Community Wealth Building
Emma McMullen
Senior Manager- Economic Policy, North Ayrshire Council
With over 20 years’ experience In the fields of regeneration and EU funding in the public, private and third sectors, Emma joined North Ayrshire Council as Senior Manager for Economic Policy in 2021. The Economic Policy team leads on the Council’s ambitious Community Wealth Building approach to economic development, hosts the Island’s Recovery and Renewal pilot which focuses on the implementation of ten-year Island Plans on Arran and Cumbrae and currently leads on the development of a new Regional Economic Strategy for Ayrshire on behalf of regional partners. Emma is also the Lead Officer for the Ayrshire Growth Deal £3m Community Wealth Building programme which supports businesses across the region to adopt CWB principles. Emma has worked in regional roles across Scottish local authorities, most recently as Project Manager for the award winning Rediscovering the Antonine Wall project.
Download Emma’s presentation here.
Mhairi Paterson
Community Wealth Building Coordinator, North Ayrshire Council
Mhairi has worked for North Ayrshire Council for seven years and is currently Community Wealth Building Coordinator, supporting the implementation of the council’s Community Wealth Building Strategy. It is the first Community Wealth Building Strategy in Scotland and is focussed on creating strong, resilient local and regional economies based on inclusion and wellbeing. Mhairi has studied Geography and Environmental Management at university and has a PhD in Human Geography from the University of Glasgow.
Download Mhairi’s presentation here.
Alistair Gemmell
Strategic Planning Manager, North Ayrshire Council
Alistair Gemmell has been the Strategic Planning Manager at North Ayrshire Council since December 2019 and is responsible for the preparation of the authority’s next local development plan. After starting his career as a Planning Assistant with Chorley Borough Council in 2003, he has also worked within the planning policy teams at West Dunbartonshire and Stirling Council.
Download Alistair’s presentation here.
Stephen White
Head of Community Wealth Building Unit, Scottish Government
Stephen is currently the Head of the Scottish Government’s Community Wealth Building Unit. After many years in housing and regeneration posts in local authorities and agencies, Stephen has worked in a variety of Scottish Government policy roles including higher education and economic development.
Download Stephen’s presentation here.
Coast
Keith Willcock
Scotwind Strategy and Policy, Scottish Government
Keith is the Branch Head in Planning, Architecture & Regeneration Division, Scottish Government with lead responsibility for the workstream supporting delivery of onshore development across Scotland to facilitate and enable the major expansion in offshore wind to meet our net zero ambitions. Prior to joining PARD, Keith has worked in a number of roles in Scottish Government including Health, Housing and Justice.
Download Keith’s presentation here.
Chris Cutts
Clyde Marine Planning Partnership Officer
Chris has worked on marine planning and coastal management on the Clyde, Forth and Berwickshire coasts. He has a PhD in Zoology and has also worked in behavioural ecology and aquaculture.
Download Chris’ presentation here.
Sarah Baird
Senior Officer – Islands, Economic Policy, North Ayrshire Council
Sarah leads the North Ayrshire Islands Recovery and Renewal pilot, an ambitious and experimental project supporting an inclusive and green economic recovery and renewal of the islands of Arran and Cumbrae post-pandemic and in line with their unique challenges and needs. This pilot is providing an exclusive opportunity to test new ways of collaborative partnership working across island communities, local and national government and Highlands & Islands Enterprise to deliver the strategic objectives outlined in the National Islands Plan and to share learning with other rural and island locations across Scotland and beyond.
Download Sarah’s presentation here.
Neale McIlvanney
Interim Head of Service – Growth, Investment and Employability, North Ayrshire Council
Neale is the service lead for Growth, Investment and Employability. He is a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and has over 17 years of experience with North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and Dumfries and Galloway Councils. Neale is also the recipient of several Scottish Quality in Planning Awards.
Download Neale’s presentation here.
Climate
Darren Hemsley
Head of Supporting Good Development, NatureScot
Darren works as head of the Supporting Good Development team within NatureScot. His role focuses on working to influence development and regulation so that it benefits climate and nature. This ranges from strategic plans to individual development management cases. We also work with business and industry to highlight the role and benefit of nature.
Download Darren’s presentation here and accompanying notes here.
Liz Hamilton
Head of Local and Regional Planning, Homes for Scotland
Liz Hamilton is Head of Planning at Homes for Scotland and joined the organisation in November 2021. Liz has a strong background in home building having previously worked for Mactaggart & Mickel Homes for 15 years. At Homes for Scotland Liz’s role is to engage with planning stakeholders at a local, regional and national level in order to promote a planning system that can deliver the number and type of new homes that Scotland needs with a focus on affordability, place making and the journey to net zero.
Download Liz’s presentation here.
Phil Zoechbauer
Project Director, jmarchitects
Phil has been at jmarchitects since 2012 and has delivered a wide range of award-winning projects including the Bothy and Tur at Cuningar Loop, the fourth phase of housing at Maryhill Locks and Garnock Community Campus. He is currently delivering two new primary school campus projects for Midlothian Council and the extension and refurbishment of the Grade A-listed Govan Old Parish Church in Glasgow. He is also the Past-President of the Glasgow Institute of Architects and a panellist on the Glasgow Urban Design Panel.
Adrian Wishart
Associate, jmarchitects
Adrian is an Associate with 20 years’ experience working in multi-national award winning architectural practices including the last 8 years at jmarchitects. Adrian has a wealth of experience with knowledge of designing, detailing and providing a lead consultant roles for a number of residential and education projects, the latest of which is the Passivhaus Ardrossan Community Campus.
Download the presentation from JMArchitects here.
Caroline Brown
Director of Studies, The Urban Institute, Heriot Watt University
Caroline is a chartered town planner and academic interested in: health, sustainability, climate change, transport, physical activity, green space & blue space
Karen Hamilton
Partner Lawyer/Solicitor, Brodies LLP
Karen is a partner in Brodies’ top ranked planning team and is accredited as a planning specialist by the Law Society of Scotland. She has significant experience of major infrastructure projects in the energy and transport sectors and is recognised as an expert in compulsory purchase. She regularly acts for developers across a range of sectors as well as a number of planning authorities and other promoters of public sector projects, including the Cross Tay Link Road and the Berryden Corridor Improvement. She has advised on a number of high-profile city centre developments in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, including PBSA, BTR and hotel developments.
Download Karen’s presentation here.
Fiona Simpson
Chief Planner, Scottish Government
Fiona Simpson, Scottish Government Chief Planner has worked for the Scottish Government for 15 years. She has overall responsibility for the work of Planning and Architecture Division, including national planning policy, casework and the digital transformation of the planning system. Fiona provided secretariat support to the independent review of the planning system in 2016, played a key role in planning reform including the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, and is currently leading the preparation of National Planning Framework 4. Fiona led the preparation of National Planning Framework 3, and prior to that was Head of Environmental Assessment and worked across Government to provide technical advice on a wide range of energy, marine and environmental policies and programmes.
Download Fiona’s presentation here.
HOPS 