Planning and Building Standards People Plan: new approaches to workforce planning
Planning Authority: City of Edinburgh Council
Following the pandemic, the planning and building standards service at the City of Edinburgh Council faced several challenges around workforce gaps, different types of demands, capacity, recruitment difficulties and changing expectations around working arrangements. In response to this, it was decided to develop a formal People Plan that set clear expectations for staff and managers.
Early Careers Development and Skills-Based Recruitment
Planning Authority: Aberdeenshire Council
Aberdeenshire Council was facing significant workforce pressures, with 11 planning officer vacancies. This was made more challenging by its rural location, the lack of a local planning degree programme on its doorstep and wider national shortages in the profession. Traditional recruitment approaches were not delivering results, leading to a rethink of how the service attracted and developed staff. Given this, in 2023, the service recognised the need to rethink how it attracts, develops, and sustains its future planning workforce.
Approaches to Work Experience That Supports Employers and Students
Planning Authority: Dundee City Council
Dundee City Council was looking at ways to achieve its vision to retain graduates and provide more practical experience in planning. At the same time, funding for summer student placements had been lost. The service already had strong links with the University of Dundee, where they had worked in partnership to provide planning-related work experience and internship opportunities for students. The planning service was looking to support its own workforce development while giving students meaningful and practical experience in a planning department.
Staff Structure Review and Flexible Workforce Planning
Planning Authority: Inverclyde Council
In 2024, the Inverclyde Council appointed a new Head of Service. This came at a time when the service was carrying several vacancies and it created an opportunity to rethink the structure of the planning service. Falling planning application volumes also influenced the decision to design a more efficient and flexible service model.
Strengthening Engagement in Local Development Planning
Planning Authority: Stirling
Stirling is preparing its new Local Development Plan (LDP3) with a strong evidence base informed by stakeholder engagement. Alongside this, communities are shaping Local Place Plans (LPPs) to influence future development, supported by digital tools like Place Profiles and the Engage Stirling platform.
Glasgow's Role in the Success of the Place Standard Tool
Planning Authority: Glasgow
Glasgow City Council played a key role in developing the Place Standard Tool, building on its experience as a Scottish Test Site for the Equally Well Initiative. By integrating public health, spatial planning, and innovative community engagement, the city helped shape national policy and best practices in place-based decision-making.
Producing and Delivering the Hagshaw Energy Cluster Development Framework
Planning Authority: East Ayrshire
The Hagshaw wind cluster pilot was established in response to the Scottish Government’s call for greater collaboration in onshore wind planning. Bringing together planning authorities, renewables operators, and local communities, the project explores how strategic, joined-up planning can support sustainable energy development while delivering benefits for former mining communities in South Lanarkshire and East Ayrshire.
Extension to MacDuff Aquarium
Planning Authority: Aberdeenshire
The Macduff Aquarium expansion is a transformative project enhancing one of Aberdeenshire’s key tourism attractions. Funded by the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, the development includes a new café, modernised exhibits, and improved visitor facilities. With support from Visit Aberdeenshire and Visit Scotland, the project aims to boost tourism, encourage year-round visits, and strengthen the local economy while enhancing connections to coastal paths and outdoor recreation.
Children and Young People Engagement
Planning Authority: East Lothian
In response to the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, the East Lothian Planning Authority has taken significant steps to promote and facilitate the participation of children and young people in shaping the Local Development Plan. Through school-based workshops, youth parliament discussions, online consultations, and community events, young people across East Lothian have had the opportunity to share their views on the future of their local areas.
Local Development Plan Early Engagement
Planning Authority: Renfrewshire
A range of engagement activities have gathered community input to inform the local development plan and local place plans. Surveys, workshops, and information sessions have provided valuable insights from residents, young people, and community organisations, ensuring plans reflect local needs and aspirations.
Conservation and Adaptation
Planning Authority: Edinburgh
An online consultation, approved by the Planning Committee in November 2022, gathered views on the challenges residents of listed buildings and conservation areas face in adapting their homes to the climate emergency and cost-of-living crisis.
Planning Application Timeline Tool
Planning Authority: Fife
Fife Council developed a Planning Application Timeline Tool to improve communication and transparency for customers. Built using Power BI, the tool allows applicants to track where their application sits in the process and what steps remain, therefore reducing the need for direct enquiries and improving the overall customer experience.
Recruiting, Developing and Retaining Staff
Planning Authority: North Lanarkshire
North Lanarkshire is taking long term action to build a resilient planning workforce. In response to national workforce challenges, the council is supporting staff through training, career progression and knowledge sharing, ensuring future capacity and continuity within the planning service.
