The Scottish Government

8. Case Studies as a Learning Resource

8.1 The second way of exploring outcomes is through case studies. Case studies provide another way of explaining what sustainable development and Best Value are about, and of showing how these concepts are being applied in a range of situations. The case studies show the different approaches being adopted and the outcomes being achieved. Sustainable development is an abstract concept which can be more easily understood when looked at in real, practical situations. This shows that sustainable approaches are not necessarily radically different from what many organisations are already starting to do.

8.2 The case studies do not arise from a comprehensive review of current practice. They have been voluntarily submitted by public service organisations which have been involved in the consultation on the toolkit, and the Steering Group is grateful to all who contributed. The case studies summarised here should not be seen as 'exemplary', and their inclusion carries no implicit endorsement as 'good' or 'best' practice: their role is as examples and as a learning resource. They include the six presented at the consultation seminar on 3 May 2006 which have therefore been subject to a degree of peer review.

8.3 Further work is underway to meet the commitment at paragraph 16.7 in Choosing Our Future:

"The Executive will work closely with the Sustainable Scotland Network, Scottish Sustainable Development Forum, Sustainable Development Commission, Forward Scotland and other key stakeholders to improve collective management of experience and case studies through better websites and improved knowledge management."

8.4 The summaries presented here are drawn from more extensive material which is being collated using a standard template, and can be accessed on the Scottish Executive website. There are four main challenges which have to be overcome in making the most of case studies:

• The first is that people naturally try to present their projects in the best light; yet learning can be much more valuable if the difficulties, and the ways in which they were overcome, are also highlighted. This is not easy in a blame culture (and not yet fully achieved in this toolkit).
• The second is that the case study stories have to be structured carefully to enable others to pick out the relevance to them and the lessons they may then be able to draw.
• Third, every project is different from every other, and some lessons will be unique to that project and may not be transferable. Case study lessons have to be translated from one context to another.
• Finally, to get value from case studies, they have to be accessible to those who could make use of them.

8.5 There are several existing case study resources, and the work underway will explore how access to them might be enhanced:

• The Scottish Executive Sustainable Development Directorate has a case studies section on its website; this is being added to and will provide links to other case studies including those on Best Value.
• The UK Sustainable Development Commission also has case studies on its website, divided by region. There are 23 from Scotland, with an overview of the Scottish approach to sustainable development.
• Forward Scotland, now in partnership with Greenspace Scotland, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish natural Heritage, British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and Sustainable Scotland Network, has led an initiative to gather case studies on-line called Community Webnet.

8.6 This matrix is intended to provide some guidance on the range of cases summarised here, and what appear to be their main features (in relation to the Best Value guidance and Sustainable Development principles). It is intended to be indicative and is not an objective or comprehensive assessment of their performance.

Lauder College recognises the importance to the East of Scotland of sustainable development and demonstrates this through our approach to a joined up strategy which aims at excellence in social and economic sustainability as well as sound policy in environmental issues.

For example, the College already has a track record for learners coming from the community through projects such as Media Space and AdvanTech. AdvanTech converted former engineering workshops into a sophisticated, low energy use, centre for microelectronics and computing, designed to meet industry standards. It has all hours opening, and remote access through links to community learning centres in the former mining communities of West and Central Fife: valuable features in terms of resource efficiency and social inclusion.

The ECOSPACE Project

The College plan to build upon this strategy by further developing the environmental and social inclusion themes. On its campus in Dunfermline, it is building a new sustainable building which can become a demonstration project for the East of Scotland and offer leading edge thinking to other organisations, particularly the public sector, training providers and SMEs.

The project has three main components:

1. A construction centre for those interested in a career in the construction industry, both male and female, and including within this routes into technical and professional skills training. The training to take place in this centre includes carpentry and joinery, furniture manufacture and furniture restoration, gas engineering and future skills training in new and alternative energy sources.

2. A centre for students with severe learning difficulties and complex needs, of all ages and likely to be resident in West and Central Fife. The working name for the centre is ASPIRE and its focus Additional Support Programmes in Real (Work and Life) Environments.

3. Housing both these activities in a new and extended building which will be a demonstration of sustainable development in practice. The building will be built using sustainable processes and technology; will aim at low energy input in use; and will promote sustainable approaches in learning. This facility will be open to visitors, and other Further and Higher Education students, throughout Scotland and Europe.

The centre will provide Lauder College with a functional, flexible and accessible state of the art learning environment: a sustainable workshop for the 21st Century. There is considerable construction work in the area, and the centre aims to equip people with appropriate skills and knowldege of sustainable construction to be able to compete for jobs in the industry. Learners with disabilities are linked actively into the voluntary sector, and the real work training provides services in respite and elderly care whilst at the same time developing homecare skills.

