Chief Planning Officer

The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended, requires every planning authority to appoint a Chief Planning Officer. This became a statutory requirement in April 2024. The role is designed to strengthen leadership on planning and raise the profile of planning within local authorities.

Our Chief Planning Officer is:

What the Chief Planning Officer does

The Chief Planning Officer provides professional planning advice to the Council as a whole - to senior management and elected members - on the spatial and place-based implications of decisions and investments in the short, medium and longer term. The role has four main areas of responsibility.

Strategic leadership

The Chief Planning Officer leads the vision and strategic direction of our planning service, helping to develop corporate objectives and translate these into place-based strategies.

Delivering national planning priorities

The Chief Planning Officer makes sure our local approach is aligned with national planning principles, and contributes to plans and strategies that support economic, environmental and social outcomes and an inclusive planning system.

Champion of place

The Chief Planning Officer is our placemaking champion, working collaboratively with other officers and elected members to support our ambitions for the places people live and work in across Orkney.

Head of profession

As the senior responsible officer for our planning service, the Chief Planning Officer is the main point of contact for key stakeholders on planning and place, and is responsible for making sure our planning team is well-led, skilled, empowered and motivated to deliver a modern and effective service.

Performance and improvement

The Chief Planning Officer leads on continuous improvement in our planning service and is responsible for publishing an annual performance report, which is submitted to Scottish Ministers and the National Planning Improvement Champion.