Category: Building Standards

Planning & Building Standards Systems Upgrade

Computer keyboard with the letters 'upgrade' highlighted.

Next week an upgrade of Planning and Building Standards systems is planned, meaning the Planning and Building Standards Portal will be unavailable from Thursday 20 July to Thursday 27 July 2023.

The upgrade will result in several improvements including security fixes and enhanced accessibility.

The weekly list of planning applications will not be issued on the week beginning Monday 24 July 2023 and you will be unable to view and comment on applications.

There will also be no advert or site notices published on Friday 28 July.

Relevant applications will have additional time added for comments to be made to take account of the downtime. Our targets of 2 months/ 4 months are not altered.

During this time, you will be unable to view enforcement cases or the enforcement register.  Enforcement enquires can still be made using the online form.

Latest updates will be displayed at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/pbsupgrade.

You can also keep up to date by following us on Twitter @planningedin or subscribing to the Planning Blog.

Clean Air Day 2023: A breath of fresh air

Front cover of "A Breath of Fresh Air" booklet by Annie Pollock.

Clean Air Day takes place today – the theme this year is “clean up our air to look after your mind”. The campaign is delivered across the UK, aiming to make our air cleaner and healthier for everyone.

To mark Clean Air Day, we’d like to highlight research published by Annie Pollock from Edinburgh Access Panel – one of Edinburgh Council’s key partners – about the importance of air quality in aged and dementia care design.

Annie’s research has been published in booklet format and available here:

A Breath of Fresh Air by Annie Pollock

Annie’s work highlights how pollution and air quality impact on health, with a focus on issues related to ageing and dementia.

It sets out the main outdoor and indoor pollutants that we should be aware of and outlines design strategies for the various stages of a building’s design, construction and maintenance.

For care homes and residential accommodation for older people, it takes account of energy use, thermal comfort, cleaning issues, ventilation and the importance of attractive outdoor space.

It is interesting reading for a wide range of readers, from those who want a better understanding of how to manage their own environment, to family members, carers, health professionals and care facility managers who want to improve the health and quality of life for those in their care. It will also be invaluable to building professionals such as architects, mechanical engineers and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) experts.

The Clean Air Hub is packed with information and ideas on how you can make a difference this Clean Air Day.

We’re Hiring!

We have two vacancies in the planning service for:

  • Street Naming Technician
  • Development Management (Planning) Technician

Both have a closing date of 5 March 2023 – apply online via myjobscotland

Edinburgh Council is Scotland’s busiest planning authority, handling over 3,000 applications a year, in a city with internationally-valued built and natural heritage.

The Council is also the Statutory Addressing authority and responsible for the naming of streets in new development and the numbering of any new properties being created. 

For both roles we are looking for individuals who are committed to delivering an efficient, effective and customer-focused service.

You will be responsible for handling a varied and challenging range of statutory duties for either the process of validation and handling of information for planning applications, or for naming streets, numbering properties and related services.

Find out more:

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/planningjobs

UPDATE: Planning and Building Standards systems upgrade 8-12 August

The upgrade of the Planning and Building Standards Portal is complete and it is now back online. However, there is a problem with the mapping functionality and this is being worked on as a matter of priority. Customers will still be able to comment, search, view and track applications via the Portal. We apologise for any inconvenience.

REMINDER: Planning and Building Standards systems upgrade 8-12 August

Next week an upgrade of Planning and Building Standards systems is planned from Monday 8 August – Friday 12 August.

The means the Planning and Building Standards Portal will be unavailable during this time.

The weekly list of planning applications will not be issued on the week beginning Monday 8 August and you will be unable to view and comment on applications.

Relevant applications will have additional time added for comments to be made to take account of the downtime.

A temporary webpage is now in place and has the planning documents for the Local Review Body and the Development Management Sub Committee, both on Wednesday 10 August;

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/pbsupgrade

During this time, you will be unable to view enforcement cases or the enforcement register.  Enforcement enquires can still be made using the online form.

Planning and building warrant applications can continue to be submitted online through eDevelopment.

You can keep up to date by following us on Twitter @planningedin or subscribing to the Planning Blog.