Blog and Bulletins Archive
Entries from 2019
Aurora Spotlights - December 2019
As we approach the shortest day of the year, our thoughts very much turn to cosying up by the fire in a nice warm home and keeping the winter weather at bay… These being everyday concerns, in which planning has a significant role to play! For some examples of which plus other planning matters from this past month, read on…
Bah humbug!
‘Tis the season of Christmas markets and festive spirit. But, as we touched on in last month’s Spotlights, both Edinburgh and Aberdeen have been called out for not having secured planning permission for their Christmas markets. It may come as a surprise to some that temporary markets require planning permission, but they do; both for the change of use of the land, and for the erection of buildings on it…
Aurora Spotlights - November 2019
On the 8th November, Presidents and Chairs of town planning associations across the world marked the 70th anniversary of World Town Planning Day by calling on planners to continue to champion the causes of equity, diversity and inclusivity in their work. Meantime, on what has been happening in planning in practice this month, read on below…
You can take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink
This month we’re due to attend the second formal pre-application consultation event for the Space Hub Sutherland project - the UK’s first vertical launch facility proposed for the Moine penninsula - giving us cause to reflect on current community engagement processes, and how these might change under the new Planning Act…
Aurora Spotlights - October 2019
All planning matters aside, the thing we are probably most excited about this month is our logo having been given a Halloween makeover – check it out at the end! But, before we too don our witches’ outfits, here is a summary of what’s been happening in the much less spooky realm of planning this month…
Providing something for everybody... created by everybody
At last month’s Scottish Planning and Environmental Law conference, our director Pippa was delighted to take part in a panel discussion on the implications of the community empowerment agenda for spatial planning. For her part, she argued that community empowerment doesn’t mean only having a say in what should happen where, but also having the power to deliver that development…
Aurora Spotlights - September 2019
This month saw the Scottish Government launch its Programme for Government 2019 – 2020, with a number of high-profile references to planning within this in order to transform Scotland’s cities, towns and rural areas into places that support lower emissions lifestyles and businesses. Meantime, for what the power of planning has been achieving this month, read on below…
If you go down to the woods today...
In our February blog, we drew on our experience of cabin life in Norway. This month, in the last throes of summer, we’re all about glamping! So, what does a good glamping site look like? And what might be expected in planning terms? Read on below to find out more…
Aurora Spotlights - August 2019
The big news from the past month is of course that, on 25 July 2019, the Planning (Scotland) Bill became the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. This is though not the end of the process to bring about the new planning system, with significant work now required on the secondary legislation to bring the provisions of the new Act into effect. Meantime, for this month’s other planning highlights, read on below…
ASPC event - Improve to move
Saturday 14th September 2019, ASPC, 40 Chapel Street, Aberdeen
Our director Maggie will be part of an expert panel assembled by the ASPC to provide advice on how you might improve or extend your home, ensuring that you add value to it, whether you are buying or selling now, or thinking of doing so in the future.