The building is designed to be a 'touchpoint' for learners with much of the work-based learning taking place with employers and in community placements. The new centre will apply a 'full access philosophy' and will promote the engagement of learners and industry in developing and applying best practice in sustainability. It will offer an attractive location for work-based learning for the industry and promote knowledge transfer and technology transfer for SMEs in the East of Scotland, and will have a positive impact on the region as a model of achievable good practice.

Key features: education and skills; energy efficiency; sustainable construction; water and waste management; social inclusion; capacity building; equal opportunities; open access.

Key data: Completion Date: 30/08/2006; Project Team: Turner and Townsend with RMJM and Muir Construction; Cost: £4.5m.

Contact for further information: Janet McCauslin, Assistant Principal: e-mail jmccauslin@lauder.ac.uk

The Forestry Commission Scotland ( FCS) case study dealt with the changes in forestry "drivers" leading up to the current strategy review. Moving on from the 1950s-1970s emphasis on timber production from plantations, mainly of exotic species, there has been an increasing recognition of the need to adapt practices to not only produce a sustainable supply of timber as a versatile, renewable natural resource but also to: help tackle climate change, support rural development and urban regeneration, protect and enhance environmental quality, help restore and maintain biodiversity, encourage public access and recreational use for health benefits, and promote training and employment opportunities. Effective community engagement has been a steep learning curve as foresters moved from a culture of doing things for people to doing things with people. Links to health and well-being have been established, emphasising the particular benefits of woodlands close to where people live. Measures are being developed to quantify these benefits, and demonstrate the wider value for money of forestry.

The new strategy aims to deliver outcomes in terms of:

• Improved health and well-being of people and their communities;
• Competitive and innovative businesses contributing to the growth of the Scottish economy (from large scale timber production to local niche markets and key sectors such as tourism); and
• High quality, robust and adaptable environment.

Each Outcome has its own set of objectives being implemented through a suite of 7 cross-cutting themes.

The Strategy remains a national, leadership document and sets a number of key national targets, particularly where these dovetail with other Executive strategies (such as the Climate Change Programme or the Biodiversity Strategy). It has been developed through two 12-week public consultations with 15 public meetings throughout Scotland and over 30 bi-lateral discussions with key stakeholders. The consultative process has also included Strategic Environmental Assessment. Following on, each of the 14 FCS Forest Districts will revise their Strategic Forest Plans to reflect national priorities as a local/regional level. This too will incorporate considerable public consultation as will local delivery via Forest Design Plans. For the non-state sector (65% of all woodland in Scotland), incentives and Land Management Contracts are under review to reflect the new priorities in the Strategy, and to ensure that a consistent and more easily accessible suite of incentives will be available to land managers.

Collectively these changes are ensuring that all the elements of sustainable development are built in to the Executive's Forestry Strategy, with measures being developed to demonstrate Best Value to the public.

The Woods in and Around Towns Initiative runs from 2004-08, and seeks to improve the quality of place (environmental capital), to encourage communities to take part (social capital) and to improve the quality of life (health and well-being) of those living in urban and post-industrial areas. Benefits also include economic regeneration.

As a practical example, the Bishop's and Easterhouse Estate to the North and East of Glasgow, includes 6 woodlands amounting to 100 hectares, serving a population of 40,000 in a Social Inclusion Partnership area. An environmental and community survey in 2004 showed the woodland was suffering from neglect and abuse, and that it was underused due to fear for personal safety. Forestry Commission Scotland is managing the woodlands on behalf of Glasgow City Council, and seeks to bring the woodland into active management, encourage its use for recreation and education, and to increase community participation.

The key tasks are to win hearts and minds among residents and stakeholders; to use the woodland setting for education (it is a naturally therapeutic environment with demonstrable benefits for those with learning difficulties), to provide jobs and training for local people (where possible) and to maintain the woodland to benefit the environment and encourage public access. By engaging with the local community, an additional benefit will be to assist the development of community cohesion and capacity building.

At the workshop, two staff from Forest Enterprise Scotland spoke in practical terms about the positive response from local communities (particularly schoolchildren) to this initiative, and the more enlightened approach to forestry activity that is now producing all-round benefits for communities, the economy and the environment. Gradually the concerns about safety in using the woodland for recreation are reducing, as the Ranger demonstrates by example and through awareness events with schoolchildren and others.

The main lessons to emphasise from the Forestry Commission experience are the importance of involving people; being realistic; working with partners; playing the long game; managing the money; and putting in place appropriate measures of progress.

