SURF's December e-bulletin: All the latest news

Revised draft National Planning Framework 4 was laid before the Scottish Parliament on the 8^th November and, following scrutiny by the Local Government Committee, is expected to be adopted before the recess of 24^th December. There is no opportunity for amendment before adoption.

20 Minute Neighbourhoods remain a flagship policy woven throughout with inclusion in regional spatial plans and local development plans required. Policy 15 - Local Living and 20 Minute Neighbourhoods does make it clearer that local context and settlement patterns are important, allaying fears that urban qualities are applied to rural settings as raised by SURF and several other organisations.

SURF has a look at what the revised draft means for 20Min Neighbourhoods. Read More

A consultation on a refreshed Historic Environment Strategy for Scotland has been launched. Although hosted by Historic Environment Scotland this is a strategy for all working in the historic environment and its mission and principles are a welcome change from the previous strategy, Our Place in Time.

The new draft proposes to “harness the power of the historic environment for the benefit of our society” with principles that are more focused on people and climate than before. It identifies three priorities: the transition to net zero, inclusive communities and wellbeing.

The consultation seeks input on these and on their proposed performance indicators and can be found here.

Colette McGarva recognises the need for an ever more collaborative approach to delivering CWB but also points out the need for learning why previous policies have not delivered reductions in inequality.

Genuinely an informative and engaging conference with well-balanced content and thought-provoking speakers. I was particularly heartened to hear a great deal of reference for the need to value community development: Practice, principles, and core values.

Inspired by Martin Avila’s comment “not just short-term community engagement but the need for community development” and the raw, real and true poetry of Kevin Gilday. Great to have been involved in the discussions on “community wealth building” and the need for a coordinated approach: social, environmental, physical, and economic regeneration. Community development offers this broad wealth of expertise and, at CDAS, we are always keen to expand our collaborative working. 

Read More

Rebecca Madgin asks whether there is space for the feelings of lived experience in the Levelling up and Community Wealth Building agendas.

The SURF Conference, ‘From Slogans to Sound Strategy’, provided a sustained opportunity to engage with two current priorities: Community Wealth Building and Levelling Up. Hearing from a range of different speakers including poets, freelancers and those who work in local and national government provided an inclusivity which reflects the need for plural expertise when considering place-based policies and practices.

The mix of speakers and topics ensured that both the mind and the heart were engaged at different times of the day. This was especially the case when Kevin P. Gilday and Hannah Clinch spoke as their visceral accounts of their lived and felt experiences of living and working in place provided a prism through which the rational language of the policies and practices heard throughout the day could be filtered and felt. 

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• Scotland’s climate targets are in danger of becoming meaningless (link);
• More than 2 million Scots estimated to cut back on household spending due to energy bills (link);
• Dunoon Area Alliance launches a new Community Events website (link);
• Transformation of former tip wins Scotland’s ‘Building of the Year’ prize (link);
• Transforming Vacant and Derelict Land (link);
• SCVO HR Service (link);
• Scottish Budget 2023/24: SCVO statement (link);
• Maker Application - Craft Directory (link);
• Culture Counts response to the Inquiry into Retail and Town Centres in Scotland (link);
• Consultation - Community Planning inquiry (link);
• Crathie office and café wins top architecture prize (link);
• COSLA launches ‘bold new plan’ for local government (link);
• Designing climate resilient landscapes: State of the art projects in Europe (link);
• Funding - Funding to help communities tackle cost of living crisis (link);
• COSLA issues budget call to ‘Save our Services’ (link);
• Funding - Hadyard Hill Education and Training Fund (Pinwherry and Pinmore) (link);
• Solving the Human Rights Puzzle (link);
• The Guardian view on local libraries: a resource that must be protected (link);
• Kingdom secures highest level of tenant participation accreditation (link);
• Aberdeen approves flats plan for retired Cults school teachers (link);
• My Place Awards (link);
• Scots urged to donate £400 energy support to the needy (link);
• Prestwick satellite hub to underpin a new era of cloud services (link);
• Industrial-style school to serve as Blindwells centrepiece (link);
• 'Ageing Well' in Queens Cross (link);
• Future of Glasgow could be built on creative place-making (link);
• Delivering Scotland's circular economy: Proposed Circular Economy Bill - Consultation analysis (link);
• The importance of gardens and greenspace around where we live (link);
• A Cultural Deal for Europe (link);
• Adequate Housing, Cities and Climate Change, and Localising the Sustainable Development Goals (link);
• Apprenticeships unlocking potential for awards finalists (link);
• Community-led action on vacant and derelict land (link);
• Event - Do you have an idea that could improve the lives of families across Clackmannanshire?  (link);
• RTPI Scotland launches resourcing trends and findings for 2022 (link);
• Canongate student development approved on appeal (link);
• Impact Arts Cashback Hubs January-March 2023 (link);
• Event - Various Museum Galleries Scotland events (link);
• Combine to Create Christmas Gathering (link);
• Vacancy - 2 vacancies with the Improvement Service (link);
• ‘Topping out’ reached for Edinburgh low carbon homes development (link);
• Vacancy - Policy Manager and Policy Lead at SFHA (link); 
• Talking EDAS Episode 6 - Leigh Sparks (link);
• £60m residential-led vision aims to revive Aberdeen city centre site (link);
• Call for evidence - Cost of living: impact on rural communities in Scotland (link);
• Scotland’s strategy to tackle the nature emergency (link);
• Consultation - Wellbeing And Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill  (link);
• Community Ownership Fund: successful bidders (link)