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ACSEF Group Plans to Identify Key Issues Impeding Planning System

A steering group has been formed by ACSEF (Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future) as part of its strategy to make the planning system more effective and efficient.

The group is made up of around 22 core members including representatives from the City and Shire planning departments, councillors, utilities, developers, academia, solicitors, other business leaders and the community.

The APMG recently endorsed a communications agenda and work is currently underway to develop a pilot workshop for a range of groups involved in the planning process.  The pilot will provide an opportunity for participants to look at various issues that affect efficiency and encourage them to work together to improve the process.

APMG is also to strengthen its engagement with the Scottish Government and national bodies, underlining its commitment to achieving a culture change in how the planning decision-making is implemented and used.

Robert Collier, chief executive of Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce, which is leading on the ACSEF planning priority, said: "I have been greatly encouraged by the goodwill, energy and enthusiasm shown by the members of the Planning Modernisation Group. They are all very busy people in their own organisations but are personally committed to the cause.

"It is widely recognised that there have been and still are issues with the planning process and how people use it but there is a real drive within the Planning Modernisation Group to find a new way forward which will change it for the better.

"New legislation within National Planning Framework 2 will be a catalyst for this change but we know that really understanding it and effectively engaging with the wider community is crucial. This will happen over time but we firmly believe that a more efficient planning process, where both the planning authorities and the business community are working effectively together, will have a significant impact on the long-term economic development of the City and Shire."

Derrick Thomson, group director of Scotia Homes Ltd, is a member of the APMG. He said: "One of the priorities of this group is to create a positive buzz around planning. We will help to provide more opportunities for people involved in planning to learn about each other's issues and to work together to make the process more efficient.

"There are some great examples of where parts of the system work well now but hopefully, the APMG will help us to get to a place where the whole system works efficiently all the time. The planning system has, of course, a huge impact on the wider community and we want to help to bring more transparency to how it works and how they can make an impact on the decisions made."

The slow-moving planning process was cited as a major impediment to economic growth by local business leaders involved in shaping ACSEF's action plan more than 12 months ago.

Since then, ACSEF, which drives economic development in the region, has made significant progress towards making the planning process more efficient with initiatives introduced by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils.