Aberdeen planner Sandy Beattie has been appointed as a member of the board of Architecture and Design Scotland.

Sandy, masterplanning and design team leader in the city council's planning section, is one of nine members appointed to the board by Minister for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop.

Sandy, who has a background in architecture and planning, has a detailed working knowledge of the planning system and has led the development of design policies and strategies within Aberdeen City Council.

Aberdeen-raised and educated Sandy worked for Aberdeen District Council before transferring to the city council during the re-organisation. He has been in the planning section for more than 16 years.

He said: "I consider my future role on the board of Architecture and Design Scotland to be of benefit to the city council and the Planning and Sustainable Development section. My role will help raise the profile of Aberdeen nationally and will enable us to have a positive influence on architecture and place-making in the future."


Sandy was greatly involved in the council's Designing Places campaign which aims to raise aspirations about design and to achieve better quality design and better quality places.

Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure convener Councillor Kate Dean said: "This is really good news. It's a great honour both for Sandy and the council which reflects the huge amount of knowledge, experience and hard work put in by him and others in the team."

Vice-convener Callum McCaig added: "Having one of our planners appointed to such a prestigious body is something the council is justifiably proud of. Sandy is very talented and I know that his expansive knowledge and skill will benefit the board of Architecture and Design Scotland."

Sandy's appointment runs from four years, from today, 1 April. Architecture and Design Scotland was established by Scottish Ministers in April 2005 as the national champion for good architecture, design and planning in the built environment.

The principal aim of the body is to inspire better quality in design and architecture so that Scotland's built environment contributes in a positive way to Ministers' strategic objectives and the National Outcomes.

Architecture and Design Scotland operates as a Company Limited by Guarantee funded directly by the Scottish Government.

A policy and financial management review of Architecture and Design Scotland, published in April 2009, recommended that the body focuses on the practical promotion of good design by means that can be seen to lead to better outcomes, and continues to develop an approach which focuses efforts on a limited number of core priority areas and themes.

(GK/CD)