Welcome to the March edition of PBC Today Scotland.
In the most recent news, the ePlanning portal in Scotland has reported a significant growth in popularity in the last year which has been marked by two key milestones. It claims that more than 60% of all applications and appeals are now submitted online, and that the 100,000th application was submitted through ePlanning Scotland in February this year. The portal currently processes an average of 2,200 applications and appeals a month, with an expansion for Building Standards due in the Summer.
However, nestling within this new and improved way of working, it is important not to forget that Scotland has a rich historic environment to protect. Embracing new technologies is a key driver to enable us to protect our history, and this is reflected in an article from Jo Robertson, Senior Policy Officer at BEFS (Built Environment Forum Scotland). The article outlines the vision for the future of Scotland’s historic environment and how, by developing a measurement framework, success can be assessed.
In terms of BIM, this year has been incredibly busy with the Digital Plan of Work toolkit released along with PAS 1192-5. This issue has a focus on BIM, with Stephen Hamil discussing the Digital Plan of Work toolkit and Anne Kemp looking at how BIM and GIS can deliver infrastructure projects. Steve Thompson of BIM4M2 provides a discussion on BIM for manufacturers, and Anthony Burd, Head of Market Development, and Stephanie Kosandiak, Lead Programme Manager for Construction at BSI have contributed a really helpful article outlining all the key BIM standards currently in use. Whether you’re new to BIM or not, this article will act as handy reference tool.
This edition is also again looking at energy efficiency with articles detailing fuel poverty and mitigating energy losses within buildings – another key topic with the general election on the horizon.
Whatever your profession, I hope you find something of interest in this issue and look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments.
