Heads Of Planning Scotland

Scottish Construction Now is pleased to publish in full a response to our readers' survey and planning series by Ian Aikman, chair of Heads of Planning Scotland. As chair of Heads of Planning Scotland (HOPS), I felt compelled to write to you after reading your recent editorial in Scottish Constructi

Scotland needs to invest in new initiatives to encourage more people into planning as a career, with around 700 new planners needed over the next 10 to 15 years, a report has said. The Future Planners Project Report was funded and supported by the Scottish Government and has been published by Heads

A fall in the number of planning applications combined with the postponement of the expected fee increase in June may result in longer-term effects on the planning system, writes Heads of Planning Scotland.

The body which represents officials running planning authorities across the country has warned that the scale of new responsibilities to be introduced in the Planning (Scotland) Bill could break the back of an already under-resourced system. Proposed new duties introduced at stage 2 of the Parliamen

Heads of Planning Scotland (HOPS) offers to help the Scottish Government better understand the true costs of delivering planning reform and quality services in communities.

RTPI Scotland has joined forces with a number of high profile organisations in a letter sent to the Scottish Government and MSPs arguing for a change of direction in the Scottish Planning Bill. In an edited letter published in The Herald on June 29, the signatories called for the new legislation to

Pam Ewen Fife Council has appointed Pam Ewen as the local authority’s new senior manager for planning.

(from left) Crawford Beveridge, Petra Biberbach and John Hamilton The members of an independent panel set up to carry out a “game-changing review” of Scotland’s planning system have been announced by social justice secretary Alex Neil.

Alex Neil Planning authorities have been urged to continue to speed up decisions on major applications after new statistics revealed progress has been made on planning performance.