A very real coup for Argyll and Bute Council has seen it given one of the significant 2010 Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning – for its suite of Sustainable Design Guides and the associated development work..
These awards are given annually by the Scottish Government to raise the profile of planning and to encourage good practice.
John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, who has responsibility for land use planning, presented the award to the Council team in the ceremony at The Hub in Edinburgh.
This project relates to a wider and more holistic approach to raising the quality of architecture and design in Argyll and ensuring that sustainability is at the heart of each design solution.
Among the integrated elemnts of this strategy are:
- the sustainable design guides – including area specific guidance;
- the Sustainable Design Forum;
- the Sustainable Design Awards;
- a design champion;
- training to improve the design skills of key stakeholders.
The content and approach of the guides has already attracted favourable comments from other Scottish Authorities and of groups working in small scale renewable technologies and carbon reduction techniques.
Scottish Natural Heritage and WHELK Leader+ contributed funding to the scheme, in which the Council has worked closely with Glasgow-based architects, Anderson Bell and Christie.
Councillor Ron Simon, Deputy Spokesperson for Economy, Environment and Rural Affairs and Chair of Argyll and Bute’s Sustainable Design Forum, is delighted that the Council’s work has been recognised at the highest level: ‘In terms of Argyll and Bute’s ambition to become a Leading rural Local Authority this is splendid news.
‘At the end of the day we have to applaud the architects, developers and builders who have embraced the concept of sustainable design. We can produce initiatives till the cows come home but without their buy-in nothing would actually be delivered on the ground.
‘I applaud the efforts of those who have been engaged and hope that this award will raise the profile and awareness of sustainable design and lead to even more communication and collaborative working between the planners and those working in the field.
‘The Argyll and Bute Sustainable Design Forum will now be working towards the production of new guidance for other areas as well as promoting the existing guides.
‘It is gratifying to note that other Local authority areas are looking towards our work in Sustainable Design as an exemplar.
‘We are delighted that such a wide range of stakeholders have come on board to contribute to what is now an award-winning policy, and we look forward to continuing to protect our landscape whilst at the same time promoting innovative and exciting architecture and design’.
The awards were judged by Joan Burnie, Associate Editor of the Daily Record; Richard Holland, Development Manager, Mansell Construction Services Ltd; and Ben Train, Town Planning Manager (Scotland & NI), Tesco Stores Ltd.
The photograph above shows the Argyll and Bute team representatives at the awards event: (left to right) Stuart Green, Planning Development Officer; Karen Anderson, architect, from Anderson Bell and Christie; Councillor Ron Simon; John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth; Angus Gilmour, Head of Planning Services; Fergus Murray, Development Policy Manager.
Nice one Ron.
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Quite a step forward for Argyll and Bute
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A space should be reserved for kintyre1 sothat he can pass on his sincere congratulations on this item.
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Well done indeed Ron, how cool is it to see Argyll & Bute Council winning design awards, changed days indeed. Well done everyone.
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This award must be a late ‘April Fools’ joke. ABC are no further forward with any type of coherent approach to Planning- Their ‘propoganda’ as published is propped up by Central Government to help boost their own ego’s. The Planners in ABC are wholly oncompromising in their belief that – you will only get planning permission for what they want. This point has actually been expressed to me by Steven Gove- via his Team Leader David Eaglesham. Apart from all that, once they have agreed a scheme with you, they then change their minds without any reasoning. ABC remain firmly at the top of the list for the Most incompetent Council in Scotald. As evidenced by their most recent audit.
VERY UNHAPPY TAX PAYER
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