For more information, contact: Hugh Clayden: hugh.clayden@forestry.gsi.gov.uk Tel: 07885 592014

The aim of the Gartcosh Business Interchange project has been to create a strategic Business Interchange as a nationally significant model of sustainable development in support of key industries and the wider regeneration of North Lanarkshire. In pursuing this major project, SE Lanarkshire has drawn on previous experience of partnership working, recognising the inter-connectedness of different objectives clearly linked to policies.

Gartcosh demonstrates this approach through:

• Economic Objective: Develop a distinctive business location to create jobs and increase output in key growth centres.
• Environmental Objective: Achieve competitive advantage with improvements in environmental performance.
• Social Objective: Access for local communities to jobs, investment and training.

Realistic targets were set for each objective at every stage from primary regeneration through to the built development.

The project involves the redevelopment of the Gartcosh steelworks site, beginning with the demolition and salvaging of the strip mill and the recycling of demolition waste. The Masterplan provides for excellent road and rail links, with a new interchange on the M73 and a new park and ride station as part of a multi-modal transport interchange. This is adjacent to industrial sites for mixed use by small and medium companies and a large single user site, plus provision for rail freight facilities. Around these are areas of open space, with public access facilities (footpaths and cycleways) and a new nature reserve to maintain biodiversity.

There is potential to provide up to 4000 jobs once the business and industry sites are fully taken up, focusing on key growth sectors. Local training opportunities are maximised through the Project Charter, and targets are set for the number of trainees placed in permanent jobs within one year.

An innovative approach to environmental enhancement has been central to the project, including sustainable urban drainage, protection of biodiversity (notably moving a protected population of Great Crested Newts to the new nature reserve), a pilot project for composting, and transport and energy initiatives. Targets have been set for: increased populations of protected and indicator species; tonnes of waste directly recycled; recycling of construction waste; reduction in CO2 emissions; car trips saved through the new interchange; reinstatement of derelict land; and reduced volumes of waste water discharges.

The importance of setting practical, measurable targets is that these can be embedded in design and procurement processes and delivered through works contracts. Performance will be independently audited against industry standard assessment frameworks, e.g. BREEAM. Both short and long-term measures are needed.

The project applies best practice in public sector investment by emphasising delivery through partnership. SE Lanarkshire has worked closely with a wide range of public sector stakeholders and contractors/suppliers from the outset. An example is the successful three-agency governance arrangements to design, procure and build and manage the nature reserve. Partnership working will extend to achieving development stage targets in conjunction with the main utility provider (SSE Energy Services), private sector investors and occupiers.

Some important practical lessons emerged in discussion, particularly around the importance of building sustainability in from the start, rather than imposing additional burdens, creating a vision of sustainability which raises people's expectations and broadens their outlook, and tailoring the messages to the audience and their circumstances. These are all important in achieving a cultural change where people begin to think differently about projects and how they work with each other. Young people seem to be more receptive to this. Also, with more government emphasis on sustainability there are higher standards being set, but also new sources of funding to support initiatives. The importance of building relationships for effective inter-agency working, a readiness to share knowledge with others, and the need to be able to adapt to changing circumstances, were also highlighted. And for projects like this, we need to remember that what we do will be around for a long time!

For more information, contact John Watson at SE Lanarkshire. Tel: 01698 745454 john.watson@scotent.co.uk

Scottish Court Services operates through one of the largest estates of any public service organisation in Scotland, with 51 court premises to be managed. This offers particular scope for mitigating the impact of its operations on the environment, combined with cost reductions, through the adoption of a pro-active environmental management policy. However, every public service organisation faces similar challenges, even if the scale is smaller, so that the experience of Scottish Courts has wide relevance and transferability.

A specialist in the field of sustainable environmental management was recruited, experienced in working with the Carbon Trust. He led a process to identify the sustainability (environmental) impacts of the organisation, gathering information from the web. This resulted in an action plan culminating in a Sustainability Policy and Procedures Manual which was fully adopted on 31 May 2006.

The initial focus was on energy use, drawing on benchmarks provided by the Carbon Trust. This had to be undertaken during a difficult period when the Facilities Management contract was being changed, but this also allowed the new energy efficiency practices to be built in.

The approach was flexible, recognising that different buildings presented different challenges. Some are much older than others.

Although more needs to be done to achieve best practice, significant savings have already been achieved. For an initial cost of under £100,000, savings of 10% of energy costs have been achieved, with a payback in around 6 months. There is now further investment of £135,000 in a Buildings Management System to improve the central monitoring of energy usage at premises across the country.

