Speakers

Born in Dundee in 1967, Joe FitzPatrick was educated at Whitfield High School.

He studied forestry at Inverness College and worked for the Forestry Commission before gaining a first class honours degree in science from Abertay University.

A former assistant to Shona Robison MSP and Stewart Hosie MP and, from 1999, a Dundee City Councillor, Mr FitzPatrick was elected in May 2007 to the Scottish Parliament, where he represents the Dundee West (now Dundee City West) constituency

Mr FitzPatrick previously served in the Scottish Government, from 2012 to December 2020, firstly as Minister for Parliamentary Business and then Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing.

Kirsty Macari ​is Co-Head of Undergraduate Programmes in DJCAD at the University of Dundee with a remit across Architecture and Urban Planning along with Contemporary Art Practice.  Kirsty studied Town and Regional Planning and Urban Design combined with significant public service practice across Planning and Economic Development before joining the University of Dundee. She is also undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Education and integrates student learning with practical applications to inform future practice.  She is a Director in private practice, Board Member of Architecture & Design Scotland and an Academician with the Academy of Urbanism. A strategically focused planner who works across sectors to drive the integration and promotion of social place-making. Kirsty believes in engaging the full spectrum of people that make up our places through digital and transdisciplinary place-making to support wellbeing for resilient communities. She continues to be a member of the RTPI General Assembly and the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee.

Irene is a significant figure in Scottish planning, particularly for her role at the Improvement Service and Public Health Scotland. Her remit is to work with local authorities, community planning partnerships and elected members to connect planning with a shared public health ambition to create places that enable wellbeing of people and planet. Specifically, she leads the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme working to give decision makers across Scotland more insight into what creates a great place and why it is a key consideration for the wellbeing of people. Her promotion of the connection between good health and place has been critical in shaping legislation, practice and public health reform in Scotland. Beyond this, Irene was the RTPI Scotland Convenor for 2020. 

With a background in planning, EIA, landscape and protected areas, Simon’s role is about enabling good development and encouraging business to play their part in achieving a nature rich future. His work focuses on the policy and strategy required to achieve this, including supporting implementation of NPF4 and its new requirement for development to enhance biodiversity, and encouraging public and private investment to deliver the same.

Susan Brooks is the Communities and Place Planning Manager at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Susan joined the National Park Authority as a planning assistant when it was established over 20 years ago. As a new organisation with not many staff at the time, this provided an opportunity to gain experience in rural planning through trying different roles including development management, policy and even a bit of enforcement. Susan has since worked in a variety of areas for the National Park Authority including development planning, community development, funding, programme management and project delivery. Susan is the National Park Authority’s strategic lead for preparing its new National Park Partnership Plan and Local Development Plan.

Fiona has been working to realise the potential of land across Scotland for almost 20 years. As a chartered town planner, Fiona focuses on developing practical, collaborative solutions to create new and better places for communities to thrive in and more and better homes for people to live in. As Head of Development for Midlothian Council, she oversees the delivery of the Council’s capital plan, working across affordable housing, the learning estate and town centres to deliver innovative, high quality places to live and learn. Fiona was a member of RTPI Scotland's Senior Executive Committee for 2021 and 2022. 

Heather is the Director of Design for Architecture and Design Scotland leading the advice work teams. Heather is an urban designer and planner, with a background in geography. She has over 15 years’ experience of working in the public sector. Previously at Glasgow City Council, Heather has shaped place policy and facilitated urban regeneration. She has supported local and creative partnerships within Glasgow’s Canal Corridor and helped grow the internationally recognised Stalled Space initiative, activating vacant and underused land. She played a leading role in delivering Glasgow’s greener legacy projects for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She has contributed to multiple complex green and blue infrastructure projects in the east end of the city. Heather has played a key role in Glasgow City Council’s involvement in the international Lighting Urban Community International Association and has supported creative lighting projects locally.  In 2019, Heather was seconded to Architecture & Design Scotland for 20 months to develop a new ‘carbon conscious places’ service, working with the Scottish Government and local authorities in rural, islands and urban settings. Heather is a non-executive Director of the Board for the Academy of Urbanism, Charity Trustee of the Green Action Trust, an affiliate of the UN Habitat’s Planners for Climate Action, former Royal Town Planning Institute UK Young Planner of the Year and titled in the top 50 women of Influence for 2019 and 2020 in ‘the Planner’.

Cara has 20 years planning experience, specialising in environmental and energy planning policy, regulation, and Environmental Assessment within the Scottish Government.  Alongside supporting delivery of NPF4 energy and environment policies, Cara’s current role includes overseeing the Scottish Government’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) team. 

