Highland Council has most successful night ever at Scottish planning awards

Highland Council enjoyed its most successful night at the SAQP (Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning) held recently.

The Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning, which celebrated its 20th anniversary, is one of the Government’s most prestigious awards.

They celebrate achievements in planning, right from the detail of processing through to the bigger picture of creating places which will become the legacy of our professionalism.

SAQP2019 has 5 Categories

The full list of categories are:

• Partnership – innovation in working collaboratively, at any stage, within the planning process
• People – innovation in the participation of a person or people (whether young or old) making a demonstrable effect on the transformation of a place or within the planning system
• Place – innovation in any architectural building or place (built or natural) - Highland Council was shortlisted for New Council offices, Fort William and Raining Stairs
• Plans – innovation in development planning ranging from strategic to settlements. – Highland Council won an award for Fort William 2040
• Process – innovation in improving, or simplifying, any type of processes. Highland Council won three awards in the process category : Historic Environment Record Online, Developer Contributions and Housing Delivery Team and was also shortlisted for Modernising Monitoring.

Highland Council, Executive Chief Officer Transformation and Economy, Stuart Black, said: “We are delighted to have had such a successful night which reflects the hard work of all our the staff across the service which is one of the busiest in Scotland. It’s particularly pleasing to see awards for process improvements, place-making and development planning work.”

John McHardy (Housing Development Manager); Kevin Stewart (Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning ); Simon Hindson (Planning Team Leader); Scott Dalgarno (Development Plans Manager)

Scott Dalgarno (Development Plans Manager); Laura Williamson (Systems and Change Team Leader); Kevin Stewart (Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning ); Dafydd Jones (Planning Manager)

Andrew Puls (Acting Environment Manager); Nicole Wallace (Acting Head of Planning & Environment); Kevin Stewart (Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning ); Ian Scrivener-Lindley (Historic Environment Record Officer)