20-Minute Neighbourhoods and Local Living
Planning Authority: East Dunbartonshire
A mapping tool has been developed to support the delivery of Local Living and 20-Minute Neighbourhoods by providing a spatial understanding of communities. It helps align policy, investment, and services with key priorities such as reducing inequality, tackling climate change, and improving health and education outcomes.
City Centre Eastern Quarter
Planning Authority: Dundee City
The City Centre Eastern Quarter project supports Dundee City Council’s City Centre Strategic Investment Plan 2050 by setting out a long-term vision for the Eastern Quarter. Through the development of an area masterplan and a prioritised programme of public realm improvements, the project aims to guide and attract future public and private investment.
Developing Joint Pre-Application for Fish Farming
Planning Authority: Shetland Islands
Since August 2022, Shetland Islands Council has played a leading role in the Scottish Government’s Aquaculture Consenting Task Group, helping shape a more efficient and collaborative process. Building on their input to the 2022 Independent Review, the Council has worked closely with key partners to develop a joint approach to aquaculture consenting.
Engaging Island Communities in Marine Planning
Planning Authority: Orkney Islands
This case study outlines how marine planning supports the sustainable management of marine areas by balancing environmental, economic and social objectives. It highlights the shift toward integrated planning and the critical role of stakeholder participation in managing competing uses and supporting community aspirations.
Flow Country World Heritage Site
Planning Authority: Highland
In July 2024, UNESCO inscribed The Flow Country as a World Heritage Site, recognising its globally significant blanket bog peatlands. This designation places it alongside the world’s most important natural sites and brings the highest level of international recognition and protection. It also introduces new responsibilities for how the area is managed, planned and developed.
Shaping Improvements with Our Customers: Customer Service Excellence Re-Accreditation
Planning Authority: Aberdeenshire Council
Aberdeenshire Council’s Development Management team is accredited to the Customer Service Excellence Standard, a nationally recognised UK Government benchmark for high-quality public service delivery. This case study discusses how the ongoing cycle of assessment, reflection, and action ensures that staff and customers remain central to service development and decision-making.
Customer Driven Engagement in Planning
Planning Authority: North Ayrshire Council
North Ayrshire planning service has embedded a place-based approach to customer service across all six localities. This case study discusses how a collaborative and locality-focused approach ensures that customer needs, aspirations, and regulatory requirements are understood within their community context and feed directly into service delivery.
Embedding a Data-Informed Approach to Customer Service
Planning Authority: North Lanarkshire Council
North Lanarkshire Council’s Planning Service recognised that effective customer care and efficient processes are interdependent. To strengthen both, the service embarked on a data-informed transformation designed to improve consistency, transparency, and responsiveness. This case study discusses the steps the Planning Service took to shift from a reactive service to a proactive one, using live data and clear, standardised processes to enhance both staff confidence and customer experience.
Agent Forum
Planning Authority: Aberdeenshire Council
The Agent Forum is an annual event that brings together agents, developers, and the Planning Service to support open dialogue and information sharing. Jointly delivered by Development Management and Building Standards, the 2023 virtual session provided a structured space to discuss key issues, strengthen professional relationships, and improve the effectiveness of planning processes.
Recruitment and Retention: Doing Things Differently within Development Management
Planning Authority: Aberdeenshire Council
With a UK shortage of planning professionals and a decreasing number of university planning courses available to students, especially in Scotland, the Development Management team had to think differently on how to recruit for 13 vacant planning posts in April 2023.
Community Action Plans
Planning Authority: Cairngorms National Park
The National Park Authority works with community partners to support the preparation of Community Action Plans. Since 2008, 18 communities have produced plans setting out their priorities. As this review process aligned with preparation of the next Local Development Plan, the Authority strengthened support for their delivery.
The Eden Project
Planning Authority: Dundee City Council
Eden Project selected Dundee as the location for a new cultural and environmental attraction. As an educational charity and social enterprise focused on biodiversity, sustainability and climate awareness, the expansion represents a flagship regeneration opportunity for the city, combining environmental education with economic and place-based renewal.
Pocket Places for People
Planning Authority: Dundee City Council
In partnership with Sustrans and the Stobswell Forum, a consultation process was launched to reimagine road space around Craigie Street and Albert Street in Dundee. Temporary planters, created from concrete piping and painted by a local artist, were installed to test change on the ground, prompt discussion, and explore how public realm improvements could help revitalise the surrounding tenement streetscape.
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National Planning Hub
The National Planning Hub provides planning authorities with access to specialist expertise, supports them to upskill their staff and prepare their workforce for the future.
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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.