The EIA stream of the National Planning Hub (NPH) began in October 2024. The NPH engaged with planning authorities and key agencies to ascertain if any specialist expertise or additional capacity is required in relation to EIA processes.
The NPH appointed Fothergill Training & Consulting Ltd to develop and deliver the EIA Training Course through winter 2025 into spring 2026. The resources produced through this Programme were targeted towards planning officer training needs but are likely to be beneficial to all parties involved in the EIA process.
The content on these pages provides a capacity building course for planning officers seeking to develop, enhance or refresh their knowledge and understanding of EIA procedures and good practice.
Planning officers can follow the course by watching the recorded learning sessions and the related materials linked below. The course covers introductory knowledge, common EIA procedures and progresses to more complex areas of EIA.
The EIA training course consists of the following content:
- Introduction
- Understand the core aspects of EIA process and legal compliance
- Screening
- Learn about how a planning authority determines if a proposed development requires an EIA
- Scoping
- Application to Consent Decision
- Other Aspects of EIA
- Understand how the tool links to wider processes and some of EIA's more complex areas
- Case Studies
- Learning Materials
- Glossary
- Course Summary and Feedback
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National Planning Improvement
The National Planning Improvement Champion is responsible for monitoring the performance of planning authorities and providing advice to them (and others) on what steps might be taken to improve their performance.
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Planning Skills
The Planning Skills Programme co-ordinates training events for public sector planning officers, with the aim to develop the skills required to deliver better places.
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Planning for Place
The Planning for Place Programme supports councils and their partners to collaborate around place, seeking to encourage place-based approaches to joint planning, resourcing and delivery of places that enable all communities to flourish.
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Shaping Places for Wellbeing
The programme aims to improve Scotland’s wellbeing and reduce inequalities through changing our collective approaches to the places where we live, work and play.