Planning, Infrastructure and Place Advisory Group: annual report 2024

3. PIPAG Year 1 Activity

In 2024 (Year 1), the core advisory group meetings have formed the backbone of activities. These meetings have been co-chaired by Scottish Government’s Chief Planner and Director of Planning, Architecture & Regeneration, Fiona Simpson, and Scottish Future Trust’s Director of Strategy, Place & Economy, Tony Rose. Activity has been supported by a secretariat (drawn from Scottish Government and SFT) and a steering group including broader SG membership, including the Infrastructure Division, reflecting the PIPAG remit.

3.1 General approach

The approach has been to explore common questions for a place type, sector or topic:

• What is the problem – strategic context and overview?
• What are the barriers and challenges?
• What solutions are being tested or implemented?
• What are the lessons learnt?
• Are there remaining barriers and what is the future opportunity?

The case studies supporting this report, which represent the key outputs of Year 1 core advisory group activity, follow the above structure as far as possible. The general case study approach is summarised below:

• Step 1: Topics identified, and evidence gathered for advisory group meetings, including guest speakers and presentations to PIPAG.
• Step 2: Good practice case studies developed, at a point in time, identifying challenges, solutions, lessons learnt and potential future opportunity.
• Step 3: Refinement of case studies by both the core and reference groups, ensuring that the breadth of knowledge and expertise amongst stakeholders is captured.
• Step 4: The general approach has focussed on where PIPAG can add value. This has included mapping of other research to clarify gaps in understanding, either through establishing Short Life Working Groups (SLWG), or initial scoping meetings.
• Step 5: Where another body or group was identified as having an existing remit to drive forward identified challenges, the output from PIPAG has been shared with that group, minimising overlap.

The case study and SLWG summary outputs are included in Appendices C and D respectively.

3.2 Monitoring progress

To monitor progress and ensure the PIPAG strategic objectives are being met, a monitoring and evaluation process was agreed. This is provided in Appendix E.

Section 4 assesses progress against both the strategic objectives and the monitoring and evaluation measures of success.

3.3 Year 1 Work Programme

The Year 1 work programme was agreed by the core advisory group in February 2024 and is included in summary in Table 1 below.

Place Reviews provided the focus for each advisory group meeting as follows:

• Place Review 1 (Dec 2023): Winchburgh development and delivery model.
• Place Review 2 (Feb 2024): What infrastructure interventions are needed to support town centre regeneration?
• Place Review 3 (May 2024): What supporting infrastructure is needed to support major development required for net zero in a rural context (e.g. rural housing, services, access, etc.)?
• Place Review 4 (August 2024): How do we make vacant and derelict land a more viable investment proposition?

Table 3 : Summary Workplan (Year 1)