Remit
The Scottish Government laid the draft of the third National Planning Framework (NPF3) before the Scottish Parliament on 14 January 2014. Alongside NPF3 the Scottish Government will also conduct a revision of Scottish Planning Policy (SPP).
The purpose of NPF and SPP is:
- The purpose of the NPF is to set out where development should take place across Scotland to support the various economic, infrastructural social and environmental objectives of the Scottish Government. The NPF also identifies key strategic infrastructure projects as national developments;
- The purpose of the SPP is to set out how such developments should take place.
Parliamentary scrutiny
The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended, required the Scottish Government to lay a draft of the National Planning Framework before the Parliament for its consideration. The Parliament, and its committees, has 60 days from the date on which the NPF is laid to consider and report on the NPF.
The Local Government and Regeneration Committee has overall remit responsibility for the scrutiny of planning policy. However, substantive detail of the draft NPF3 falls within the remit of other subject committees, namely:
Each of the four committees concerned will scrutinise the draft NPF3 in terms of its own remit.
Focus of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee
In light of this, the Local Government and Regeneration Committee will focus its scrutiny on the following areas:
- A strategic overview to examine the draft NPF3, and review of SPP, and consider how they relate to each other;
- To examine the strategic connections between the NPF and SPP, and other key aspects of Scottish Government policy;
- To examine whether the statutory procedure for the examine of the NPF, and the processes for review of the SPP remains appropriate and fit-for-purpose, and
- To consider various issues relevant to planning arising from the Local Government and Regeneration Committee’s work programme over the last two years, as well as its annual scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s budgets.
The Committee will take oral evidence on the NFP3 and SPP in January and February 2014. Further details will be published in due course.
Evidence
The Committee gathered evidence as follows:
- The Committee undertook oral evidence gathering 29 January and 5 February 2014, that focused on strategic issues relating to NPF3 and SPP.
- In light of the substantail detail of the draft NPF3 and SPP falling under the remit of other subject committees, and that the Local Government and Regeneration Committee focused on the strategic issues only, the Committee requested written evidence from key stakeholders in order to support their scrutiny.
Read the written submissions received
Report
The Committee published its report on the Proposed National Planning Framework 3 and review of Scottish Planning Policy on 14 March 2014.
The Scottish Government responded to the committee reports on the Proposed National Planning Framework 3 and review of Scottish Planning Policy on 12 May 2014:
Debate
The Stage 1 debate on the Proposed National Planning Framework 3 and review of the Scottish Planning Policy took place on Tuesday 18 March 2014.
Page last updated 19 March 2014
Contact: for further information on the work of the Committee you can contact the Clerks on 0131 348 5223 or by e-mail at: [email protected]