Staff communications and involvement has been a key aspect of the initiative, and it is estimated that there should be 10-15% improvement in energy efficiency as a result of increased staff awareness. Staff have been encouraged to identify where savings can be achieved, and the communications have linked this with actions they can take at home, saving them money and improving housing conditions. This has added benefits in terms of happier, healthier staff.

These lessons are now being applied to other areas. The next is water, where £650,000 is currently spent each year. Consumption is being monitored, and OGC benchmark figures are being used. Paper use and procurement is being looked at, with the use of double-sided printers and increased staff awareness of the aims and their impacts. Transport planning will take account of local circumstances, resulting in guidance for staff commuting and travel by witnesses. In the areas of procurement, building construction and design, some good work has been done already and there is a lot of existing good practice to draw from.

The Key Lessons for other organisations:

• The real value that can be released through a systematic approach to environmental management
• the advantage of having a specialist with relevant experience to draw on
• the importance of a staged plan, to focus first on areas where quick wins can be achieved to show the cost-effectiveness of improved environmental management
• benefits from involving staff, communicating the aims and demonstrating what their impacts are, as well as welcoming their suggestions, and linking this to their domestic situations
• the effective use of performance data, recognised benchmarks and best practice achieved elsewhere
• combining a clear central policy with flexibility to suit specific local circumstances and opportunities

For more information, contact: Alan Stevenson, Sustainability Officer: astevenson2@scotcourts.gov.uk Tel: 0131 221 6791

Highlands and Islands Enterprise ( HIE) is responsible for economic and community development for the northern and western half of Scotland, which is home to 437,000 people. It has its head office in Inverness, and operates through a network of 9 local enterprise companies ( LECs).

HIE's Network Strategy sets out clearly the organisation's commitment to sustainable development:

"Our aim is to enable people living in the Highlands and Islands to realise their full potential on a long-term sustainable basis." Within a broad understanding of the importance of protecting and enhancing the environment and culture of the region, the strategy explicitly pursues sustainable development through an integrated approach to:

• Strengthening Communities
• Developing skills
• Making Global connections
• Growing businesses

This approach can be illustrated with reference to various initiatives.

The Community Energy Company assists communities to develop their own renewable energy projects in a flexible manner, harnessing locally available resources to meet local needs (e.g. provision of a woodchip burner for a new swimming pool). Several examples are now operational.

A scheme to assist East European migrants moving into the Highlands and Islands recognises that local labour markets have become tight, and involves provision of support to help them find employment and to settle in the area.

The European Marine Energy Centre off Orkney is the first of its type in the world, providing a focal point for R & D into energy exploitation. It is leading the development of industry performance standards, and has so far tested 2 wave energy devices, with 6 tidal devices due to be tested.

The delivery of environmental advice to businesses is raising awareness of resource efficiency, and a scheme using the ecological footprint approach is being piloted. A broad range of businesses is covered, and over half have amended their business activities following the review. The economic and environmental benefits of this scheme are currently being reviewed, to ensure it is directed where it can have most impact.

It is likely that HIE carried out projects in the past that encapsulated sustainable thinking but were not given a sustainable badge at the time. As more attention is being given to the integration of sustainable development thinking, projects are now being given this badge. This badging process itself presents scope to raise the success of developments by consciously focusing on a wide range of sustainable development criteria. The intention is to broaden the scope of this work by engaging in mutually beneficial activity with stakeholders.

In discussing the HIE experience and its relevance to the promotion of Best Value, there was enthusiasm for sharing lessons - both good and bad - with other organisations to help each other, but culture often prevents us from doing this. There was also a feeling that Best Value and sustainable development are regarded as contradictory agendas. To change culture and embed sustainable development it was necessary to integrate it into other drivers of cultural change. The public needed to be involved in the process, and the terminology needed to be clearer. Really this should be about joining up key services, for example through community planning.

Joint working required stronger relationships to break out of the silo mentality, and this could be achieved through joint training, developing local networks and making sure smaller public bodies were included. A leap of faith, and imagination, were required, together with some quick wins - then others would follow.

For more information, contact Archie Prentice, Sustainable Development and Environment Manager, archie.prentice@hient.co.uk Tel 01463 244254

The Dundee Partnership is a joint venture that brings together the strengths of key City agencies including Dundee City Council, Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Communities Scotland, Tayside Police and NHS Tayside, providing a vehicle for coordinated inter agency working. Starting life as the Dundee Project in 1981 it has led a range of successful projects making a major contribution to Dundee's physical and economic transformation.

Notable achievements include the award winning city centre environmental improvements, development of a vibrant cultural quarter around the award winning Dundee Contemporary Arts, the successful City of Discovery promotional campaign and the development of quality tourism attractions such as Discovery Point and the Sensation Science Centre.

