SCOTTISH YOUNG PLANNERS’ NEWORK
STEERING GROUP 2014-15
Andrew Sim (Chair) – Andrew is Chair of the SYPN Steering Group 2014-15. He is a Development
Planner with Fife Council. Upon graduating from Dundee University in 2003, Andrew was initially
employed within Development Control in Glasgow City Council and now occupies a central role in
preparing Local Development Plans for Fife. This includes specific delivery and implementation
responsibilities. Andrew promotes the role and profile of planning in addition to recognising the value
of the profession in securing sustainable economic growth. He is a Planning Aid volunteer and was
appointed to the Scottish Young Planners Steering Group in 2011 recognising the value of the group
in supporting career development.
Emma Rigg (Vice Chair) - Emma is a Planning Officer in the Local Planning Policy team at the City
of Edinburgh Council. Since joining the Council in September 2010, she has worked on preparing the
Council’s Local Development Plan, leading on a number of specific policy areas. Emma commenced
her professional planning career working within GVA’s Planning Development and Regeneration team
where she assisted in the preparation and submission of a number of major planning applications.
Prior to this, Emma graduated from Heriot Watt University with an MSc Distinction in Urban and
Regional Planning, after completing a BSc, with First Class Honours, in Geography at The University
of Manchester. Emma became a chartered member of the RTPI in June 2012 and is an APC
Licentiate Mentor.
Stuart Salter (Past Chair) - Stuart is a chartered town planner working as Associate Director for
Geddes Consulting in Edinburgh. He specialises in project implementation through the planning
system including housing land supply and development viability appraisals as well as the procurement
of affordable homes, masterplanning and community engagement. He is currently involved in major
strategic and short-term development proposals throughout Scotland, involving joint ventures
between public and private sectors. Stuart is also a private sector representative on the Built
Environment Statistics Advisory Committee, which seeks to provide statistics on housing and planning
issues maintaining quality fit for purpose.
Grainne Lennon (Scottish Government Representative) - Grainne is a Chartered Senior Planner
at Scottish Government covering Fife, Tayside, Highland and Island territorial areas. Her job requires
her to maintain an up-to-date knowledge of planning and development issues within her territories and
to communicate Government priorities to planning authorities and other local agencies, most notably
about performance, delivering key developments and placemaking. Grainne previously worked for
Historic Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council. At Historic Scotland she was a Senior Policy and
Legislation Manager and a member of the Bill Team working on a technical piece of amending
legislation to bring historic environment legislation in line with Planning and produced a technical
revision of Scottish Historic Environment Policy (SHEP) to reflect policy and legislative changes.
Grainne also spent 5 years working as a Development Management Planning Officer at City of
Edinburgh Council specialising in listed buildings and conservation.
Jane Weir (Student Representative) - Jane graduated with BA (Hons) in Geography at the
University of Strathclyde. She is currently completing her MSc in Urban and Regional Planning at
Heriot-Watt University, analysing the planning behind the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games for
her urban studies research dissertation. Jane is also a volunteer with Planning Aid for Scotland.
Alex Candlish - Alex is a Planning Officer for SEPA, based in Edinburgh. He is responsible for
providing responses to development management consultations whilst also providing responses to
emerging development plans. He graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Town
Planning BA(Hons) before completing a year in industry as a Planning Officer at the City of Edinburgh
Council working in both development management and development planning. Alex then returned to
Newcastle University to gain a post-graduate Diploma in Town Planning. Whilst studying towards his
post-graduate Diploma, he worked part time for a private planning consultancy, W.A Fairhurst and
Partners. He then returned to the City of Edinburgh Council before moving on to SEPA in October
2012. Alex is currently a licentiate member of the RTPI studying towards his chartership.
Natasha Cockburn – Natasha is a Planning Officer for Glasgow City Council in Development
Management. She deals with planning applications and pre-application enquiries within Glasgow’s
south side which is made up of both commercial and residential areas and covers many conservation
areas and listed buildings. Natasha graduated from Heriot Watt University with a degree in Urban and
Regional Planning BSc(Hons) and her first planning job was with the City of Edinburgh Council in
2012 where she was largely involved in preserving listed buildings and conservation areas in the city
centre, before moving to Glasgow in October 2013. Natasha is currently a licentiate member of the
RTPI working towards her chartership.
