Scottish Government Proposals for Planning Reform
David Stewart discusses the Scottish Government’s planning Position Statement
Blog by David Stewart, SFHA Policy Lead
The Scottish Government has published a Position Statement following the recent People, Places and Planning Consultation – a consultation on reform of the planning system in Scotland. The consultation precedes a Planning Bill to be brought forward “early” in the current parliament. The position statement indicates what is likely to be in the bill. Some of the headlines include:
- Link between community planning and spatial plans
- Stronger Local Development Plans
- Strategic Development Plans scrapped
- Closer Link Between Planning and Delivery
There are a number of proposals that may impact on the delivery of new housing. These include proposals to be clear on what land is needed to meet housing need, increasing the percentage of sites with planning permission that deliver new homes, extending the use of Simplified Planning Zones for Housing and funding infrastructure up front to enable delivery.
The SFHA will be reflecting on the detail of the Scottish Governments response and its implications for the delivery of new affordable homes. We will then engage with members and the Scottish Government as the new bill is developed.