My book entitled Town and Country Planning in the Scottish Borders 1946-1996 was published in hardback by Edinburgh University Press in August 2023 [ISBN 9781399503334]. A paperback version was published in May 2025.
Against the background of the social, economic and political changes of the twentieth century, the book shows how town and country planning emerged from being a fringe activity in Borders local government to become a driving force for change in the region. The book provides a comprehensive appraisal of the changing role of planning in the Scottish Borders during this time and describes how planning evolved from simply a system of land use control to a dynamic, pro-active, multi-disciplined collaboration encompassing not only spatial planning but also economic development and promotion, project design and implementation, urban conservation, rural heritage and countryside management, and environmental planning.
It traces the origins of town and country planning in Britain and the establishment of the planning system in the region. It compares and contrasts the different ways in which the four counties implemented the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1947 and details the principal policies and proposals in the first county development plans. It describes how planning in the Scottish Borders broadened its horizons in the 1960s as “Planning” in its widest sense took centre stage and more attention was paid by Central Government to the plight of rural areas such as the Scottish Borders with the preparation of the Central Borders Study and the Tweedbank initiative. It details how planning and economic development in the region became inexorably linked.
The book discusses the effect of local government reorganisation in 1975 on planning in the Scottish Borders with the establishment of the Borders Regional Council as a unitary planning authority for the area and explores the key policies and proposals for land use and development in the region’s first structure and local plans. The book examines the challenges and achievements of the 1980s, a period of economic volatility, when the regional council’s role in economic development expanded and partnerships with a range of organisations such as the Scottish Development Agency and the Countryside Commission for Scotland, was key to securing investment and implementing proposals. The 1990s was a period of uncertainty with a number of significant organisational and operational changes amongst Scotland’s principal agencies, and a move towards sustainable economic development. The book details how environmental issues came to the fore and, with the reorganisation of local government in 1996 looming, examines the role of the Planning and Development Department in preparing for the challenges of the twenty-first century. It also looks forward to the impact of the significant changes to the Scottish planning system resulting from the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and the subsequent changes to town and country planning in Scotland.
According to Craig McLaren, National Planning Improvement Champion with the Improvement Service and former Director of RTPI Scotland, ‘There are few, if any, books that provide such a detailed history of the practice of town and country planning in Scotland and, given the increasingly divergent planning systems, practice and policy being introduced across different parts of the UK, this book is an essential read for all those interested in the history of town and country planning in Scotland’.
Reviewing the book in the Scottish Geographical Journal, Volume 140, Nos. 1-2, 2024, John Carnie considers that the book is an essential read for all those with an interest in human geography, rural economic development, environmental studies and planning in rural areas. It shows a deep affinity for, and acute knowledge of, the Borders region and offers a detailed and authoritative insight into countryside planning issues.
I have given a number of talks on my book and shall be giving a talk to the Old Gala Club, Galashiels local history society, in the Volunteer Hall, Galashiels on Wednesday 20th November at 7.30pm.
Douglas G Hope 