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planning ahead

The Chamber is leading on the ACSEF action to ‘improve the speed and efficiency of the Planning process'. After transport, this is one of the most recurring messages of frustration that comes to the Chamber from the members and the wider business community.Ironically they are strongly linked as can be seen by the time and cost involved in getting the AWPR to make progress. The recent Trump decision by the Scottish Government sent strong signals to others about the opportunities in the region so we must be geared up and receptive to other interested parties.

Where to start . . . the nub of the issue is the framework which governs the whole shebang - the Planning (Scotland) Act 2006. Debated and enacted in late 2006 the Scottish Government of the day envisaged that they would empower the Planning system and authorities with a new found vigour in support of economic development at both national and regional levels. It is hard to tell how and if this ambition has permeated into practice and many of the members tell me there is no sign of the new dawn as envisaged. This view may be peculiar to the North-east as members tell me that other parts of Scotland have ‘seen the light' and are much more amenable to speeding development proposals through.

In my dialogue with the local authority planners I sense their awareness that things have to change and they also recognise that the Planning Act sets a fresh new context. But we are all agreed that achievement of the required level of change is not just resolved by an Act of the Scottish Parliament - there needs to be wholesale cultural change both in the client/developer community and the public sector. So how do we effect such a massive change?

Let us imagine that we are still at the beginning of the journey here in the North-east - what should we do to get some traction under the wheels of change. Following on from the founding meeting on this theme, ACSEF is establishing a small enlightened steering group to lead the change and delivery. The Chamber has committed some of its Events programme and our networking resources to organise a series of workshops to engage both clients/developers and the planners in roundtable dialogue about how to stimulate the cultural transition and get on the journey.
I sincerely hope that you will get involved and if you have a real interest in the issue then please let us know by contacting us at the Chamber. One of my colleagues is the key contact here on this important action theme - Judith.munro@agcc.co.uk