The DundeeProject (1981-1991) brought together the Scottish Development Agency, Tayside Regional Council and Dundee District Council. Resourced by a team of full-time employees and secondees from the local authorities, it focused on the physical regeneration of the City and the attraction of inward investment.

The Dundee Partnership was formed in 1991 following the establishment of the SE Network. Its membership and structure was modified further in 1996 with the move to single tier local authorities, to encompass a broader range of organisations including Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Dundee City Council, the Universities, Dundee College, Scottish Homes and representatives of the voluntary and private sectors. The Partnership operated without permanent staff or dedicated budget. This more flexible approach allowed effective delivery, but was dependent on the strong levels of trust and common aspirations between partners. It's activity from 1996 was driven by a new, broader strategy, "A Vision for Dundee" with a continued primary emphasis on economic development, but recognising the contribution which all sectors of the community could make to this. Led by a Dundee Partnership Forum and Management Group, there were 8 thematic working groups and a central co-ordinating group.

The strength of the Dundee Partnership lay in its culture. It:

• developed a genuinely shared vision;
• kept the key messages simple;
• focused on areas where partnership would make a difference;
• built motivated, effective teams, in a horizontal and flexible structure;
• got "champions" into key positions;
• applied discipline to partnership work; and
• was determined to succeed.

Dundee Partnership 2001-present: The Community Plan.

Since 2001 the Dundee Partnership has evolved to become the vehicle for delivery of the City's first Community Plan. Co-ordination of the Partnership and the Community Planning process is in the hands of Dundee City Council. With a broader remit covering lifelong learning, stronger communities, health and community safety as well as economic development and the environment it is better able to address all the elements of sustainable development and regeneration, rather than focusing primarily on economic development. However there may be differences of view among the partners on the meaning of "sustainability" and how this is best pursued collectively. It is not always clear that work on sustainable development reaches those in poorer communities, and there have been challenges in reconciling longer term sustainability objectives with short-term financial cycles. Despite this, the strengths of the Dundee Partnership approach have been carried through into the current phase, and a new "Vision for Dundee" is currently being finalised.

Contact for further information: Steve Carter, Scottish Enterprise Tayside; e-mail: steven.carter@scotent.co.uk

The Sustainable Housing Design Guide for Scotland, written by Fionn Stevenson and Nick Williams, was commissioned by Scottish Homes (now Communities Scotland) and first published in 2000. An online version has been provided by Communities Scotland, to encourage wider and easier access to the material. The Guide is currently (June 2006) being reviewed and it is intended that the original authors should produce an updated version.

The Guide is intended to provide comprehensive and user friendly guidance to the incorporation of sustainability principles into maintaining, rehabilitating and developing housing. It is directed primarily at Registered Social Landlords ( RSLs), who commission and maintain social housing in Scotland. Public investment in regeneration is channelled through RSLs, so that there is a strong public interest in ensuring that Best Value and sustainable development are aligned through their activities. The Design Guide is an important initiative to help achieve this.

The Guide combines explanations of the principles of sustainable housing and community development with 13 case studies from specific projects, each illustrating aspects of sustainable design. Chapter 1 explains how housing can both make a contribution to the achievement of sustainability objectives, and also benefit itself in terms of quality, performance and value for money by incorporating sustainable design principles. Chapter 2 deals with those aspects of sustainability connected with the location, form and function of residential developments considered as a whole. This covers land use planning, transport, social cohesion and community issues. Chapters 3-7 deal with the functional design of dwellings. This covers the systematic environmental evaluation of dwellings, including energy and physical resource efficiency, health and maintenance issues. Chapter 8 examines the financial and management implications of sustainable housing design, including procurement and life cycle costing. The interconnectedness between the different considerations is emphasised, as fundamental to a more sustainable approach.

Scottish Homes gave the Guide a high profile launch, and recognition in its Sustainable Development Policy (which is also now being revised by Communities Scotland).

In practice, however, whilst there has been an overall increase in awareness of sustainable design and construction techniques among the RSLs, some are still much more progressive than others. The impact of the Housing Design Guide has been reduced for a number of reasons:

• The good practice remains in many respects ahead of Building Regulations, although minimum requirements are gradually being raised to incorporate higher environmental performance.
• There is still something of an attitude of "it wouldn't work here", which was demonstrated on a study visit to Denmark prior to publication of the Guide.
• There are also assumptions that higher environmental performance is not affordable, reinforced by public accounting policies which use unreasonably short payback periods and discourage life-cycle costing.
• Case studies of good practice have not been subject to formalised technical performance monitoring which could help to demonstrate their value.
• Similarly, the introduction of standard post occupancy evaluation of the environmental performance of housing developments could provide valuable data to inform policy-making and future investment.
• Governmental policies which favour large multi-annual housing construction contracts militate against adaptation of designs to suit local conditions, and to adjust designs in the light of experience early in a contract period.

