by OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EDITOR
Ambitious proposals for the development of the Tweedbank community in the Central Borders over the next fifteen years, including the construction of up to 400 new houses and a care village will feature at a conference for Scotland's leading planners when they assemble in Galashiels later this month.
A number of other local initiatives will be the subject of presentations to the annual get together of the Heads of Planning Scotland [HOPS], an influential body which helps to shape policies at national level.
Ian Aikman, chief planning officer at Scottish Borders Council, is currently chair of HOPS which has members from local authorities throughout Scotland.
The conference, at Borders College campus on June 20th will include a ministerial address from Ivan McKee, the Scottish Government Minister for Public Finance. There will also be a contribution from Fiona Simpson, chief planner at the Scottish Government.
'Tweedbank - A Community For The Future' will be the subject of a presentation by John Curry, SBC's Director of Infrastructure and Environment.
Proposals for the multi-million pounds development include a heat and energy network with renewable generation that supports phased development. The plans also allow for a new 60-bed older people and dementia care village with associated complementary facilities.
The council confirmed last year - five years after it paid around £10 million for country estate land next to the existing settlement - that it would seek to appoint a development partner for the Tweedbank project. Significant sums of external finance will be required if the items on the SBC wish list are to be delivered.
These include extensive additional infrastructure, an improved community centre, a play park and other complementary community facilities and business enterprises that support and enhance the domestic and business community.
Mr Curry, in a report prepared for councillors in 2023, stated: " The Tweedbank project creates the opportunity to develop and implement practical and deliverable innovative technologies and solutions in line with phased delivery of the site adopting the following strategies:
"A ‘fabric first’ and lifecycle orientated approach to design where buildings are designed and constructed to be energy efficient with high levels of insulation and airtightness, appropriate ventilation and daylighting strategies. Alongside this with some of the existing buildings on the site there are opportunities to refurbish and retrofit to improve energy performance.
"Decarbonised Energy Systems and Renewable Energy to support the transition to a decarbonised energy system to heat and power new buildings, reflecting the national energy strategy, aligned with the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy, likely through the establishment of a heat and energy network. Alongside this, exploiting opportunities to maximise renewable energy generation for example from geothermal water source heat pumps, hydroelectric power, wastewater, solar photovoltaic panels and battery storage."
The HOPS website explains that the 2024 conference will focus on town planner Sir Patrick Geddes’ principles of Place, Work, Folk.
According to Geddes (1854-1932): “Town Planning is not mere place-planning, nor even work planning. If it is to be successful it must be folk planning. This means that its task is not to coerce people into new places against their associations, wishes, and interest, as we find bad schemes trying to do. Instead its task is to find the right places for each sort of people; place where they will really flourish."
Other speakers due to address the conference include Sam Smith, Chief Officer Economic Development at SBC, Dr Martin Valenti, Director of Net Zero at South of Scotland Enterprise, and Ian Dalgleish and Angela Crow, of Energise Galashiels.
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