1. Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS)
Annual Conference 20 May 2011
“Connecting our Communities”
Through the Planning Gain Service, the FIRS Group
And – Beyond…….
Stuart Robertson
Planning Gain Manager

2. Setting the Scene
Aberdeenshire Council provides a Planning Gain Service through SLA’s to:- Aberdeen City, Moray Council & the Cairngorms National Park Authority – so giving a consistent approach to Planning Gain in the North East of Scotland for the benefit of Developers and Public alike.

3. Shocks The Development Industry does not take kindly to
and minimising these from the outset through
Dialogue & Information
will establish good partnering relationships for the benefit of
all concerned.
Shocks

4. Pro active measures linked to a development of whatever scale
But also for Art
Ballater
Contributions to Public Transport to enhance or to establish a service.Bus shelters, stances & cycle racks at bus stops.

5. Grey water recovery system for showers and WC’s
Community Facilities
Blackburn, Nr Aberdeen, Community Hall 35% PG funded – within walking distance for most residents.
Grey water recovery system for showers and WC’s

6. Commercial Developments
Public Transport
Town centre impact
Access links,
Natural Heritage
Waste/Recycling

7. Overview
Planning Gain
Apart from encouraging early dialogue, infrastructure assessments are generally made and contributions negotiated following a Planning Application.
F.I.R.S. Process
Seeks to formalise and establish requirements prior to Local Plan allocations and individual application stage.

8. Future Infrastructure Requirements for Services.
FIRS
A coordinated cross service approach to infrastructure provision.

9. It’s Not
Rocket Science

10. “I didn’t realise you had to do that!”
Anatomy of the FIRS GROUP
Housing
Estates
Architects
Economic
Development
Recreation
Education
NHS
Waste
Planning
Transport
Scotland
Finance
Environment
Cross Boundary Rep
Scottish
Water
Planning
Gain

11. FIRS Process
FIRS Group assess areas for growth as indicated by proposals for Structure Plan.
Outcomes inform Structure Plan to determine growth areas that can accommodate anticipated infrastructure requirements.
Development Industry submit Proposals for inclusion in Local Development Plan to accord with finalised Structure Plan.
FIRS Group assess infrastructure requirements on Preferred Development Proposal sites as identified by Planning Policy

12. v u
School
Transport Interchange
Trunk Road
improvements

13. Industry informed of outcome of assessment process.
FIRS Process
Industry informed of outcome of assessment process.
Industry asked to determine sites that can be delivered.
Deliverable sites put into Draft Local Development Plan.
Meanwhile second tier sites are assessed as contingency for those sites that cannot be delivered, are rejected by Elected Members or by the Inquiry Reporter.

14. Capital Acceleration.
(Up front funding)

15. The Council is Risk Aware not Risk Averse.
We should be prepared to take risks with infrastructure to encourage development but to minimise that risk with good planning.

16. 4 1 3 2 Risk at the Crossroads 5a 5c 5b Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 5
Proposed expansion
Phase 5
Phase 4
Phase 3

17. Future Infrastructure Requirements for Services
‘FIRS’ Group
Proposal being promoted;
Council front ending certain infrastructure:
In control of the delivery and specification whilst being in a position to apportion costs fairly amongst all developments.
Equalisation of infrastructure contributions will allow Developers of all sizes to bid for sites.

18. ‘FIRS’ Group
The developer contributes to specific infrastructure through the course of development on a pro rata basis.
A rolling infrastructure fund would be established.
Certainty for Developers and Council.
Council can mitigate risk by taking the long view on allocated land and known infrastructure requirements ‘Risk’ ( Optimism Bias) factor built into repayment structure.

19. FIRS Outcomes
A cross boundary FIRS Group has been established to ensure continuity between Aberdeenshire & Aberdeen City particularly in areas of Transport & Education.
FIRS Model adopted by Aberdeen City & Moray Councils
Proactive rather than reactive – good PR for both Public & Private sectors.

20. FIRS Moving Forward An Aberdeen City & Shire Transportation solution
by addressing Cumulative Cross Boundary impacts.

21. Circular 1/2010 – Planning Agreements.
Policy Tests
11……..
“relate to the proposed development either as a direct consequence of the development or arising from the cumulative impact of development in the area (paragraphs16-17);”
RELATIONSHIP TO PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT TEST 16
“……..place additional requirements on infrastructure (cumulative impact)…….”

22. Regional approach to transport issues in the Aberdeen City & Shire Local Development Plans:
Transport modelling has assessed benefits gained by ‘Committed’ schemes and likely additional infrastructure required
FIRS groups have also helped to identify infrastructure requirements
Most new infrastructure schemes can be attributed to specific developments
However, there is also a package of schemes which cannot. These have been attributed to all developments within the HMA and Strategic Growth Areas.

23. Getting the right team in place

24. Apportion costs evenly over growth area
Bringing aspects of the processes together
Planning Gain
FIRS Group
Stage payments
Section 75s
Assess
Infrastructure
Identify & Quantify
Cumulative Impacts
Apportion costs evenly over growth area

25. eg:8 developments in rural School catchment area.
The Cumulative Effect
eg:8 developments in rural School catchment area. 7 9 11 5 1 6 8 3
A92
B9009
50 Houses
= 20 Pupils

26. What is Fair and Reasonable? No Net Detriment NOW can mean …..
NO development NOW.

28. Location of Cumulative Infrastructure
Development Site
Location of Cumulative Infrastructure
Aberdeen
Western
Peripheral Road
Closer look at Aberdeen City

29. Main points of the scheme
Transportation interventions-(roads & P.T) identified and costed to serve Residential and Commercial development within Strategic Growth Areas & Housing Market Areas over plan period to 2023.
Costs are apportioned to all developments on a house unit size or floor area basis.
Contributions collected as and when development takes place.
Interventions are monitored & prioritised by NESTRANS & carried out as and when sufficient funds are in place.

30. As with Education requirements, several sites can contribute to an item of infrastructure that serves them all.
Site A
Site B
Site C
Academy
Site D

31. Discussions have been held with House Builders and Surveyors with a favourable response from both sectors.
Reviews of requirements over period may lead to schemes dropping out and new schemes coming in as the realities on the ground dictate.
This can avoid works being carried out that are considered essential now but may prove unnecessary in 5 yrs time.
Key points are:
Transparency, Certainty, Equality, Flexibility & Trust.

32. Goal posts on castors.
Major Infrastructure costs can either change dramatically during the course of the application process or appear as an add-on that was not known at the outset.
These can throw the best intentions askew and may require S75 variations when evidenced.
Eg:
Utility installations and Trunk Road measures,

33. This is especially true in today’s financial climate.
The Real World ü
L.A.s Must always be aware that unreasonable additional costs or delays can lead to projects not being built and employees being laid off.
This is especially true in today’s financial climate.

34. Avoid Shocks through Dialogue & Information Sharing.
Back to the Beginning
Avoid Shocks through Dialogue & Information Sharing.
Establish & keep good partnering relationships for the benefit of all concerned.

35. Thank You for Your Attention We don’t just talk about it – we DO it
Fraserburgh
The Moray
Council
Banff
Turriff
Peterhead
Huntly
Cairngorms National Park Authority
Ellon
Inverurie
Alford
Aberdeen
Banchory
Braemar
Stonehaven
We don’t just talk about it – we DO it
Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland (SCOTS)
Annual Conference 20 May 2011