Scotland round-up: Go-ahead for Stonehaven championship golf course despite loss of ancient woodland; Scotland’s population at its highest ever

Go-ahead for Stonehaven championship golf course despite loss of ancient woodland

Aberdeenshire councillors have approved proposals for a championship golf course, designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, to be built on the Ury Estate to the north-west of Stonehaven.

The Planner

RTPI publishes ethics guidance

The RTPI has for the first time published guidance on professional ethics, which reiterates the need for planners to “act fearlessly and impartially in their professional judgement”.

The Planner 

Scottish Labour make pledge to end housing crisis

The Scottish Labour Party has pledged to end the housing crisis and review future transport investments so that the network meets the needs of the public.

The Planner

SNP makes rural housing commitment

The Scottish National Party has pledged to create a Rural Housing Fund and to bring forward a Planning Reform Bill if re-elected in the Scottish Parliament elections.

The Planner

Scotland’s population at its highest ever

Statistics published this week by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show that the estimated population of the country was 5,373,000 in mid-2015 - a rise of 25,400 (0.5 per cent) since mid-2014.

Scottish Government

Hargreaves to to accelerate opencast site closures

Opencast mine operator Hargreaves Services is to accelerate the closure of six out of its seven sites in Scotland across Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Fife.

BBC News 

Glasgow School of Art to spend £80m transforming main campus

Glasgow School of Art is to spend £80 million overhauling its main campus - more than twice as much as expected - in the wake of the blaze at its iconic Mackintosh Building.

The Scotsman

Scottish Government's house sales tax fails to meet target

The amount of money raised by the Scottish Government's Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) has failed to reach its official target for residential sales, it has been revealed.

Herald Scotland

Revised Selkirk holiday lodge plans rejected

Revised proposals for a holiday lodge scheme near Selkirk have been rejected by Scottish Borders Council.

BBC News

Greenock’s yellow house repainted after battle with council

A long running planning dispute between Inverclyde Council and the owners of a house in a conservation area in Greenock, painted lemon, has been resolved.

The Scotsman

Hundreds of new homes for Buchan coastal village

Claymore Homes has confirmed it is considering a site in Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, for a 200-home development.

Press and Journal