Gillian Baillie Planning Ltd

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Gillian Baillie Planning Ltd

Consulting and advisory services on all aspects of town planning & development across Scotland

27/06/2026

Holiday mode on! 😎

I’ve not posted much recently as I’ve had a busy spring/summer and in particular working on behalf of Angus Council at the Kintore-Tealing overhead line PLI, culminating in appearing at the conditions hearing yesterday.

Having spent the early part of my career in local government and the rest in consultancy this case has again reminded me that as planners in either public or private sector it is complex to navigate often very competing points of view on ‘the right development in the right place’ as advocated in NPF4, and in this case with significant levels of community concern.

I’m very grateful to officers of Angus and Aberdeenshire Councils for their care and input throughout the process particularly in navigating a complex conditions dialogue to assist the Reporters.

Time now for a (much needed!) family holiday, and then returning to catch up on various projects. I expect to have some more capacity towards the autumn so do get in touch and I’ll be pleased to discuss new opportunities.

02/03/2026

We were pleased to obtain Planning Permission in Principle on behalf of a private client last week for a small greenfield residential development at the edge of the village of Corsock, Dumfries and Galloway. Approved by Planning Committee following officer recommendation.

Together with Wham Architecture we worked closely with our client to scope a proportionate submission which addressed key issues including policy compliance, road and access, drainage, residential and visual amenity and biodiversity impacts.

The field is situated at the edge of the village, physically and visually well contained by existing features and with dual road frontages. The proposal aligns with local policy which allows for small scale expansion of villages where they are proportionate and well related to the character and form of the existing village. This is a good example where a planning authority is employing a locally tailored approach to delivering rural housing as advocated by NPF4 and we were pleased that they interpreted it in this way to grant consent.

We are grateful to the case officer and planning service at Dumfries and Galloway Council for their time and effort in assessing the application.

Massing Model: Wham Architecture

05/01/2026

Happy New Year to you all! First day back for me today, and I'm easing into it gently (including re-starting habits to get some daylight and fresh air at lunch, which I'd unfortunately let fall by the wayside in the end of year rush).

I had a lovely break over Christmas and New Year, although even in my annual holiday read of the latest Quintin Jardine 'Bob Skinner' Scottish crime series I couldn't escape planning talk. A politician's proposal for a replica of the Swedish 'Turning Torso' tower on the banks of the Clyde with grand ideas to relocate Glasgow CC HQ from George Square no less - and the prospect of Scottish Government call-in if the planning committee didn't agree! I won't disclose how it all panned out (or whodunnit) but I will watch with interest - I often find his stories are interspersed with nuggets of current political context 😉

Plenty to look forward to this year, with continuing projects for private, commercial and public sector clients, and several new opportunities confirmed or in prospect - but always happy to chat about new prospects where I can help so do get in touch. I'm also looking forward to some January networking and CPD to get back out and about after a few months of my head being very much stuck in the laptop.

I look forward to catching up with some of you soon, and wish you all the best for a happy, healthy and successful 2026!

https://www.gbplanning.co.uk/about-us

27/10/2025

We were delighted to obtain Advertisement Consent for the Caledonian Thistle Hotel in Callander last week!

The former Dreadnought Hotel is a landmark historic building at the entrance to Callander and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Our clients at Caledonian Travel are undergoing significant investment and refurbishment as part of the Caledonian Collection of hotels.

Working in collaboration with Bracewell as designers, we submitted a scheme which respects and complements the historic character of the building alongside highlighting the new brand identity of the hotel.

Our thanks to the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park planning service for their support at each stage, including very helpful and pragmatic pre-application dialogue.

05/06/2025

Delighted to have provided planning advice to our client which has assisted with permission for a new restaurant and cafe at Barassie shore being granted today. Despite the news story being about traffic questions, a key issue was an initial objection by SEPA on flood risk policy grounds, as new Scottish policies are now in place since a previous permission had been granted which changed their advice. We prepared a detailed planning statement which demonstrated that the proposal does comply with relevant policy and suitable mitigation can be put in place to manage the operational impacts of any coastal flood risk. SEPA subsequently withdrew its objection and SAC officials recommended approval, with that decision being confirmed by Elected Members today.

22/04/2025

We are delighted with this recent feedback from two clients! Both were for pre-planning application advice at different stages. One to inform a land purchase decision, and the other to review initial advice from a local authority which identified concerns and where we were able to make a positive case for planning permission (now granted!).

💡Professional planning advice early in the concept stages of a project does benefit further down the line. We often hear from clients who need help after their project runs into problems. Our services include:

✅ Guidance on feasibility of obtaining planning permission to help inform your key decisions to proceed.
✅ Planning policy and environment constraints reviews.
✅ Bespoke advice on consenting options and strategies.

💷Early advice can help de-risk the likelihood of abortive costs and unforeseen delays.

❓Do get in touch if we can help!

06/12/2024

A lovely evening at the Scottish Planning, Local Government and Environmental Law Bar Group annual champagne reception at Parliament House last night🥂

Great company and conversation and as always we were very well looked after by our hosts from SPLGELBG, thank you!

This was the only photo I took however of Edinburgh’s Christmas Markets… to send to my family to pre warn which ride I absolutely will not be going on with my thrillseeker children (no prizes for guessing which)!

02/10/2024

One year in! 🎉

October 2024 marks one year of Gillian Baillie Planning Ltd!

To my clients who have entrusted me with your business, to those who have recommended me for work, and the many others around me who have offered such fantastic support, advice and friendship as I navigate a new career path….it has been appreciated more than you can know, thank you! ❤️

I have enjoyed working on a broad variety of projects this year across residential, renewables, commercial, transport and waste sectors and also continuing voluntary roles including STEM and championing planning careers in schools. As we enter the final quarter of 2024 I’m delighted to have a full diary to the end of the year. I will have some more availability again in early 2025 so do get in touch to discuss any opportunities or support.

www.gbplanning.co.uk

30/08/2024

Thanks Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Dundonald Castle & Visitor Centre for a warm welcome at the Connect networking this morning.
It was fantastic to hear about the breadth of activities provided by this local charity, not just to protect the heritage of this historic site, but to be at the heart of a village community. From the young people who come together to drive ideas for new events and activities, to the “knit and natter” sessions in the cafe, weddings, school visits, archaeology trench digs, and many more I was so impressed with the ambition and passion of this small core team and their supporting volunteers. Delighted to see such a brilliant example of placemaking close to me (and I do promise to visit more often!) 👏

Address

Troon

Website

http://www.gbplanning.co.uk/

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