Mark is an Architect with twenty years of experience in education, retail, commercial and residential sectors in London and Edinburgh. After recently completing an MSc in Environmental Management, Mark's focus has shifted to how environmental policy drives built-environment solutions and how we move to a climate-positive future where behaviour change is at the forefront of decision-making.

Sepideh is a chartered member of the RTPI and IHBC. With a multidisciplinary background in architecture, conservation and community-based development in Iran, she moved to the UK and graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London (UCL) in 2011 (MSc in Building and Urban Design in Development). She has had a number of roles within Aberdeen City Council in the areas of Development Management and also Masterplanning, Design and Conservation. She successfully defended her thesis on “the Future of English City Centres- The Case of Newcastle upon Tyne”  in March 2023 at Northumbria University. Her latest publication is a contribution to two chapters of the book "The Future of the City Centre- Global Perspectives" which was published in late 2022. She is a member of the IHBC Scottish Committee and acts as the Education and Training Standards Rep. Sepideh joined the Scottish Young Planners' Network in 2019 and is the current Chair for 2023.

Alex is a Board Trustee for climate change charity 2050 Climate Group. She became a Board Trustee for the charity after volunteering at 2050 Climate Group for 3 years. Alex also represents 2050 Climate Group and the views of young people in Scotland on the Climate Emergency Response Group. Alex's day job is as a solicitor specialising in clean energy at Shepherd & Wedderburn LLP.

My work is primarily focused on taking decisions on the statutory listing of historic buildings and developing policy and procedures for listing in Scotland. I manage a team of eight listing officers and oversee their research and assessments. My recent projects have included the designation of the Aberdeen Inner-city Multis. I am an experienced architectural historian who holds an MA in Art History and MPhil in Decorative Art. I also hold a first degree in Fine Art and have most recently taken part in a group exhibition 'Livingston New Town - Art History People' at the Howden Park Centre, Livingston.

My previous roles with Historic Environment Scotland include Inspector of Historic Buildings and Project Manager with Scottish Architects’ Papers Preservation Project. The latter was with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, now Historic Environment Scotland.

Fraser Mitchell is a partner at law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn and has extensive experience advising developers and planning authorities in connection with all areas of planning law. His experience includes advising on the planning application process and the negotiation of planning agreements, appeals to the Scottish Ministers and legal challenges in the Court of Session, advising on roads legislation, and compulsory purchase procedures and compensation.

As a Chartered Fellow, I enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the Institute. I am a Director in Geddes Consulting, working alongside my son, Stuart.

During my planning career of almost 50 years now in both public and private sectors, I have always been passionate about improving our professional expertise and our analytical skills.

In the 1980s, I developed the housing land audit system to measure future housing land supply and created the windfall site to help explain sources of land supply.

In the 1990s, my focus was on environmental planning, understanding and measuring impacts from a wide range of developments mainly in the mineral extraction sector.

In the 2000s, I worked mainly on delivering housing developments through the development plan system.

Since 2010, I have worked on assessing impacts on infrastructure and ensuring financial contributions meet the tests of Circular 3/2012 through the appeal system.

Since February 2023, like many others, I am working on the application of NPF4 to our project work.

Stuart Salter is Managing Director at Geddes Consulting. He specialises in project implementation through the planning system including all matters relating to housing land supply, policy shaping and development viability. Other areas of practice include procurement of affordable homes, masterplanning, education infrastructure capacity and stakeholder engagement.

Stuart is currently involved in many major strategic and short-term development proposals throughout Scotland.

He chairs the voluntary Scottish Planning Consultants Forum and a member of the RTPI Scottish Executive Committee.

Having studied Town & Regional Planning at the University of Dundee, Andrew became a Chartered Member of the RTPI in 2006. His background lies firmly in development management with various roles at Aberdeen City and City of Edinburgh Councils respectively. Whilst at Edinburgh, Andrew was twice seconded to the Scottish Government to provide practitioner input into the improving planning performance agenda. Since leaving the public sector in 2014, Andrew has spent 3 years as a Strategic Land Manager where he was responsible for identifying, securing and promoting strategic land across Scotland with the award-winning UK housebuilder, Avant Homes and is now an Associate with Justin Lamb Associates providing professional advice to landowner clients on all aspects of residential land and development across Scotland. Andrew remains a committed member of the RTPI and his past contribution to the organisation includes having served as Convenor of the Scottish Executive Committee, Chair of the Scottish Young Planners’ Network, and Vice Convenor of both the South East Scotland and Central Scotland Chapters.

Born in Dundee in 1967, Joe FitzPatrick was educated at Whitfield High School.

He studied forestry at Inverness College and worked for the Forestry Commission before gaining a first class honours degree in science from Abertay University.

A former assistant to Shona Robison MSP and Stewart Hosie MP and, from 1999, a Dundee City Councillor, Mr FitzPatrick was elected in May 2007 to the Scottish Parliament, where he represents the Dundee West (now Dundee City West) constituency

Mr FitzPatrick previously served in the Scottish Government, from 2012 to December 2020, firstly as Minister for Parliamentary Business and then Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing.

Kirsty Macari ​is Co-Head of Undergraduate Programmes in DJCAD at the University of Dundee with a remit across Architecture and Urban Planning along with Contemporary Art Practice.  Kirsty studied Town and Regional Planning and Urban Design combined with significant public service practice across Planning and Economic Development before joining the University of Dundee. She is also undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Education and integrates student learning with practical applications to inform future practice.  She is a Director in private practice, Board Member of Architecture & Design Scotland and an Academician with the Academy of Urbanism. A strategically focused planner who works across sectors to drive the integration and promotion of social place-making. Kirsty believes in engaging the full spectrum of people that make up our places through digital and transdisciplinary place-making to support wellbeing for resilient communities. She continues to be a member of the RTPI General Assembly and the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee.

Irene is a significant figure in Scottish planning, particularly for her role at the Improvement Service and Public Health Scotland. Her remit is to work with local authorities, community planning partnerships and elected members to connect planning with a shared public health ambition to create places that enable wellbeing of people and planet. Specifically, she leads the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme working to give decision makers across Scotland more insight into what creates a great place and why it is a key consideration for the wellbeing of people. Her promotion of the connection between good health and place has been critical in shaping legislation, practice and public health reform in Scotland. Beyond this, Irene was the RTPI Scotland Convenor for 2020. 

With a background in planning, EIA, landscape and protected areas, Simon’s role is about enabling good development and encouraging business to play their part in achieving a nature rich future. His work focuses on the policy and strategy required to achieve this, including supporting implementation of NPF4 and its new requirement for development to enhance biodiversity, and encouraging public and private investment to deliver the same.

Susan Brooks is the Communities and Place Planning Manager at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Susan joined the National Park Authority as a planning assistant when it was established over 20 years ago. As a new organisation with not many staff at the time, this provided an opportunity to gain experience in rural planning through trying different roles including development management, policy and even a bit of enforcement. Susan has since worked in a variety of areas for the National Park Authority including development planning, community development, funding, programme management and project delivery. Susan is the National Park Authority’s strategic lead for preparing its new National Park Partnership Plan and Local Development Plan.

Fiona has been working to realise the potential of land across Scotland for almost 20 years. As a chartered town planner, Fiona focuses on developing practical, collaborative solutions to create new and better places for communities to thrive in and more and better homes for people to live in. As Head of Development for Midlothian Council, she oversees the delivery of the Council’s capital plan, working across affordable housing, the learning estate and town centres to deliver innovative, high quality places to live and learn. Fiona was a member of RTPI Scotland's Senior Executive Committee for 2021 and 2022. 

Heather is the Director of Design for Architecture and Design Scotland leading the advice work teams. Heather is an urban designer and planner, with a background in geography. She has over 15 years’ experience of working in the public sector. Previously at Glasgow City Council, Heather has shaped place policy and facilitated urban regeneration. She has supported local and creative partnerships within Glasgow’s Canal Corridor and helped grow the internationally recognised Stalled Space initiative, activating vacant and underused land. She played a leading role in delivering Glasgow’s greener legacy projects for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She has contributed to multiple complex green and blue infrastructure projects in the east end of the city. Heather has played a key role in Glasgow City Council’s involvement in the international Lighting Urban Community International Association and has supported creative lighting projects locally.  In 2019, Heather was seconded to Architecture & Design Scotland for 20 months to develop a new ‘carbon conscious places’ service, working with the Scottish Government and local authorities in rural, islands and urban settings. Heather is a non-executive Director of the Board for the Academy of Urbanism, Charity Trustee of the Green Action Trust, an affiliate of the UN Habitat’s Planners for Climate Action, former Royal Town Planning Institute UK Young Planner of the Year and titled in the top 50 women of Influence for 2019 and 2020 in ‘the Planner’.

Cara has 20 years planning experience, specialising in environmental and energy planning policy, regulation, and Environmental Assessment within the Scottish Government.  Alongside supporting delivery of NPF4 energy and environment policies, Cara’s current role includes overseeing the Scottish Government’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) team. 

