Environment and Regeneration

Farmers's Market

Environment and Regeneration Team


The Environment and Regeneration Team covers a wide range of policy issues and council services, interlinked by three key, overarching drivers; climate change and the consequences of the Scottish Climate Change Act; developing local government's role in promoting and enabling economic development; and the over-arching impact of the European Union across Scottish local government.  

Spokespersons

 Picture of Cllr Alison Hay

Main policy areas

  • Economic development, tourism, relations with Small & Medium Sized Enterprises.
  • Utilities including Scottish Water, and renewables
  • Environmental matters, including biodiversity, waste and carbon reduction
  • Planning policy, physical regeneration and climate change adaptation
  • Roads, transport policy and links to Regional Transport Partnerships
  • Management of COSLA’s European Function

 

Team Functions

The team work to progress a broad portfolio of policy areas.  Regeneration and development activities include protecting the local economic base & ensuring employment opportunities for citizens, facilitating economic develoment, resilience & recovery, and managing the role of Enterprise Zones.  

The team actively progresses the planning reform process,  flood risk management, waste management infrastructure planning and a strategic approach to zero waste. In addition, the team’s roads & transport portfolio includes roads maintenance and low carbon travel policy areas.

The team also has a strong gatekeeper role through the COSLA’s Brussels office in ensuring that there is no infringement of Scottish local government subsidiary while at the same time seeking to improve local, national and international links, and to influence EU policy developments.