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    <span class="date">20 March 2011</span>&#13;
<span class="time-text">Last updated at </span><span class="time">09:23 ET</span>  &#13;
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  <img src="http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/51755000/jpg/_51755713_005674131-1.jpg" width="304" height="171" alt="Aberdeen" /><span>Mr Keillor said a quicker planning process could help the economy of Aberdeen to fare even better</span>&#13;
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                      <p class="introduction" id="story_continues_1">A leading oil businessman has told the BBC planning delays are placing constraints on the Aberdeen economy.</p>&#13;
        <p>Bob Keillor got clearance recently for the sale to Wood Group of PSN, the company he built up to a value of more than £600m.</p>&#13;
        <p>He is staying with the Wood Group after the deal and is also chairman of Scotland's Entrepreneurial Exchange.</p>&#13;
        <p>He told Business Scotland he was concerned objectors to any development had a "disproportionate voice".</p>&#13;
        <p>He said there was significant interest at the moment in economic expansion in the north east of Scotland.</p>&#13;
        <p>"The oil price being relatively high means that people are willing to invest in the development of existing and new oil and gas resources," he said.</p>&#13;
        <p>"When people invest in these resources it leads to activity, activity in turn leads to jobs and many of these jobs are based and supported here from Aberdeen.</p>&#13;
        <p>"That's not just jobs here in the UK, of course, that's jobs internationally."</p>&#13;
        <p>He said it meant there was a "relative health" in the economy not seen in other parts of the country.</p>&#13;
        <p>"Certainly the income, the economic benefit of oil and gas has a great benefit for the whole of the north east economy and beyond," he said.</p>&#13;
  <span class="cross-head">'Continued frustration'</span>&#13;
	      <p>However, Mr Keillor said there were other steps which could be taken which would increase the growth of the economy.</p>&#13;
        <p>"I don't think it's quite booming yet but its confidence is improving, people are being more optimistic," he said.</p>&#13;
        <p>"There are still things that could happen that could lead to even greater confidence."</p>&#13;
        <p>He said there was "continued frustration" in the business community about the fact that work had not started on a Western Peripheral Road around Aberdeen.</p>&#13;
        <p>He also urged quicker action over a runway extension at Aberdeen airport and city centre improvements.</p>&#13;
        <p>"I think the process we have set up over the years, to my mind, gives a disproportionate voice to objectors to any developments," he said.</p>&#13;
        <p>"In a democracy everybody has the right to object or support a development.</p>&#13;
        <p>"But once a decision has been made I'd love to see, as a businessman, a project plan being put in place, a budget being put in place and people just getting on with it."</p>&#13;
        <p>He said that would help to attract even more people to live and work in Aberdeen.</p>&#13;
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	</div></div><p><strong>Read more:</strong> <a class="rssreadon" rel="external" title="Plan delays 'constrain' economy" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-12799315" target="_blank">http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-12799315</a></p>