Mark is an Architect with twenty years of experience in education, retail, commercial and residential sectors in London and Edinburgh. After recently completing an MSc in Environmental Management, Mark's focus has shifted to how environmental policy drives built-environment solutions and how we move to a climate-positive future where behaviour change is at the forefront of decision-making.

Sepideh is a chartered member of the RTPI and IHBC. With a multidisciplinary background in architecture, conservation and community-based development in Iran, she moved to the UK and graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London (UCL) in 2011 (MSc in Building and Urban Design in Development). She has had a number of roles within Aberdeen City Council in the areas of Development Management and also Masterplanning, Design and Conservation. She successfully defended her thesis on “the Future of English City Centres- The Case of Newcastle upon Tyne”  in March 2023 at Northumbria University. Her latest publication is a contribution to two chapters of the book "The Future of the City Centre- Global Perspectives" which was published in late 2022. She is a member of the IHBC Scottish Committee and acts as the Education and Training Standards Rep. Sepideh joined the Scottish Young Planners' Network in 2019 and is the current Chair for 2023.

Alex is a Board Trustee for climate change charity 2050 Climate Group. She became a Board Trustee for the charity after volunteering at 2050 Climate Group for 3 years. Alex also represents 2050 Climate Group and the views of young people in Scotland on the Climate Emergency Response Group. Alex's day job is as a solicitor specialising in clean energy at Shepherd & Wedderburn LLP.

My work is primarily focused on taking decisions on the statutory listing of historic buildings and developing policy and procedures for listing in Scotland. I manage a team of eight listing officers and oversee their research and assessments. My recent projects have included the designation of the Aberdeen Inner-city Multis. I am an experienced architectural historian who holds an MA in Art History and MPhil in Decorative Art. I also hold a first degree in Fine Art and have most recently taken part in a group exhibition 'Livingston New Town - Art History People' at the Howden Park Centre, Livingston.

My previous roles with Historic Environment Scotland include Inspector of Historic Buildings and Project Manager with Scottish Architects’ Papers Preservation Project. The latter was with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, now Historic Environment Scotland.

Fraser Mitchell is a partner at law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn and has extensive experience advising developers and planning authorities in connection with all areas of planning law. His experience includes advising on the planning application process and the negotiation of planning agreements, appeals to the Scottish Ministers and legal challenges in the Court of Session, advising on roads legislation, and compulsory purchase procedures and compensation.

As a Chartered Fellow, I enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the Institute. I am a Director in Geddes Consulting, working alongside my son, Stuart.

During my planning career of almost 50 years now in both public and private sectors, I have always been passionate about improving our professional expertise and our analytical skills.

In the 1980s, I developed the housing land audit system to measure future housing land supply and created the windfall site to help explain sources of land supply.

In the 1990s, my focus was on environmental planning, understanding and measuring impacts from a wide range of developments mainly in the mineral extraction sector.

In the 2000s, I worked mainly on delivering housing developments through the development plan system.

Since 2010, I have worked on assessing impacts on infrastructure and ensuring financial contributions meet the tests of Circular 3/2012 through the appeal system.

Since February 2023, like many others, I am working on the application of NPF4 to our project work.

Stuart Salter is Managing Director at Geddes Consulting. He specialises in project implementation through the planning system including all matters relating to housing land supply, policy shaping and development viability. Other areas of practice include procurement of affordable homes, masterplanning, education infrastructure capacity and stakeholder engagement.

Stuart is currently involved in many major strategic and short-term development proposals throughout Scotland.

He chairs the voluntary Scottish Planning Consultants Forum and a member of the RTPI Scottish Executive Committee.

Having studied Town & Regional Planning at the University of Dundee, Andrew became a Chartered Member of the RTPI in 2006. His background lies firmly in development management with various roles at Aberdeen City and City of Edinburgh Councils respectively. Whilst at Edinburgh, Andrew was twice seconded to the Scottish Government to provide practitioner input into the improving planning performance agenda. Since leaving the public sector in 2014, Andrew has spent 3 years as a Strategic Land Manager where he was responsible for identifying, securing and promoting strategic land across Scotland with the award-winning UK housebuilder, Avant Homes and is now an Associate with Justin Lamb Associates providing professional advice to landowner clients on all aspects of residential land and development across Scotland. Andrew remains a committed member of the RTPI and his past contribution to the organisation includes having served as Convenor of the Scottish Executive Committee, Chair of the Scottish Young Planners’ Network, and Vice Convenor of both the South East Scotland and Central Scotland Chapters.

