It’s all change in the planning system…

As many of you will know, we’re going through a period of significant change in the planning system in Scotland on the back of the changes ushered in by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, including, but certainly not limited to:

• the introduction of Local Place Plans
• a whole new process for producing Local Development Plans
• a new National Planning Framework 4 which will have far greater impact and influence than any of its predecessors
• the digital transformation the planning system

… and change at Planning Aid Scotland (PAS)

This period of change is also somewhat mirrored here at PAS, where we’ve been transforming our organisation. During the pandemic we experienced many changes within our staff team, with much-loved and long-serving colleagues moving on to new adventures, and talented new colleagues joining us. Carry on reading below for some of our more recent announcements.

We’ll be continuing on a path of renewal over the course of 2023 as we move towards our 30th anniversary – watch this space!

New Chief Executive and Board of Directors

In October 2022, we appointed our new Chief Executive, Johanna Boyd, in tandem with several new board members joining our Board of Directors. Reflecting the growing demand for our services amid the on-going changes to the planning system in Scotland, we appointed two additional colleagues to join the team in early June. Read on to meet them.

N.B. We’re also recruiting new board members – could this be you? Find out more here.

New Director of Operations, Iain MacPherson

Iain is a chartered planner and joins PAS from working in planning consultancy, having spent the last 10 years working primarily for local authorities and, increasingly, community groups across Scotland and the UK, producing masterplans, action plans and strategy.

Joining as Director of Operations, Iain is excited about the opportunity to support implementing PAS’s mission and strategy across the varied work that PAS has and seeing an impact for places, communities, volunteers and the team.

Iain worked in the third sector prior to going back into education and coming out the other end as a planner. He’s a graduate of the University of Aberdeen, Regent College – University of British Columbia and University of Glasgow. Iain enjoys introducing his children to various outdoor pursuits and getting the chance to do them on his own as well.

New Communications Officer, Kim Kendall

Kim grew up in Warwickshire and is now based in sunny Inverclyde. Previously, Kim worked for several third sector organisations in Dublin, including a not-for-profit working to improve services for children and young people, an international development charity and a teachers’ union.

Most recently, Kim worked for a humanitarian training and deployment charity based in Melbourne, Australia and as a freelancer on graphic design and communications projects. Kim has a BSc in Geography and an MA in Dance Performance. She enjoys travel, dance and the outdoors.

We’re also pleased to share that Paul Ede (formerly Projects Manager) has taken on a new role within the organisation and is now our Social Enterprise Manager. As part of his now broader remit, Paul will continue to help communities and organisations across the country to create better outcomes for their place.

Looking for help?

If you’d like to find out more about what we do and how we can help you or your community, take a look a look at some of our services:

• Advice Service – free advice on planning matters for individuals, communities and business start-ups
• Local Place Plan guides – a free set of ‘how to’ guides to help your community start creating a Local Place Plan… also see some examples on our Community-led plans page
• Volunteering – join hundreds of planners and built environment professionals across Scotland in helping members of the public and communities navigate the planning system