In reviewing the Guide, the authors have recognised that there may be instances when those whoprovided the original case studies are unwilling to provide feedback on aspects of the project which have failed, have not been fully optimised or have been seriously compromised in use. However, such feedback is essential if others are to learn from the experience. The use of case studies is lilkely therefore to be complemented by generic good practice advice on specific design features which should increase the relevance to others. The focus of the revised guide will be on refurbishment and maintenance and refurbishment rather than new build. This will be reflected in the approach to the material and the output which should be appropriate to the needs of maintenance officers.

For more information, contact:

Ian Walker at Communities Scotland: Ian.Walker@communitiesscotland.gsi.gov.uk

Fionn Stevenson at University of Dundee: f.z.stevenson@dundee.ac.uk

NHS Forth Valley first approached Stirling Council to discuss the options for redeveloping its property at Orchard House, on the edge of Raploch in Stirling, in 2001. An arrangement to achieve a better outcome by exchanging land with the Council became part of a wider partnership approach to the regeneration of Raploch as a whole. Responsibility for implementing this regeneration programme will shortly be transferred to a new Urban Regeneration Company. As part of this programme, Orchard House will be turned into a £10m+ modern integrated primary healthcare facility for the city of Stirling, bringing together the existing 6 GP practices and 26 GPs, along with other community health and specialist services. The capital investment in better health will be complemented by other elements in the regeneration programme, designed to improve the social mix, employment prospects, educational provision and the quality of housing and the environment around Raploch. The overall programme will cost in the region of £114.7m up to 2012.

The intention of the partners throughout has been to work with the community to achieve a more sustainable holistic approach to regeneration, producing lasting benefits, where previous interventions to improve physical infrastructure have only had short-lived benefits. The healthcare outcomes are around more cost-effective primary healthcare service provision, together with longer-term improvements in community health and reduced incidence of serious diseases, which are currently high in Raploch.

Ministers have been fully supportive of this joined-up approach to the regeneration of Raploch, recognising it as good practice. However, there have been a number of obstacles to making it work in practice. These include the different policies pursued by various departments of the Scottish Executive which inhibit the ability of the partner bodies to join forces in this way. One significant factor, a prohibition on ministers (or their delivery agents) to participate in Joint Ventures with the private sector, has now been lifted, enabling Scottish Homes and Communities Scotland to become part of an Urban Regeneration Company with the private sector developer who will manage implementation of the various projects. This integrated project management framework will produce significant benefits (Best Value) in terms of co-ordination of the various component projects, and the management vehicle will enable any surpluses generated (e.g. from land sales) to be recycled into additional community projects.

The joined-up approach has required board members and managers to think differently about how they exercise their responsibilities, seeing these carried out in collaboration with partner agencies. In aiming to move away from a focus on acute services, the usual use of short-term financial measures and targets is being augmented with longer-term community health outcomes. These will reduce future demands on both primary and acute healthcare resources, but they are impossible to predict with any degree of precision. As with many other outcomes from more sustainable approaches, ways must be found to give due weight to measures such as this in the formulation of policies and reporting on performance.

Other stakeholders who are having to think differently about the nature of health service provision include local residents affected by the centralisation of GP services, and some of the GPs themselves. However, access and facilities at several of the existing practice centres are poor, and service users (including minority groups) will be consulted as part of the traffic impact assessment and detailed design for the new Centre.

Conventional approaches to contracting for healthcare capital projects are also having to be adjusted to fit within a single regeneration contract, although a "mandatory variant bid" is included in the tender process specifically to satisfy Best Value requirements in the Health Service.

The regeneration approach to Raploch is therefore stretching many existing public sector management frameworks, practices and attitudes, and the story of this initiative is likely to provide valuable lessons for other partnership approaches to local regeneration. It has already been used by a Scottish Executive working group looking at the benefits of joint working.

For more information, contact Elaine McRae, Head of Performance Management: Elaine.McRae@fvhb.scot.nhs.uk

The National Library of Scotland ( NLS) had identified a need to replace items of major plant, including chillers, humidifiers and the Building Management System within its major storage building at Causewayside in Edinburgh. The British Standard BS5454 (Storage of Archive Materials) provides the benchmark for the conditions that we aim to keep the national collections in. New plant was installed in the building which meets the NLS storage standards, and achieved a reduction in energy consumption of 16%.

