The annual SPEL conference, sponsored by Terra Firma Chambers, returned to the Mackenzie Building on Thursday and proved once again to be a key event in the planning calendar with a number of top speakers in the Scottish planning world.

The morning session followed a theme of raising standards across the industry in Scotland, starting with Malcolm McLeod, Head of Planning with Highland Council and the present chair of the Heads of Planning Scotland.  Malcolm explained the thinking behind the Planning Performance Framework and its drive to streamline, simplify and clarify approaches to planning nationwide by focusing on excellence.  This theme was continued by Jim McDonald, Chief Executive of Architecture and Design Scotland and David Girvan, Planning Officer with the City of Edinburgh Council, who both gave thought provoking contributions to the Raising Design Standards session, generating a lively question and answer session.  The run up to lunch was then taken up with a detailed consideration of section 75 obligations and processing agreements, with presentations from Julia Frost of Planning Aid for Scotland; David Reekie, Policy Manager with the Scottish Government; Chris Devlin, solicitor at Shepherd+Wedderburn LLP; and Rob McIntosh, Principal Solicitor at Aberdeen Council.

The Afternoon session commenced with a look at planning appeals and in particular Local Review Bodies.  In a presentation which pulled no punches, veteran Planning Consultant Suzanne McIntosh delivered a blistering assessment of LRBs which raised fundamental issues regarding the fairness of such proceedings.  There are few people in Scotland with Suzanne’s level of experience, and so with the equally weighty contributions which followed from Tom Duncan, Senior Solicitor with West Lothian Council and Lindsay Nicoll, Chief Reporter at the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals, things shaped up into a lively discussion of this topical issue which may raise challenges under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights.  After a short break there followed the annual case law roundup delivered by Stephen O’Rourke advocate of Terra Firma Chambers, followed by a view from the Development Sector from Ben Train, Town Planning Manager with Tesco Stores Ltd and Chair of the Scottish Property Federation Planning and Development Group.  The conference was then drawn to a close with a crisp address focusing on key improvement issues delivered by Scottish Young Planner of the Year Nikola Miller, Planning Policy and Practice Officer with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI Scotland).

Many thanks to all he contributors, the three chairpersons James Findlay QC, Brian Muir and Maurice O’Carroll, and finally to the organisers for putting on such a successful and stimulating conference.