The work of Shetland Islands Council planning staff in developing a new regime for regulating the aquaculture industry in Shetland has received recognition at a national awards ceremony in Edinburgh in the face of stiff competition from 39 nominations from amongst the 31 other local councils in Scotland.

At the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning ceremony at the Hub in Edinburgh Iain McDiarmid, Development Control Service Manager of the Council's Public Protection service together with Andrew McPherson from the Council's ICT Services who helped to develop software for the process where presented with an award by Iain Gray, Scottish Executive Minister for Planning.

The award ceremony was also attended by Jim Mackinnon, Chief Planner for Scotland, Margaret Curran, Deputy Planning Ministerand Tavish Scott MSP. The award for outstanding performance and quality in development control was presented for work on the new Development Control regime for the Aquaculture Industry.

In February 1999 the Development Control section of the Public Protection Service assumed responsibility for the control of aquaculture development under the Zetland County Council Act which coincided with the start of an unprecedented phase of expansion for both the salmon farming and shellfish farming industries. The salmon farming industry alone employs some 750 people in Shetland and has a value of in the region of £77 million per annum to the local economy (Shetland Salmon Farmers Association "Salmon Success" 2001). In the context of a population of just under 23,000 the aquaculture industry is of vital importance to the Shetland economy and is the equivalent of a major industrial sector on the UK mainland.

The establishment of a new type of regulatory regime for the aquaculture industry has required the development, from first principals, of a regime based on the precepts of the planning system namely openness, consultation, accountability, fairness, consistency all without the benefit of national guidance, case law or supporting regulations. The system has been held up as model for the handling of marine development control functions when primary planning legislation is amended in the near future to take in the control of coastal zone development.