Elaine Fotheringham - Elaine is a chartered planner, and since 2013 has worked for sportscotland
as a Planner in their Facilities Team. Prior to this, she worked for Stirling Council where she was a
Graduate and Assistant Planning Officer, working on preparing the Council’s Local Development
Plan, which involved writing policies and Supplementary Guidance, assessing sites for residential
development potential, and preparing the annual Housing Land Audit. Elaine graduated from HeriotWatt University in 2008 with an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning, following her MA (Hons) in
Geography at Edinburgh University. She is a volunteer with Planning Aid for Scotland, and an APC
Licentiate Mentor and Assessor.
Nicola Malone - She is an Assistant Planning Officer in the Local Development Plan team at Perth
and Kinross Council working in a team to develop and monitor policies and associated supplementary
guidance. Before joining PKC, Nicola was a Planning Project Officer with the Improvement Service
where she facilitated the Planning Development Programme and provided assistance to Heads of
Planning Scotland. Nicola also worked within Planning Policy at Aberdeenshire Council after
completing an MSc in Urban and Regional Planning at Heriot Watt University in 2011. Currently a
Licentiate member of RTPI, Nicola is working towards full chartered membership.
Georgia Tew-Street - Georgia is a Planning Consultant at Environmental Resources Management
Ltd in Edinburgh. Georgia leads and supports a number of projects in the renewables, conventional
power, mining and transport sectors. Her work involves the co-ordination and generation of
environmental and social assessment reports for a variety of developments across these key sectors.
Currently a project of note is a Carbon Capture and Storage project in the north east of Scotland, for
which Georgia is leading the planning and consents work. Georgia is currently a Licentiate member
of RTPI working towards full chartered membership. Prior to joining ERM in April 2012, Georgia
completed a RTPI accredited Masters in Urban and Regional Planning with distinction. Whilst
completing her Masters, Georgia volunteered within the planning department of the RSPB at their
Scottish Headquarters.
Lesley Wells - Lesley is an Assistant Planner in the Development Plans team at North Ayrshire
Council. Since joining the Council in February 2012, she has assisted in the preparation and adoption
of the Council’s Local Development Plan. Lesley works closely with partners to deliver housing across
North Ayrshire and was a Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning winner in 2013. Lesley graduated
from the University of Glasgow in 2010 with an Msc in City Planning and Real Estate Development
and is currently a Licentiate member of the RTPI working towards full chartered membership, she also
volunteers with Planning Aid Scotland.
James Welsh - James coordinates and leads Aberdeenshire Council’s Delivery Team, tasked with
unblocking and delivering major developments allocated in Aberdeenshire’s Local Development Plan.
James graduated from Dundee University in 2006 before beginning his career with Aberdeenshire
Council as a Planning Officer in Development Management. He then moved to the private sector in
2008 and worked as a consultant with Halliday Fraser Munro for five years where he worked on and
led a number of major planning projects including delivering a planning consent for the
Commonwealth Games Shooting Venue. He rejoined Aberdeenshire Council in 2013. He has been a
Corporate Member of the RTPI since 2008 and a member of the Scottish Young Planners’ Steering
Group since 2011.
Malcolm White - Malcolm is a Senior Planning Officer with Aberdeenshire Council split between the
Banff & Buchan and Garioch Areas. He deals with planning applications and pre-application
enquiries, ranging from new housing developments, wind turbines, formation and extension to
quarries, and retail developments. Malcolm also liaises closely with, and presents to Councillors at
the regular Area Committee Meetings for both areas. He has been with the Council since February
2010, initially working in the Planning Policy team then moving into Development Management
working between 4 of the 6 area based teams.
Stuart Winter - Stuart is a chartered planning consultant with 8 years planning experience in both the
private and public sectors. Stuart is an Associate Director with Jones Lang LaSalle and advises
private and corporate clients on planning and development matters. Stuart has a breadth of planning
experience in housing, regeneration, policy, planning law and in recent years has specialised in the
renewable energy sector providing planning and environmental support to large scale energy projects.
Stuart is an Assessor of Professional Competence for the RTPI, he volunteers for Planning Aid
Scotland and is hanging on to the Young Planners’ Network by the skin of his teeth as he will soon
become one of the ‘oldies’.
Jenny Wood - Jenny is a PhD Urban Studies student at Heriot Watt University. She is currently
investigating the benefits of increased engagement with children in the Scottish planning system. This
is in conjunction with Planning Aid for Scotland under an ESRC Studentship.