Born in Dundee in 1967, Joe FitzPatrick was educated at Whitfield High School.

He studied forestry at Inverness College and worked for the Forestry Commission before gaining a first class honours degree in science from Abertay University.

A former assistant to Shona Robison MSP and Stewart Hosie MP and, from 1999, a Dundee City Councillor, Mr FitzPatrick was elected in May 2007 to the Scottish Parliament, where he represents the Dundee West (now Dundee City West) constituency

Mr FitzPatrick previously served in the Scottish Government, from 2012 to December 2020, firstly as Minister for Parliamentary Business and then Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing.

Kirsty Macari ​is Co-Head of Undergraduate Programmes in DJCAD at the University of Dundee with a remit across Architecture and Urban Planning along with Contemporary Art Practice.  Kirsty studied Town and Regional Planning and Urban Design combined with significant public service practice across Planning and Economic Development before joining the University of Dundee. She is also undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Education and integrates student learning with practical applications to inform future practice.  She is a Director in private practice, Board Member of Architecture & Design Scotland and an Academician with the Academy of Urbanism. A strategically focused planner who works across sectors to drive the integration and promotion of social place-making. Kirsty believes in engaging the full spectrum of people that make up our places through digital and transdisciplinary place-making to support wellbeing for resilient communities. She continues to be a member of the RTPI General Assembly and the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee.

Irene is a significant figure in Scottish planning, particularly for her role at the Improvement Service and Public Health Scotland. Her remit is to work with local authorities, community planning partnerships and elected members to connect planning with a shared public health ambition to create places that enable wellbeing of people and planet. Specifically, she leads the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme working to give decision makers across Scotland more insight into what creates a great place and why it is a key consideration for the wellbeing of people. Her promotion of the connection between good health and place has been critical in shaping legislation, practice and public health reform in Scotland. Beyond this, Irene was the RTPI Scotland Convenor for 2020. 

With a background in planning, EIA, landscape and protected areas, Simon’s role is about enabling good development and encouraging business to play their part in achieving a nature rich future. His work focuses on the policy and strategy required to achieve this, including supporting implementation of NPF4 and its new requirement for development to enhance biodiversity, and encouraging public and private investment to deliver the same.

Susan Brooks is the Communities and Place Planning Manager at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Susan joined the National Park Authority as a planning assistant when it was established over 20 years ago. As a new organisation with not many staff at the time, this provided an opportunity to gain experience in rural planning through trying different roles including development management, policy and even a bit of enforcement. Susan has since worked in a variety of areas for the National Park Authority including development planning, community development, funding, programme management and project delivery. Susan is the National Park Authority’s strategic lead for preparing its new National Park Partnership Plan and Local Development Plan.

Fiona has been working to realise the potential of land across Scotland for almost 20 years. As a chartered town planner, Fiona focuses on developing practical, collaborative solutions to create new and better places for communities to thrive in and more and better homes for people to live in. As Head of Development for Midlothian Council, she oversees the delivery of the Council’s capital plan, working across affordable housing, the learning estate and town centres to deliver innovative, high quality places to live and learn. Fiona was a member of RTPI Scotland's Senior Executive Committee for 2021 and 2022. 

Heather is the Director of Design for Architecture and Design Scotland leading the advice work teams. Heather is an urban designer and planner, with a background in geography. She has over 15 years’ experience of working in the public sector. Previously at Glasgow City Council, Heather has shaped place policy and facilitated urban regeneration. She has supported local and creative partnerships within Glasgow’s Canal Corridor and helped grow the internationally recognised Stalled Space initiative, activating vacant and underused land. She played a leading role in delivering Glasgow’s greener legacy projects for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She has contributed to multiple complex green and blue infrastructure projects in the east end of the city. Heather has played a key role in Glasgow City Council’s involvement in the international Lighting Urban Community International Association and has supported creative lighting projects locally.  In 2019, Heather was seconded to Architecture & Design Scotland for 20 months to develop a new ‘carbon conscious places’ service, working with the Scottish Government and local authorities in rural, islands and urban settings. Heather is a non-executive Director of the Board for the Academy of Urbanism, Charity Trustee of the Green Action Trust, an affiliate of the UN Habitat’s Planners for Climate Action, former Royal Town Planning Institute UK Young Planner of the Year and titled in the top 50 women of Influence for 2019 and 2020 in ‘the Planner’.

Cara has 20 years planning experience, specialising in environmental and energy planning policy, regulation, and Environmental Assessment within the Scottish Government.  Alongside supporting delivery of NPF4 energy and environment policies, Cara’s current role includes overseeing the Scottish Government’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) team. 

