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Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2003

Application form

This application form can either be completed by hand or electronically (pdf version) on the Planning homepage at www.scotland.gov.uk/planning . Please complete all four questions. The deadline is 12 September 2003. An acknowledgement letter will be sent to the person who has completed this form.

Please provide a name and contact details of the organisation responsible for this work. If partners were involved, identify the lead organisation, and then list the other partners/bodies who had a key role.

Name of key partners (if appropriate)

Please complete the form by providing a brief summary (in no more than the space provided) of the piece of work you have entered. You must also conclude, with a key reason, as to why you think this work merits an Award.

Please tick the key criteria which relate to this entry:

You must describe in your written submission (below) how the criteria which you have ticked relates to your project.

Description of project

The West Edinburgh Planning Framework (WEPF) was published in March 2003 and is the first ever location-specific statement of Scottish Planning Policy.

The Planning Framework seeks to protect and enhance the national interest in West Edinburgh by selling out a strategic context for investing in transport and development. It reconciles the growth of nationally important economic facilities, such as Edinburgh Airport, with maintaining Green Belt objectives and identifies the key transport and infrastructure requirements needed to realise the vision.

It covers the area defined as the A8 corridor from Gogar to Newbridge, including Edinburgh Airport, the Royal Highland Showground and the Royal Bank of Scotland's new world headquarters site at Gogarburn. It was jointly prepared by the Scottish Executive, The City of Edinburgh Council (C EC) and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothians (SEEL). A wide range of stakeholders was closely involved in its preparation.

Timescale (over which the project has developed)

Scottish Ministers announced the intention to prepare a national planning policy statement on West Edinburgh in March 2002. Some preliminary work had been done in the preceding months. A consultative draft WEPF was published on 23 August 2002 and the consultation period ran until 15 November 2002. The draft Framework was accompanied by three topic-based background papers on Transport, Economy and Environment. The finalised version was published on 14 March 2003.

Context (the problem which had to be addressed)

It was recognised that West Edinburgh, the main gateway into Scotland's capital, is a national asset that should be protected and nurtured in the national interest. A long term, careful and co-ordinated approach to planning in the area was needed. The challenge was to co-ordinate planning, transport and economic development policies with a wide range of public and private interests.

West Edinburgh faces big transport issues including road congestion, airport expansion and the integration of new heavy rail and tram links. Much of the Framework area is in the Edinburgh Green Belt and any new development must be plan-led and must not undermine Green Belt objectives. The area's accessibility and wider competitive advantage means that the area is under intense speculative development pressure. It is regarded as being nationally significant in economic, transport and environmental terms.

Action taken

The project was managed by the Scottish Executive, in partnership with CEC and SEEL. A Stakeholder Advisory Group was set up to inform the work. A project Working Group ran the exercise and met with all the private sector interests. A series of well-attended public meetings was also held. This was followed up with a three-month public consultation period. A seminar was also held for all those who responded to the draft.

Agreement was reached on the Framework's key policy objectives which can be summarised as:

implementing committed development to high design standards; introducing a tram network and new heavy rail links into the area; continuing the commitment to the strategic role of Edinburgh's Green Belt; facilitating the further expansion of Edinburgh Airport; reducing congestion; safeguarding land as Green Belt to help provide opportunities for high quality, nationally significant economic development in the long-term.

Results achieved

The work culminated in publication of the Planning Framework, an innovative new kind of national planning policy document. It sets out a shared long-term vision for the future development of the area and provides a stable and certain context for future investment. It will help development plans safeguard the long-term potential for West Edinburgh to become an internationally competitive business location.

It has also been used to further wider policy objectives to integrate transport and development and demonstrates an imaginative and proactive approach to reconciling strategic pressures for growth in the Green Belt. The Planning Framework has tackled difficult issues and has been developed efficiently and inclusively.

Conclusion - Why does this piece of work merit an Award?

The West Edinburgh Planning Framework is unique. It is the first ever location-specific statement of national planning policy. It has been developed as a rapid response to a range of urgent planning and transport problems facing the area. Stakeholder involvement in the process has been extensive and this is the first time national planing policy has been formulated in partnership with local government.

The WEPF is a first class example of joined up, transparent and inclusive strategic planning policy formulation. The procedures established could well be a model for a partnership approach to other location-specific aspects of a National Planning Framework and for policy development in other areas and disciplines.

Submitted Evidence:

West Edinburgh Planning Framework
Selected photographs of the location
West Edinburgh Planning Framework: background papers

Date
3 September 2003.

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