Credit: Edinburgh Law School

This lecture will reflect on the evolution of national spatial planning in Scotland, including the significant shift introduced by the spatial strategy and national planning policies in National Planning Framework 4, adopted in 2023. It will also explore the progress towards delivering on the commitments set out in NPF4 as well as the opportunities for strengthening the planning system in the future.

Dr Fiona Simpson, the Scottish government’s chief planner, has more than 25 years’ experience as a planner. She has overall responsibility for the work of planning, architecture and regeneration division, including national planning policy, national planning decisions, regeneration programmes and the digital transformation of the planning system.

She provided the secretariat to the independent review of the planning system in 2016, played a key role in planning reform including the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, and led the preparation of National Planning Framework 3 (adopted 2014) and 4 (2023). Prior to that, Fiona was Head of Environmental Assessment and worked across Government to provide technical advice on a wide range of planning, energy, marine and environmental policies and programmes.

The lecture will include a Q&A, followed by a reception with the chance to network with fellow attendees.

The event will take place in person on 22 February 2023 from 17:30 – 19:30.

You can register to attend here.