In a first for Aberdeen City and Shire, special design guidance has been launched for all proposed development within Energetica – a new energy community stretching north from the Bridge of Don to Peterhead and west to the airport.

ACSEF(Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future) has today unveiled Energetica Placemaking Supplementary Guidance and Energetica Placemaking Planning Advice.

Both documents translate the vision for the corridor into clear, concise planning guidance on the desired standards that should be adopted when planning new developments within the corridor. These documents will be reported to Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee in Aberdeen City on the 24 May 2011 and at Aberdeenshire Area Committees on 31st May and 7th June, with a recommendation to initiate an extensive consultation exercise with stakeholder groups, with the eventual aim to recommend them for adoption as Supplementary Guidance and Planning Advice as part of the emerging Local Development Plans.


The overall aim is to ensure that development in the Energetica corridor leads by example on issues such as the mixture and co-location of facilities, environmental sustainability and performance, landscaping and greenspace management, travel and built form.

Energetica will offer a unique, attractive and sustainable environment based on low carbon dependency with exceptional leisure and retail facilities.

One of ACSEF’s flagship projects, Energetica is set to become a world-leading energy technology destination combining high quality, energy efficient living with dynamic energy focused businesses that could generate £750 million in investment in the first ten years with the potential to create an additional £500 million of annual GVA in the region.

Project director for Energetica, Sara Budge, said: “The over-riding aim of the design guidance is to work with developers to achieve world-class design and uncompromising green credentials in all components of Energetica. While this will be challenging, it must also be commercially viable and this is fully recognised in the design guidance.

“The key principles will be innovation and experimentation in land-use design, exemplary energy performance of lay-outs and buildings, future-proofing of buildings and sustainable social hubs and civic spaces as well as high quality and unified landscaping design.”

Environmental performance, quality of life, quality of place and economic development are integral to the Energetica concept.

To become a truly sustainable exemplar for Scotland and the UK, Energetica will adopt two strategic environmental targets: an 80% reduction of carbon emissions by 2050 and an ecological impact reduction of 66% for new developments.

Both documents sit within the context of the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 2 for Scotland , the Aberdeen City and Shire Structure Plan and the proposed Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Local Development Plans.

(GK)