Business and trade groups have welcomed the passing of the Planning (Scotland) Bill which went through its final stage of scrutiny after three days debate at the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Property Federation (SPF) welcomes the outcome of the revised Planning Bill, which is intended to give communities more say on how land is used but without adding obstacles to much-needed housing and commercial developments.
SPF chairman Miller Mathieson, said, “Ever since the independent planning review in 2015, we have called for these reforms to achieve a streamlined and delivery-focused planning system.
“We are pleased that the Bill has been strengthened over the course of its passage through parliament and that unworkable amendments introduced at Stage Two were, in the end, either improved or removed from the Bill.
“We agree it is important that community views are incorporated into plan-making at the earliest stage and that effective and robust community engagement is undertaken at the outset of a development proposal.
“It will also be important to ensure that any further increases in planning fees go hand in hand with tangible improvements in planning services.
“After considerable cross-party efforts to improve the Bill, we are optimistic that it can now support much needed development in Scotland, which will be a catalyst for jobs, investment and creating places for people to live, work and enjoy.”
Following three days of debate over amendments to the Planning (Scotland) Bill, MSPs voted by 78 votes to 26 to pass the changes.
The Bill was initially put forward in 2017 in an effort to give local people and communities more of a say in the process.
Planning Minister Kevin Stewart said: “We carried out a great deal of work before the Bill was drafted.It involved the many different interests in planning to help shape proposals for change. However it was clear then, and it has been throughout the parliamentary process, that it is very difficult for everyone to agree on how the system can be improved.”
He added: “The Bill was always going to be a challenge. Planning is an important but often controversial subject. Planning is complex because communities are complex and at times its jargon can seem impenetrable.
“And for a time, this Bill became a little bit complicated, too. But after many hours of discussion and debate, I believe that we have achieved what we set out to do.”
Scottish Conservative planning spokesman Graham Simpson said: “The original Bill pleased nobody – not housebuilders, not councils and not the environment lobby.
“It was silent on the environment and did nothing to achieve growth or deliver the new homes we so desperately need. Our approach for the final stage has been to rectify that and deliver something that works for everyone.”
He added: “In the last few days we’ve heard some utter rubbish from Labour and the Greens. But in reality, we have no problem working with the Scottish Government when we agree on things.
“As a result, we now have a Bill that can deliver growth across Scotland that is greener and includes communities in the decisions that affect them.”