As the existing plant was approaching the end of its economical life and there were inherent inefficiencies in the original design, options for replacement of major plant were explored. The existing plant had been installed in two Phases in 1987 and 1995 and it was impossible to gain efficiencies or flexibility while they operated independently. The intent was to replace the plant in one operation to gain efficiencies both in the size and number of chillers and to look at some radical ideas to reduce energy consumption.

This initiative was innovative in two main respects, resulting in significant cost savings. The first of these was a radical rethink of the design to achieve 'free' cooling by reversing the normal process when the outside air temperature was below 8 ^°C. This made it possible to obtain chilled water at much lower cost compared with running the chilled water plant.

The project was also innovative in terms of the role played by Library's own staff. They had a detailed understanding of the problems and wanted to do better than the basic "cook book" designed installation. They carried out early enabling works to redesign the system and calculate the potential savings, with some specialist assistance. Following Scottish Executive approval of the detailed case for the £1.5m Project, the work was carried out under a design and construct 'General Conditions for Works' ( GC/Works) form of contract rather than the usual external contract route. The Library would develop the design and pre-tender the procurement of the chiller plant to ensure that the appropriate quality of installation would be guaranteed. A consultant would project manage and carry out the Quantity Surveyor role and an external Clerk of Works would oversee the work on site. Savings in excess of £100,000 were achieved from this design route and the Library, as an intelligent client, was able to maintain the necessary level of control to manage the contract and ensure that operations and conditions within the building were maintained.

The project proceeded as planned and was completed to budget and to a good quality, although it was 4 weeks late. In December 2005 after the free cooling was commissioned the installation was in full operation until early March 2006. This achieved considerable savings in energy use and there has been no requirement to operate the chillers for two months. The average electricity consumption for the first 11 weeks of 2006 fell by 46.81%, compared with a year previously, which was already 16% lower than the year before. The saving for this period is estimated at £29,000. There have been some corrosion issues, and research agency the Building Services Research and Information Association ( BSRIA) has recently published a technical guide which should help avoid these problems in future installations.

This case demonstrates the role of the intelligent client who is prepared to consider a more radical solution to those usually offered by designers, by setting much higher targets to be achieved. The client must take an active interest in the whole process since it is the client who will have to operate the system long after the consultants and contractors have gone. Only through a reasonable level of continuous professional input is it possible to achieve the magnitude of savings detailed here. Also, subsequent contracts for plant operation and maintenance need to be sufficiently detailed and specified to ensure that savings are maintained.

Although NLS has quite specific technical requirements, this experience will be directly relevant to a wide range of air-conditioned buildings with major chiller installations with air blast coolers for heat rejection. The NLS experience is more generally transferable and relevant for design and management of major capital infrastructure to achieve progress in sustainable development.

For more information contact David Hunter, Strategic Policy Manager, National Library of Scotland - D.Hunter@nls.uk Tel: 0131 623 3726

The new Scottish Natural Heritage ( SNH) Corporate Office in Inverness was awarded the highest ever environmental rating (84%) for buildings in the UK since the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology ( BREEAM) system was introduced in 1998. The BREEAM is an independent measure of environmental quality in design and procurement used by the construction industry. Using the BREEAM Environmental Performance Indicator ( EPI) to compare developments of differing nature, "Great Glen House" achieved a maximum rating of 10 out of 10.

SNH required potential developers to design the building to meet a list of precise criteria for environmental performance, including a BREEAM Excellent rating; limits for carbon emissions, water usage, and air tightness; and the use of "A" rated Green Guide construction materials.

The resulting building is designed: to use 76.66 kWh/m2/year of energy (power, light and heat); to maximise daylight: use natural ventilation, high grade insulation and low energy lighting throughout; and have a Building Management System to monitor and manage all the services and fuel usage. Solar collectors provide at least 62% of the hot water energy, and 5.2% of the building's total energy needs. The target output of less than 8kg carbon per square metre has been met, with a maximum carbon emission of 7.16 kg C/m2/year - well ahead of "best practice". Floor coverings and paints all met high environmental standards.

Sustainable recycling made use of materials from the pre-existing building in the construction of the new one, and environmental impact assessments were carried out in planning each stage of construction. For the first time on a site in Scotland, the construction teams had to separate all waste for recycling, as SNH staff now do.

