Welcome to the first edition of Planning and Building Control Today – Scotland. As we finalise this edition, the results of the Scottish Referendum are sinking in and although the result is clear, there is still a significant proportion of the voters who would like to see independence. That hope is now dashed, but the promise of more powers has been made and the entire UK could see a constitutional change that has not been seen in a lifetime. It remains to be seen however what these changes will mean, and perhaps more interestingly in the short term, how the politicians will agree on the terms. Construction and property leaders in Scotland could soon be welcoming a surge in work now that uncertainty regarding Scotland’s future has been removed, with investment in public infrastructure that would secure longterm economic growth. If approached right, Scotland will be an attractive proposal for foreign investment and for private sector businesses due to potentially advantageous tax conditions. However, economic growth in Scotland will rely on an affordable supply of homes along with the supporting infrastructure to meet an objective of ‘sustainable economic development’. In this edition, Blair Melville, Head of Planning Strategy at Homes for Scotland examines if the National Planning Framework 3 and the revised Scottish Planning Policy will provide the basis to solve the scale of housing required. We also address the UK wide issue of energy efficiency within our homes highlighting the benefits of insulation, and of course we shed light on the continuing uptake of BIM and the many benefits this will bring to construction. I welcome your thoughts and feedback on any of the issues covered here.
