To return to the opening RTPI in Scotland Annual Conference 2008 web-page view here 

Report from Veronica Burbridge, National Director of RTPI in Scotland, continues ...

Opening address

Philip Wright, Deputy Director and Head of Climate Change Division, Scottish Government gave the opening address: Climate Change – Scotland’s Response and led us through the background to the UK and Scottish Climate Change Bills, highlighting the need for strong and early action given the Stern Review’s reminder that this outweighs the economic costs of inaction. Philip’s presentation outlined: the challenges - for example, sea level rise, increased rainfall, warmer temperatures, longer growing season; the political response; the objectives of the Scottish Climate Change Bill; the targets and the management of carbon budgets; and the role of land use planning within the national framework. He finished by noting the need for action ... "We cannot afford to fail – there is no Plan B".
View Philip Wright's presentation here

Session 1

The first session explored the key issues for spatial planning and discussed ways in which we can place adaptation and mitigation at the heart of strategic spatial planning in Scotland.

Evan Williams, Technical Director on Sustainability for RPS, considered Climate Change and Carbon Management, examining the wide-ranging implications of changing temperatures, increased rainfall and shifting seasons; influences range from the global to the local and from the company to the individual. Certainly there is no escape. Fewer days of frost may lead to increases in disease, e.g. blue tongue disease carried by midges, while seasonal shifts will lead to changing availability of food supply for birds leading to changing migration patterns, and longer growing seasons mean more grass cutting and increased budgets for this activity for local authorities, for instance.  And what does a eight metre predicted rise in sea-level mean for sea defences in the Netherlands? Images of road surfaces melting due to high temperatures experienced over just three days in York brought home the risks associated with changing weather conditions that we need to recognise and deal with. Key messages were that business would need to recognise risks and changes in behaviour would be necessary.

Dr Malcolm Reed, Chief Executive with Transport Scotland, spoke on Mitigation and Adaptation in the Transport Sector and implications for Spatial Planning.  He set out how Transport Scotland is beginning to respond to these changing needs and explored how growth in the transport sector could undermine efforts at carbon reduction: he pointed to the example of Japan where efforts to reduce growth in road mileage had not adversely effected continuing economic growth. In Scotland road transport accounts for 21.5% of net emissions. However, it was clear that the transport sector might be one of the last sectors to adapt to changes. It was politically imperative that this should be addressed.

Technical solutions to adaptation issues were available, drainage and materials for example, but increasing operational difficulties would be experienced, such as dealing with landslides and frequent flooding and closing roads due to high winds. More work was needed on risk assessments and on predictive tools but due to, for instance, topography, risks may not be eliminated and so it becomes an issue of management.

Transport needed to be closely linked to other policy areas: how cities work and how we influence efficiency are crucial. The new joint-working arrangements for key agencies under the new Planning legislation and the strategic transport projects review present new opportunities – the best way to influence the future is to create it.

George Morrison presented, on behalf of Sandy Gillon, Environmental Sustainability Manager with Glasgow City Council, on Risk Management and Spatial Planning. He provided a detailed case-study of risk management in relation to flood management on Whitecart Water. Lessons learned and implications for the Flood Risk Management Bill, currently being discussed by the Scottish Parliament, were outlined. There is a need to tackle flooding management through: taking a multi-agency approach; using a catchment approach; integrating with greenspace and local biodiversity; and working with land use planning and development management conditions to achieve ‘water in the right place at the right time’.

To return to the opening RTPI in Scotland Annual Conference 2008 web-page view here 

Author:

James Henderson

Publisher:

The Royal Town Planning Institute

Date:

18-Mar-09

Categories:

Nations & Regions 

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