Scotland round-up: Devolved management of Crown Estate in Scotland moves up a gear; Row over Scottish Government’s role in planning decisions

Devolved management of Crown Estate in Scotland moves up a gear

The Scottish Government has started consulting on the long-term framework for the devolved management of the Crown Estate in Scotland.

The Planner

Report: Government urged to introduce environmental act to limit Brexit impact

The Environmental Audit Committee has called on the government to introduce a new Environmental Protection Act as part of its EU Article 50 negotiations to maintain the UK’s environmental standards.

The Planner

Four pupils announced as winners of RTPI sustainability competition

Solar lighting, flood defences, regenerating derelict spaces and buildings, community gardens and greater use of technology were among the ideas put forward by the winners of the inaugural RTPI World Town Planning Day 2016 Schools Competition.

RTPI

Row over Scottish Government’s role in planning decisions

The Scottish Government has hit back at claims by Scottish Conservatives that ministers are interfering too often in planning issues and overruling council decisions on planning applications on appeal.

The Scotsman

Scottish Government to increase support for cities

The government will increase support for cities in 2017 by progressing city region deals to boost jobs, infrastructure and the economy in Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth and Stirling, economy secretary Keith Brown has confirmed.

Scottish Government

£100m economic boost hailed by Scottish Cities Alliance

The Scottish Cities Alliance is celebrating bringing £100 million into the country's economy over the past 18 months.

Kirkintilloch Herald

Plans to build £2m state-of-the-art retirement village on Bute looks set to be scrapped

Proposals to build a £2 million state-of-the-art retirement village on Bute look set to be scrapped weeks after the island’s only elderly care home closed.

Herald Scotland

Free public Wi-Fi approved for three Scottish town centres

Free public Wi-Fi is to be rolled out in three town centres to boost regeneration and tackle “digital exclusion”. Councillors have approved the move for Johnstone, Paisley and Renfrew in Renfrewshire.

The Scotsman

Turbines are threat to birds on migration, says study

Birds of prey are at serious risk of crashing into offshore turbines as they migrate over open water, according to research.

Herald Scotland

Delight as ministers reject Glasgow meadow housing plan

The Scottish Government has rejected controversial plans supported by the city council for a new housing development in Glasgow.

The Scotsman

SNH: better care of landscape can benefit communities

Scottish Natural Heritage has started consulting on revised guidance on local landscape designations.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Final route agreed for major Edinburgh west-east link scheme

Detailed designs are set to be drawn up for an ambitious £5.5 million project to create a family-friendly west to east cycle route through the city centre following a public meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council's Future Transport Working Group.

City of Edinburgh Council

More power from locally owned renewables

Scotland now has 595 megawatts of community and locally owned renewable capacity – enough to power around 300,000 homes, says a report.

Scottish Government

Trade and green groups tell Scottish Government to back solar power

The Scottish Government must continue to champion the use of solar power, say WWF Scotland and the Solar Trade Association Scotland.

The National

Edinburgh and Glasgow top UK list of green space cities

Edinburgh and Glasgow have more green space than any of the UK's other 10 largest cities according to new maps by software analysts Esri UK that show that Edinburgh tops the list with 49 per cent green space.

BBC News

Decommissioning hopes for former dry dock

Plans to restore a Highlands fabrication yard that operated in the 1970s have moved forward following a £500,000 investment. It is hoped the yard can become a base for decommissioning north sea oil rigs.

BBC News