This time last year, we issued our first ever blog! Now, turning our attention to the new year ahead, there’s a great deal on the horizon that we’re looking forward to… And, to kick things off, here’s our summary of some of the key planning matters from month one.
On Holyrood
Planning economy literature review – highlighting the extent to which planning can support the economy, the Scottish Government has issued a review of publications and case studies on planning, economy and place. The report makes for interesting reading, with the research indicating that there can be a positive relationship between planning, economy and place, but that it is neither linear nor automatic. The full findings are available here.
Compulsory Sale Orders – as highlighted in our first blog of the year, something that we’ll be looking out for with particular interest in 2019 is anticipated legislation on Compulsory Sales Orders. Kevin Stewart, the Minister responsible for planning, has committed to introducing this in the course of this parliament, with a view to addressing issues with derelict land across Scotland, and bringing this land back into active use. For further details, follow the link to our blog!
On Local Government
Aberdeen Local Development Plan – the Main Issues Report for the next Local Development Plan was considered by the Council’s Capital Programme Committee on 23 January, with this to be issued for public consultation in late February. The committee papers, with details of which sites are and aren’t favoured for allocation are available here and, for further details on the consultation process and how to express your views, watch this space…
Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan – slightly ahead of the City, Aberdeenshire Council has now published its Main Issues Report for public consultation, a link to which is available here. Responses are invited up until 8 April 2019, and we would strongly encourage anyone with an interest in the future development of Aberdeenshire to make their views known (and, if we can be of any assistance in that, please don’t hesitate to get in touch).
Fife Council Supplementary Guidance on Low Carbon Issues – on 21st January 2019, Fife Council adopted new supplementary guidance on low carbon issues which, amongst other matters, details the level of information required to comply with the FifePlan policy on Low Carbon Fife. In this regard, major applications will be required to provide an Energy Statement of Intention, while small and local applications will be expected to provide information on the energy efficiency measures and energy generating technologies which will be incorporated into the proposal. And, even where applications were made before the guidance was adopted, we’ve found that Fife Council are now applying this strictly. So, if you have any applications pending determination in the Fife Council area, this is something to be aware of.
On planning applications
Hutting – the ‘hutting’ movement, with simple bothies or huts providing a retreat from city life, has become increasingly prominent over the past few years (see for example the a thousand huts campaign). Following the first new hutting sites starting to come through the process in 2017 and 2018, the trend looks set to continue with planning permission now being sought for 20 new huts at Dalbeath Woodland in Fife (full details here). And, obviously being very on trend, aurora planning is soon going to try out hutting for ourselves, in the movement’s spiritual homeland of Norway – blog on our first hand hutting experience to follow!
On the courts
What’s in a title, continued… – carrying on a theme from our December Spotlights, the Lands Tribunal has this month issued its decision on another case concerning title conditions purporting to restrict development, this time looking at burdens imposed under a feu contract, and the circumstances in which these would still restrict development following the abolition of feudal tenure. In this instance, while the same burdens were imposed on two neighbouring properties, there was nothing in the title deeds to indicate that the burdens were mutually enforceable by the respective neighbours, nor were the properties otherwise ‘related properties’, such that the condition restricting development was found not to be enforceable. Full details of the decision are available here.
On us
Starting the year as we hope to go on, January has been an active month for us! Particular highlights include Maggie giving her perspective on how the Planning Bill might affect the work of planners in the Highlands and Islands as part of the RTPI’s Highlands and Islands chapter event on the implications of the Bill. And, as mentioned above, we are getting ready to temporarily set up our office in Norway for a few days, where we will be trying out hutting and looking out for the Northern Lights from which we take our name… Photos hopefully to follow!
Meantime, to find out how we can help with any aspect of the planning process, please visit our website or email us at info@auroraplanning.co.uk. If you would like to keep up to date with our blogs and bulletins, sign up using the form below.
Thanks for reading!
Pippa and Maggie