by people who were never previously slow to criticise its shortcomings!
A significant change that has also come into effect at the same time as the new regulations, is the e-planning system. This has also had a major impact upon the manner in which applications are prepared by consultants and handled by planning officers. The benefit being the instant access to consultation responses, however the downside initially appears to be on 'blog mentality' of representations posted, that can quickly stray from the salient planning considerations (and regretably in a few instances personal criticism of individuals, which is unwarranted).
The simultaneous introduction of the new regulations and e-planning has been a challenge for planning officers I engage, the consensus being that perversely, the current economic downturn has allowed for these new changes to be successfully absorbed, more than may have been the case in previous years.
The evidence of culture change is contrasting, in this initial month I have had the benefit of a direct briefing from the Head of Planning at a local authority to clients impacted by proposed innovative place making and community consultation proposals, to the depressingly familiar non communication by a planning officer on a significant matter concerning a clients proposal, that was promised in writing more weeks ago than I would care to mention. However, it is early days and I hope the former is an indication of the way forward working towards consigning the latter to history.
December 2009
Practical Reality : Jury's Out
In discussions with clients and local authority planners there is still a feeling of coming to terms with the new system. It is only once the practical reality of the new system being in place for a period of time, probably a year minimum, that its consequential impacts will be known to a lesser or greater degree, at that point a fuller and more accurate assessment of whether its faster and more co-operative can be undertaken. It is in my view still too early to tell at this point, the jury is still out on these matters from my perspective. However, I can state in my experience to date that there is a general willingness to co-operate by all users of the planning system.
I believe that the full raft of planning changes will continue to impact the manner in which I advise clients, especially once a full round of strategic and local development plans are undertaken, through their various stages to completion, this will take several years. There are also all the consequential changes to other forms of applications, e.g. listed building, that are still to come into effect and which will bring these applications into line with the new development management system. The further changes that could also impact the planning system in years to come, in a manner akin to not mentioning the 'elephant in the corner of the room', is the interpretation of the new planning regulations and provisions by the law courts. This could impact the manner in which certain sections of the new regulations are invoked in future, e.g. Local Review Body's.
In order to assist all people who seek to engage in the planning system I believe that there is merit in further government guidance being readily available and updated with examples of good practice championed. I still despair that we seek to re-invent the wheel 32 times in Scotland for each local authority area! With modern technology and communication we should share experiences, good and bad.
February 2010
What new processes has the new planning system introduced to your work?
The new processes introduced to our work relate to ensuring that clients are fully appraised that the key aspect of engagement with the planning system is that this is undertaken at the earliest opportunity. It is essential that our client's landholdings or development ambitions are detailed in a Main Issues Report, that involves prior discussions, correspondence and engagement with both the planning officials and where possible relevant community groups. A similar ethos is also now prevalent when instructed by clients to compile planning applications, requiring a re-educating of clients in terms of the process and importantly the timescales involved in seeking to secure planning permission. One of the most obvious processes that has become a main part of our planning work is organizing and participating in Community Consultation. Whilst this was previously undertaken, it is now becoming a key part of our planning work.
How are you changing your behaviour to implement culture change?
In terms of culture change the key aspects that I have re-emphasised to undertake in seeking to be open and 'up-front' with planning officials concerning our clients ambitions for their landholdings, again this involves early engagement. I aim to be proactive on behalf of our clients, keeping them advised and updated of changes to the planning system, legislation and procedure. However, I would be disappointed if our clients or planning officials with whom I had engaged with, did not believe that these were characteristics that I brought to work I was involved with, prior to August 2009.
April 2010
Pro's and Con's
The impact of the New Development Planning Regulations are now becoming more obvious as strategic bodies and local authorities seek to prepare their new development plans. These new regulations have now been in place for a year or thereabouts.
I am seriously disappointed with the lack of communication concerning local plan examinations. People bought into the requirement for change on the basis that there would be greater transparency and communication to all sectors of the community, to encourage participation. However, in my recent experiences, once a local authority passes representations to the DPEA, deafening silence follows. There is no communication that the local plan examination has commenced, the timetable to which it is working, an indication of the period when further information may be requested. I do not believe that it would present to much difficulty for the DPEA to communicate these initial matters to interested parties. This was previously undertaken via a pre-inquiry meeting, but a simple letter would suffice on these key points, directing parties to a web-site where further updates would follow, once the examination commenced. Effective communication is key and that is not being exhibited to date, this requires to improve.
On the positive side of new development plans preparation, the early stages of calls for sites and Main Issues Report consultation does appear to have resulted in wider discussion of the future planning of areas, with a greater degree of input from a wider range of community groups. Some innovative ideas of ensuring wider community engagement have also been demonstrated to get a broader range of participation from all age groups.
In terms of development plans a series of pro's and con's to report. Hopefully the lack of communication experienced at local plan examinations to date can be improved the aim being to keep the initial higher number of people now being reached, engaged throughout the entire local development plan process.