A Sustainable Urban Drainage System ( SUDS) pond removes pollution from surface water runoff, and was carefully designed to provide a good habitat for wildlife. The sedum turf roof on the library will create a new specialist habitat for insects, plants and birds, together with enhancing the thermal performance of the building once firmly established

Very high sustainability standards were set in all contracts - design, construction methods, furniture, office cleaning, new office equipment, waste management, grounds management - with an assessment of the extent to which these could be manufactured, used and disposed of in ways which reduce resource use, energy use (including embodied energy), travel and pollution. The furniture chosen scores very highly on use of recycled materials, reparability and replaceability of parts, etc; office cleaning requires the use of biodegradable products and recycling of materials where possible; and the office and IT equipment has low energy use features.

The travel options are typical for this type of location, but measures are in place or being developed to make the most of what is possible. The Travel Plan covers cycle storage and showers; improved pedestrian and cycle access; improved bus services; information on travel options and car sharing for staff; and greater use of video conferencing.

Water use is reduced by features in the fit-out, and the harvesting of rainwater for toilets, with sophisticated management and monitoring mechanisms.

The building is even expected to contribute to Green Tourism, as it stands beside the Great Glen Way, and it is likely that the sustainability aspects will be exhibited in some way for visitors.

For more information, contact: Alex Mackay, Relocation Project Co-ordinator, Alex.Mackay@snh.gov.uk

Elmwood College has a long tradition of supporting land based industries. Uniquely, it has achieved an international reputation in standards of teaching, and quality of provision in golf course management and greenkeeping. Students completing courses are virtually guaranteed employment at home and abroad.

Golf courses present particular challenges and opportunities in land management. With 550 recorded golf courses in Scotland, 300 of which are located in the East of Scotland, this is a substantial estate. On average an 18 hole golf course covers an area of 35-45 hectares. Thus innovative approaches in better managing this aggregated greenspace can constitute a significant contribution to biodiversity and to environmental sustainability more generally.

The College, based at Cupar, has adopted a far-sighted approach towards the management of its land assets to underpin its primary purpose in providing education and training. Using the college golf course and farm as living/working educational resources, it has created opportunities for practical educational experiences and for increased environmental awareness. These resources enable the College to test out and share new thinking in golf course and land management techniques, and to promote nature conservation and biodiversity. These related projects are also aligned with the College's registration for the Environmental Management Standard, ISO 14001, which drives continual improvement in environmental performance.

The route to entry for the College stems from the incorporation of Further Education Colleges in 1993, giving them responsibility for their financial affairs. The Scottish Strategy for Environmental Education recommended in 1995 that "Institutions should conduct environmental audits in both curriculum and institutional practice, to be incorporated into course programmes and as a component of staff development in environmental education." Elmwood's Board of Management decided to register for the Environmental Management Standard BS7750 (now ISO14001), and its Mission Statement placed strong emphasis on minimising the environmental impact of its work, providing environmental education and raising public awareness on environmental issues.

The College was fortunate in having physical assets to be able to pursue its business and its environmental objectives in an integrated way. An Integrated Management Plan was prepared for the golf course, detailing how the individual management objectives were to be achieved. Wherever possible, the students have been involved in site survey work and in the planning of improvements, using these as practical study projects of how golf and farming can be combined with nature conservation. Careful monitoring systems enable the College to demonstrate the progress being achieved, not least for the purposes of ISO14001. The decision was also taken to convert the farm to organic production and to register under the Countryside Premium Scheme (later the Rural Stewardship Scheme). Areas of the farm are managed as wetland, river frontage woodland and water meadows, and a pond / nature reserve has been created from a disused landfill site.

To underpin further this commitment to continual improvement in environmental performance, in 1999 the College became one of the pioneers in shaping the Wildlife Trust's Business and Biodiversity Benchmark Scheme, which covers ten key components: Commitment, Survey, Assessment, Legislation, Planning, Implementation, Measurement, Partnerships, Communication and Review. It is noticeable that there is a significant degree of overlap between these and the characteristics of Best Value. Furthermore, the College is actively involved in third-party partnerships and collaborative projects to promote environmental awareness and practical conservation initiatives, locally and at a Scottish level.

The majority of Elmwood students will use the resources for learning activities, on courses ranging from Greenkeeping and Agriculture to Integrated Rural Land Use and Wildlife Conservation. The practical activities reinforce the learning experience and encourage a feeling of team involvement in preparing the land for its intended purpose. The College is now looking for a way of measuring the "greenness" of an Elmwood student as opposed to a student attending a comparable institution - a problem it had not envisaged. The approach taken at Elmwood makes business sense as well as meeting the needs of students for practical education and training, and maximises the value created from the land resources whilst actually improving these for the future through a genuinely sustainable approach to management.

Contact for further information: John Salter, Environmental Development Manager JSalter@elmwood.ac.uk