COUNCILLORS on Argyll and Bute’s planning committee are set to become competition judges after plans to revive the area’s Design Awards were revealed.

A report for the council’s planning, protective services and licensing (PPSL) committee has given details of plans to bring the prizes back after a five-year absence.

Two members would also sit on the panel to decide the other awards, as has been the case before.

The process will last throughout 2020, with entries invited from February onwards.

There are seven awards proposed in total – sustainable design, aesthetic design, community-led regeneration project, built heritage, design for under £100,000, the members’ award, and the public award.

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The council’s new chief executive, Pippa Milne, compiled the report in December, while still in the role of executive director with responsibility for development and economic growth.

Ms Milne said: “The need for high quality, sustainable design is an important consideration within planning at both the national level both in terms of Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) and the Scottish Government’s policy document on Creating Places, and also at local level in the policies of the Local Development Plan (LDP).

“The Design Awards seek to raise awareness of these issues and promote successful high quality design in Argyll and Bute.

“The Design Awards also acknowledge the significance of climate change and the council’s need to comply with the Climate Change Act.

“In previous years of this competition sustainability and design have been considered together.

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“However, given the heightened awareness of the impacts of climate change and the council’s need to comply with the Climate Change Act, it is proposed that sustainability be considered in its own right, separately from other aspects of design.

“It is acknowledged that in previous Argyll and Bute Design Award competitions members’ involvement, with the exception of the two members on the judging panel, has been limited. It is therefore proposed that a members’ award be added to the 2020 awards.

“Members would therefore be presented with all the shortlisted entries from each category and allowed to vote for their favourite project.

“One members’ award would be given which may or may not be a project which has won one of the categories judged by the panel.

“It is proposed that a presentation of the shortlisted entries and a vote be included as an additional session prior to PPSL committee in late 2020.”

The report also says that a decision on the members’ award would be made at the committee’s October meeting. It is expected that an awards ceremony would take place after that.

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