Mark is an Architect with twenty years of experience in education, retail, commercial and residential sectors in London and Edinburgh. After recently completing an MSc in Environmental Management, Mark's focus has shifted to how environmental policy drives built-environment solutions and how we move to a climate-positive future where behaviour change is at the forefront of decision-making.

Sepideh is a chartered member of the RTPI and IHBC. With a multidisciplinary background in architecture, conservation and community-based development in Iran, she moved to the UK and graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London (UCL) in 2011 (MSc in Building and Urban Design in Development). She has had a number of roles within Aberdeen City Council in the areas of Development Management and also Masterplanning, Design and Conservation. She successfully defended her thesis on “the Future of English City Centres- The Case of Newcastle upon Tyne”  in March 2023 at Northumbria University. Her latest publication is a contribution to two chapters of the book "The Future of the City Centre- Global Perspectives" which was published in late 2022. She is a member of the IHBC Scottish Committee and acts as the Education and Training Standards Rep. Sepideh joined the Scottish Young Planners' Network in 2019 and is the current Chair for 2023.

Alex is a Board Trustee for climate change charity 2050 Climate Group. She became a Board Trustee for the charity after volunteering at 2050 Climate Group for 3 years. Alex also represents 2050 Climate Group and the views of young people in Scotland on the Climate Emergency Response Group. Alex's day job is as a solicitor specialising in clean energy at Shepherd & Wedderburn LLP.

My work is primarily focused on taking decisions on the statutory listing of historic buildings and developing policy and procedures for listing in Scotland. I manage a team of eight listing officers and oversee their research and assessments. My recent projects have included the designation of the Aberdeen Inner-city Multis. I am an experienced architectural historian who holds an MA in Art History and MPhil in Decorative Art. I also hold a first degree in Fine Art and have most recently taken part in a group exhibition 'Livingston New Town - Art History People' at the Howden Park Centre, Livingston.

My previous roles with Historic Environment Scotland include Inspector of Historic Buildings and Project Manager with Scottish Architects’ Papers Preservation Project. The latter was with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, now Historic Environment Scotland.

Fraser Mitchell is a partner at law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn and has extensive experience advising developers and planning authorities in connection with all areas of planning law. His experience includes advising on the planning application process and the negotiation of planning agreements, appeals to the Scottish Ministers and legal challenges in the Court of Session, advising on roads legislation, and compulsory purchase procedures and compensation.

As a Chartered Fellow, I enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the Institute. I am a Director in Geddes Consulting, working alongside my son, Stuart.

During my planning career of almost 50 years now in both public and private sectors, I have always been passionate about improving our professional expertise and our analytical skills.

In the 1980s, I developed the housing land audit system to measure future housing land supply and created the windfall site to help explain sources of land supply.

In the 1990s, my focus was on environmental planning, understanding and measuring impacts from a wide range of developments mainly in the mineral extraction sector.

In the 2000s, I worked mainly on delivering housing developments through the development plan system.

Since 2010, I have worked on assessing impacts on infrastructure and ensuring financial contributions meet the tests of Circular 3/2012 through the appeal system.

Since February 2023, like many others, I am working on the application of NPF4 to our project work.

Stuart Salter is Managing Director at Geddes Consulting. He specialises in project implementation through the planning system including all matters relating to housing land supply, policy shaping and development viability. Other areas of practice include procurement of affordable homes, masterplanning, education infrastructure capacity and stakeholder engagement.

Stuart is currently involved in many major strategic and short-term development proposals throughout Scotland.

He chairs the voluntary Scottish Planning Consultants Forum and a member of the RTPI Scottish Executive Committee.

Having studied Town & Regional Planning at the University of Dundee, Andrew became a Chartered Member of the RTPI in 2006. His background lies firmly in development management with various roles at Aberdeen City and City of Edinburgh Councils respectively. Whilst at Edinburgh, Andrew was twice seconded to the Scottish Government to provide practitioner input into the improving planning performance agenda. Since leaving the public sector in 2014, Andrew has spent 3 years as a Strategic Land Manager where he was responsible for identifying, securing and promoting strategic land across Scotland with the award-winning UK housebuilder, Avant Homes and is now an Associate with Justin Lamb Associates providing professional advice to landowner clients on all aspects of residential land and development across Scotland. Andrew remains a committed member of the RTPI and his past contribution to the organisation includes having served as Convenor of the Scottish Executive Committee, Chair of the Scottish Young Planners’ Network, and Vice Convenor of both the South East Scotland and Central Scotland Chapters.

Born in Dundee in 1967, Joe FitzPatrick was educated at Whitfield High School.

