Name: | Gordon Thomson |
| Organisation: | Barton Willmore |
| Role / Daily Tasks: | Senior Planner responsible for undertaking site and development appraisals, identifying land suitable for development, the preparation and submission of planning applications, Environmental Statements and Design and Access Statements and making representations on emerging policy in support of a wide range of development proposals on behalf of prominent house builders, developers, public companies and landowners throughout Scotland. |
Time in post: | 4.5 years |
| Past Experience: | 1.5 years at South Lanarkshire Council and 1 year student placement at Aylesbury Vale District Council, both in Development Control |
February 2010
One of the principal changes that the new planning system has brought to my day to day work is the introduction of ongoing discussions regarding the implications of the Act and its subordinate legislation with clients and colleagues, and ascertaining how best to make these work for them. As most in the industry are still tentatively feeling their way around the system and coming to terms with what is now expected of them, it is important that this new dialogue which has now opened up as a result of the changes is maintained to encourage sharing of knowledge and to allow users of the system to adapt accordingly. The staff of the Scottish Government have been very willing and helpful in clarifying their interpretation of the finer points of the new system and there is a general sense of "we're all in this together" across all sections of the industry which has made the transition far easier than it might have been.
While the need to make the planning system more efficient and more able to contribute towards the growth of a strong economy is accepted, I maintain concerns that in the shift in emphasis to deliverability and efficiency, the focus on planning the best solutions may inadvertently fall by the wayside. Now that a development plan may be prepared, consulted on, examined and adopted without the beauty parade of sites at inquiry which were common on days gone by, there is a risk that the most innovative and sustainable solutions may be overlooked for ones that are merely adequate and happened to be identified first. The lasting effects of this may not be known for several years, and in light of this it is vital that decision makers are equipped with adequate information at the outset to allow them to make the most informed choices possible.
April 2010
The current transitional stage that we are in continues to present issues which have implications to the way in which we and our clients are having to operate. It has been frustrating where initial representations have been accepted on emerging local plans under the 1997 Act, then part way through the process, the introduction of the 2006 Act and its subordinate legislation has subsequently limited the scope for making further submissions or introduction of additional information.
In these instances, the emphasis on front loading of the development planning process, introduced by the new system has not been effectively implemented, forcing a rethink on strategies for the promotion of certain sites. This situation can be exacerbated when developers are, understandably, reluctant to carry out expensive supporting surveys and masterplanning exercises in advance of receiving some comfort that their site is in the running.
The approach to site promotion has therefore changed in this regard, with new considerations emerging as how best to provide planning authorities with the information they require to make informed decisions. As time passes and the end users of the system become more familiar with its subtle nuances, things should become simpler. Planning authorities may be more explicit about what information they require at what stages and the development industry should become more understanding of the level of detail which they may be required to provide at the early stages of the process. In the meantime, in our roles as planners we can simply keep clients appraised as best as possible and second guess what other challenges may lay ahead.