The Planning Skills Series supports the learning and development needs of our members through a series of events, webinars and recorded training sessions.
Upcoming Planning Skills Events and Webinars
Please sign up to the Planning Skills mailing list for direct updates on any future events.
We also encourage all local authority planning staff to join the HOPS Knowledge Hub for discussion and updates on other training events.
Electricity Act Cases with the DPEA and ECU
7th May 2025, 1.00pm - 3.00pm, Microsoft Teams
Information and training session on Electricity Act casework. Covering; the ECU process applications under S36 and S37 application process, the key role of planning authority and consultation authority responses to applications, related land-rights procedures – wayleaves and compulsory purchase and the public inquiry process.
This webinar is open to Local Authority, Scottish Government and Key Agency Planning Officers.
How to map a 20 minute neighbourhood
15th May 2025, 2.00pm - 3.30pm, Microsoft Teams
The Improvement Service is excited to announce an upcoming webinar to introduce our new technical guidance on mapping and analysing 20-minute neighbourhoods in Scotland. This step-by-step guide is designed to help planners, geospatial analysts, and local authorities assess and promote sustainable, accessible communities.
This webinar is open to all
Rural Housing
3rd June, 2.00pm- 4.00pm, Microsoft Teams
Booking details coming soon
Previous Planning Skills Events
Find links to recordings of our previous Planning Skills events below.
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- A Biodiversity Metric for Scotland's Planning System with NatureScot
- Power BI for Development Management
- The Value of Early Engagement in Land Use Planning Decisions
- Place and Design: Interventions to Create Successful Places
- Development Viability
- Funding the Infrastructure Gap - A Planning Skills Lead Practice Event with City of Edinburgh Council
- Streamlining Development Management
- The Tools for Making Successful Places - A Lead Event with West Dunbartonshire Council
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- Developing with Nature with NatureScot
- Place Based Local Development Plans with the Key Agencies Group
- Open Space Strategies
- Biodiversity – NPF4
- Land for Housing with the Scottish Land Commission
- Town Centre Regeneration with Dumfries and Galloway Council
- Local Place Plan Preparation with West Dunbartonshire Council
- Land, Planning and Delivering Rural Affordable Housing
- Planning Act Implementation
- Planning (Scotland) Act 2019
- Land Reform and Land Use Planning with the Scottish Land Commission
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- Children's Rights in Planning and Place
- Local Place Plans for Planners with Planning Aid Scotland
- Shaping Places for Wellbeing
- Local Living and 20 Minute Neighbourhoods
- Community Map Scotland
- Green Recovery with the Key Agencies Group
- Place and Wellbeing: Integrating Land Use Planning and Public Health in Scotland
- Community Wealth Building and Planning Policy
- 20 Minute Neighbourhoods
- How Can Place Best Support Scotland’s Health and Wellbeing
- Local Place Plans
- Applying the Place Principle in Highland Council
- Digital Community Engagement with Social Pinpoint & Angus Council
- Community Planning and Spatial Planning: Aligning Policies in North Ayrshire
- Closer Connections: Community Planning and Spatial Planning
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- Planning Appeals Training with the DPEA
- The Role of the Environmental Clerk of Works
- Hydrogen and the Planning System
- Grid Improvements for Scotwind
- Building Resilience | HOPS, Sustainable Scotland Network & World Green Building Council
- Retrofit with BE-ST
- Peatland Training with the Crichton Carbon Centre & NatureScot
- Shared Mobility and Mobility Hubs with CoMoUK
- Archaeology & Planning with ALGAO Scotland
- Habitats Regulations Appraisal with SNH
Members are fully involved in determining priority development needs and how best to meet those needs through on-going dialogue and support.
Scottish Government aspirations for a more "visionary profession" within planning (Places, People and Planning) looks to culture change and improvements to current practice as key contributors to planning realising its full potential. In response, it is felt that the Planning Skills Series should develop to include:
- the promotion of more collaborative learning with other sectors and agencies, and
- lead practice across Scotland as a key element for more experiential learning.
Members are encouraged to contribute thoughts to these or future topics.
Phone: 07834 516824
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Place Network
For those interested in the importance of place as a working approach to delivering national outcomes around improved wellbeing and inclusive growth.
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Heads of Planning Scotland Members Forum
Private forum for members of Heads of Planning Scotland to enable discussion and sharing of information.