Fife Council’s planners were celebrating after the local authority’s development plan team scooped an award in the Scottish Government’s Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2018 (SAQP 2018).

The Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning, now in their nineteenth year, are one of the Scottish Government’s most prestigious annual awards and celebrate outstanding achievements across the full spectrum of planning activity in Scotland.

Hosted by Kevin Stewart MSP, minister for local government, housing and planning, and supported by the Scottish Government’s chief planner, John McNairney, the event, held at Edinburgh’s Balmoral Hotel, saw awards presented in four principle categories: Partnership, Place, Plans and Process.

Additional awards for Personal Achievement in Planning, the People’s Choice Award and a new award category to mark the Scottish Government’s 2018 Year of Young People, the Children and Young People Award, were also given out.

Fife Council’s planning team achieved a record three projects in the final shortlist of 34, with one, the Anstruther, Cellardyke & Kilrenny: Archaeology & Development – Community Burgh Survey, scooping an award in the Process category for its innovative approach to communities, environmental planning and the historic environment. This Fife Council-led community heritage planning project was delivered in partnership with Fife Historic Buildings Trust and supported by the Anstruther Improvement Association, the Anstruther Town Centre Working Group, the Murray Library Trust, Kilrenny and Anstruther Burgh Collection, Rathmell Archaeology Ltd and local schools.

The council’s two other shortlisted projects - Kirkcaldy Charrette Area Green Infrastructure Masterplan and Burntisland’s Kirkton Old Church & Historic Graveyard Conservation Project - were highly commended by the judges and recognised for their innovation, impact and transferability in planning.

Congratulating the council’s planning staff on their success, Cllr Altany Craik said: “Dedication and professionalism is the hallmark of Fife Council’s planning team but to have this recognised by the Scottish Government at a prestigious national award ceremony should be a source of great pride for all Fifers.”