As part of Scottish Borders Council's plans to deliver a modernised planning system, 30 officers are relocating from area offices to Council headquarters in Newtown St Boswells.

The move will see officers from Peebles, Galashiels, Duns and Hawick area offices relocating to the Council HQ from this month.

The move will ensure that the Council is ready to provide the modernised planning system required following recent changes in legislation.

New arrangements for processing planning applications will come into effect between now and August. They include: a new scheme of delegation, hearing procedures that will give applicants and objectors the right to submit their case to Committee for certain types of application and a new appeals process that requires the Council to set up a local review body to consider requests for a review of officer decisions. This replaces the existing right of appeal to Scottish Ministers.

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The modernised planning system will see a new process for dealing with planning and building warrant services and an increase in the current use of e-planning.

The project will also benefit from the roll out of Customer First which will handle initial planning enquiries from locations across the Borders.

Surgeries will be held on regular dates throughout the Borders so that potential applicants and developers can meet officers by appointment on site or at home. Planning officers will work in teams and will be deployed to deal with pressure areas and focus on complex applications.

Councillor Carolyn Riddell-Carre, the Council's Executive Member for Planning and Environment, said: "The moves are being implemented to coincide with the forthcoming launch of the Government’s National E-Planning initiative.

"Scottish Borders Council has led the way in e-planning in Scotland. Having our planning team all in one office will help us to deliver a more efficient planning system, in line with important changes in national planning legislation."

The current economic climate has resulted in fewer planning applications being received. A small number of posts are no longer required within the department and a number of other vacant posts will not being filled until application numbers increase from the present level.

The 30 planning and building standards officers and clerical support posts will be relocating to HQ - six from Peebles, nine from Gala, eight from Duns and seven from Hawick.

(GK/JM)