He studied forestry at Inverness College and worked for the Forestry Commission before gaining a first class honours degree in science from Abertay University.

A former assistant to Shona Robison MSP and Stewart Hosie MP and, from 1999, a Dundee City Councillor, Mr FitzPatrick was elected in May 2007 to the Scottish Parliament, where he represents the Dundee West (now Dundee City West) constituency

Mr FitzPatrick previously served in the Scottish Government, from 2012 to December 2020, firstly as Minister for Parliamentary Business and then Minister for Public Health, Sport and Wellbeing.

Kirsty Macari ​is Co-Head of Undergraduate Programmes in DJCAD at the University of Dundee with a remit across Architecture and Urban Planning along with Contemporary Art Practice.  Kirsty studied Town and Regional Planning and Urban Design combined with significant public service practice across Planning and Economic Development before joining the University of Dundee. She is also undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Education and integrates student learning with practical applications to inform future practice.  She is a Director in private practice, Board Member of Architecture & Design Scotland and an Academician with the Academy of Urbanism. A strategically focused planner who works across sectors to drive the integration and promotion of social place-making. Kirsty believes in engaging the full spectrum of people that make up our places through digital and transdisciplinary place-making to support wellbeing for resilient communities. She continues to be a member of the RTPI General Assembly and the Education and Lifelong Learning Committee.

Irene is a significant figure in Scottish planning, particularly for her role at the Improvement Service and Public Health Scotland. Her remit is to work with local authorities, community planning partnerships and elected members to connect planning with a shared public health ambition to create places that enable wellbeing of people and planet. Specifically, she leads the Shaping Places for Wellbeing Programme working to give decision makers across Scotland more insight into what creates a great place and why it is a key consideration for the wellbeing of people. Her promotion of the connection between good health and place has been critical in shaping legislation, practice and public health reform in Scotland. Beyond this, Irene was the RTPI Scotland Convenor for 2020. 

With a background in planning, EIA, landscape and protected areas, Simon’s role is about enabling good development and encouraging business to play their part in achieving a nature rich future. His work focuses on the policy and strategy required to achieve this, including supporting implementation of NPF4 and its new requirement for development to enhance biodiversity, and encouraging public and private investment to deliver the same.

Susan Brooks is the Communities and Place Planning Manager at Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Susan joined the National Park Authority as a planning assistant when it was established over 20 years ago. As a new organisation with not many staff at the time, this provided an opportunity to gain experience in rural planning through trying different roles including development management, policy and even a bit of enforcement. Susan has since worked in a variety of areas for the National Park Authority including development planning, community development, funding, programme management and project delivery. Susan is the National Park Authority’s strategic lead for preparing its new National Park Partnership Plan and Local Development Plan.

Fiona has been working to realise the potential of land across Scotland for almost 20 years. As a chartered town planner, Fiona focuses on developing practical, collaborative solutions to create new and better places for communities to thrive in and more and better homes for people to live in. As Head of Development for Midlothian Council, she oversees the delivery of the Council’s capital plan, working across affordable housing, the learning estate and town centres to deliver innovative, high quality places to live and learn. Fiona was a member of RTPI Scotland's Senior Executive Committee for 2021 and 2022. 

Heather is the Director of Design for Architecture and Design Scotland leading the advice work teams. Heather is an urban designer and planner, with a background in geography. She has over 15 years’ experience of working in the public sector. Previously at Glasgow City Council, Heather has shaped place policy and facilitated urban regeneration. She has supported local and creative partnerships within Glasgow’s Canal Corridor and helped grow the internationally recognised Stalled Space initiative, activating vacant and underused land. She played a leading role in delivering Glasgow’s greener legacy projects for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She has contributed to multiple complex green and blue infrastructure projects in the east end of the city. Heather has played a key role in Glasgow City Council’s involvement in the international Lighting Urban Community International Association and has supported creative lighting projects locally.  In 2019, Heather was seconded to Architecture & Design Scotland for 20 months to develop a new ‘carbon conscious places’ service, working with the Scottish Government and local authorities in rural, islands and urban settings. Heather is a non-executive Director of the Board for the Academy of Urbanism, Charity Trustee of the Green Action Trust, an affiliate of the UN Habitat’s Planners for Climate Action, former Royal Town Planning Institute UK Young Planner of the Year and titled in the top 50 women of Influence for 2019 and 2020 in ‘the Planner’.

Cara has 20 years planning experience, specialising in environmental and energy planning policy, regulation, and Environmental Assessment within the Scottish Government.  Alongside supporting delivery of NPF4 energy and environment policies, Cara’s current role includes overseeing the Scottish Government’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) team. 

