Orkney marine plan scoops RTPI award

The pilot Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan (PFOW MSP) has won a planning award from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

The PFOW marine plan, developed through collaboration between Marine Scotland, Orkney Islands Council, and the Highland Council, has won the Excellence in Plan Making Practice category at the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2017.

PFOW MSP sets out an integrated planning policy framework to guide marine development, including renewable energy generation, and activities and management decisions, while ensuring the quality of the marine environment is protected.

“This plan, a first of its kind for the UK, should be held up as best practice for other councils struggling to integrate land and marine planning into a single plan. It is an interesting and imaginative approach to marine planning and given Britain’s maritime heritage, it’s surprising there aren’t more plans like this one,” the judges said.

RTPI is the UK’s leading planning body for spatial, sustainable and inclusive planning, with over 23,000 members.

The RTPI Awards, running for over 40 years, celebrate exceptional examples of planning and the contribution planners make to society.