There’s less than two months to go until this year’s Scottish Planning and Environmental Law conference so we thought we’d flag up some of the expected highlights. We’ve been running the SPEL conference for nearly 20 years and in this time its gained a reputation for being a forum for open and critical debate about the operation of the planning system in Scotland.
This year’s conference focuses on the theme of “meeting ambitious targets”. Scotland has some of the most ambitious targets in Europe – if not the world – when it comes to addressing climate change issues. Like the rest of the UK, Scotland is also facing challenges around ensuring adequate housing supply, especially affordable housing.
We expect that the conference will provide an ideal opportunity for discussing the implications of recent decisions on key renewable energy applications, as well as the intersection of the planning system with the housebuilding industry.
As usual we will also be reflecting on national planning policy, assessing the potential impact of NPF3 and Scottish Planning Policy on planning outcomes and performance, three months after they were laid before Parliament.
The programme features a broad range of speakers, bringing perspectives from the private sector, local government planning, academia and central government to bear on the issues.
Key speakers include:
- Professor Greg Lloyd, Head of School of the Built Environment, University of Ulster
- John McNairney, Chief Planner, The Scottish Government
- Lindsey Nicoll, Chief Reporter, Directorate for Planning & Environmental Appeals
- Nick Wright, Nick Wright Planning and Junior Vice Convenor, RTPI Scotland
- James Findlay, Advocate (QC England and Wales), Terra Firma Chambers
- Michael McGlynn, Head of Planning & Building Standards Services, South Lanarkshire Council
We’re also delighted that Rt. Hon Sir Menzies Campbell will be chairing the conference for us.
If you’re interested in planning or environmental law in Scotland then SPEL 2014 is the perfect chance to hear about the latest developments and network with others.
Note about the conference:
The 2014 Scottish Planning and Environmental Law conference is on 24 September at The Teacher Building in Glasgow.
The full conference programme and booking form are available here.
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