Mark is an Architect with twenty years of experience in education, retail, commercial and residential sectors in London and Edinburgh. After recently completing an MSc in Environmental Management, Mark's focus has shifted to how environmental policy drives built-environment solutions and how we move to a climate-positive future where behaviour change is at the forefront of decision-making.

Sepideh is a chartered member of the RTPI and IHBC. With a multidisciplinary background in architecture, conservation and community-based development in Iran, she moved to the UK and graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London (UCL) in 2011 (MSc in Building and Urban Design in Development). She has had a number of roles within Aberdeen City Council in the areas of Development Management and also Masterplanning, Design and Conservation. She successfully defended her thesis on “the Future of English City Centres- The Case of Newcastle upon Tyne”  in March 2023 at Northumbria University. Her latest publication is a contribution to two chapters of the book "The Future of the City Centre- Global Perspectives" which was published in late 2022. She is a member of the IHBC Scottish Committee and acts as the Education and Training Standards Rep. Sepideh joined the Scottish Young Planners' Network in 2019 and is the current Chair for 2023.

Alex is a Board Trustee for climate change charity 2050 Climate Group. She became a Board Trustee for the charity after volunteering at 2050 Climate Group for 3 years. Alex also represents 2050 Climate Group and the views of young people in Scotland on the Climate Emergency Response Group. Alex's day job is as a solicitor specialising in clean energy at Shepherd & Wedderburn LLP.

My work is primarily focused on taking decisions on the statutory listing of historic buildings and developing policy and procedures for listing in Scotland. I manage a team of eight listing officers and oversee their research and assessments. My recent projects have included the designation of the Aberdeen Inner-city Multis. I am an experienced architectural historian who holds an MA in Art History and MPhil in Decorative Art. I also hold a first degree in Fine Art and have most recently taken part in a group exhibition 'Livingston New Town - Art History People' at the Howden Park Centre, Livingston.

My previous roles with Historic Environment Scotland include Inspector of Historic Buildings and Project Manager with Scottish Architects’ Papers Preservation Project. The latter was with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, now Historic Environment Scotland.

Fraser Mitchell is a partner at law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn and has extensive experience advising developers and planning authorities in connection with all areas of planning law. His experience includes advising on the planning application process and the negotiation of planning agreements, appeals to the Scottish Ministers and legal challenges in the Court of Session, advising on roads legislation, and compulsory purchase procedures and compensation.

As a Chartered Fellow, I enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the Institute. I am a Director in Geddes Consulting, working alongside my son, Stuart.

During my planning career of almost 50 years now in both public and private sectors, I have always been passionate about improving our professional expertise and our analytical skills.

In the 1980s, I developed the housing land audit system to measure future housing land supply and created the windfall site to help explain sources of land supply.

In the 1990s, my focus was on environmental planning, understanding and measuring impacts from a wide range of developments mainly in the mineral extraction sector.

In the 2000s, I worked mainly on delivering housing developments through the development plan system.

Since 2010, I have worked on assessing impacts on infrastructure and ensuring financial contributions meet the tests of Circular 3/2012 through the appeal system.

Since February 2023, like many others, I am working on the application of NPF4 to our project work.

Stuart Salter is Managing Director at Geddes Consulting. He specialises in project implementation through the planning system including all matters relating to housing land supply, policy shaping and development viability. Other areas of practice include procurement of affordable homes, masterplanning, education infrastructure capacity and stakeholder engagement.

Stuart is currently involved in many major strategic and short-term development proposals throughout Scotland.

He chairs the voluntary Scottish Planning Consultants Forum and a member of the RTPI Scottish Executive Committee.

Having studied Town & Regional Planning at the University of Dundee, Andrew became a Chartered Member of the RTPI in 2006. His background lies firmly in development management with various roles at Aberdeen City and City of Edinburgh Councils respectively. Whilst at Edinburgh, Andrew was twice seconded to the Scottish Government to provide practitioner input into the improving planning performance agenda. Since leaving the public sector in 2014, Andrew has spent 3 years as a Strategic Land Manager where he was responsible for identifying, securing and promoting strategic land across Scotland with the award-winning UK housebuilder, Avant Homes and is now an Associate with Justin Lamb Associates providing professional advice to landowner clients on all aspects of residential land and development across Scotland. Andrew remains a committed member of the RTPI and his past contribution to the organisation includes having served as Convenor of the Scottish Executive Committee, Chair of the Scottish Young Planners’ Network, and Vice Convenor of both the South East Scotland and Central Scotland Chapters.