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INTRODUCTION
1. The National Planning Framework ( NPF) is an important part of the modernised planning system and the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 places it on a statutory footing. The preparation of the NPF provides the opportunity for a national debate about Scotland's long-term spatial development and a means of efficiently delivering national policies and programmes to create a wealthier and greener Scotland. The aim is to publish the second NPF in 2008, providing a strategy for sustainable spatial development to 2030. Scottish Ministers are committed to ensuring that a full range of stakeholders and the public are involved in its preparation. This participation statement summarises how and when this will be achieved.
WHAT IS THE NATIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK?
2. The second NPF will set out the Scottish government's strategic development priorities. It will play a key role in ensuring the effective co-ordination of policies with a spatial dimension, integrating and aligning strategic investment priorities and indicating where inter-regional choices need to be made. It will set out strategic aspirations as a key means of delivering projects and proposals of national significance. There will be close links to the government's Infrastructure Investment Plan and the investment programmes of public agencies and infrastructure providers.
3. The NPF will focus strongly on priorities for the improvement of infrastructure to support Scotland's long-term development. For transport infrastructure, the NPF will take full fullaccount of current and emerging transport investment programmes. It will set out strategic priorities for investment in water and drainage capacity and waste management facilities, and consider requirements for the next generation of high bandwidth communications technology. It will reflect the government's policy commitments including those on climate change, sustainable development, and the marine environment. A strategic environmental assessment ( SEA) is testing the impacts of the National Planning Framework on Scotland's environment, ensuring that issues of environmental sustainability are explicitly addressed throughout.
4. The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 established a statutory requirement to prepare the National Planning Framework. The new legislation places a duty on Scottish Ministers to exercise their functions in preparing the NPF with the objective of contributing to sustainable development. The next NPF will provide a stronger context for development plans and planning decisions. This will help establish and deliver a clear strategy for Scotland's spatial development in the long term.
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
5. The Planning Act makes provision for the NPF to be used to identify certain projects as "national developments". Scottish Ministers will make a statement to Parliament in September on the considerations they will take into account in designating national developments. A key test in deciding whether a project is a national development will be whether it is essential to Scotland's strategic spatial development. Major strategic transport, energy and environmental infrastructure projects may fall within this category of development. Many of these will already have been the subject of consultation and debate as part of the development of other strategies and programmes. The Scottish government intends that identification in the NPF should be the mechanism for establishing the need for such developments and the new legislation requires planning authorities to take the NPF into account in preparing their development plans.
PARTICIPATION COMMITMENT
6. The Scottish government is committed to encouraging interest and wide public involvement in the preparation of the NPF. In line with the Planning Advice Note on Community Engagement ( PAN 81) and the National Standards on Community Engagement, the government will ensure that:
- arrangements for participation are inclusive, open and transparent;
- the selection of participants is representative of the public, private, voluntary, academic, community sectors and of the various equality groups;
- information is provided early to allow full consideration;
- communication is provided through a range of formats and locations, including easily understood jargon-free formats;
- all representations will be fully considered; and
- feedback will be provided promptly on the conclusions drawn.
7. The participation programme will involve engagement with a wide range of stakeholders in the public sector (including key departments and agencies, planning authorities including national park authorities, regional bodies, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( CoSLA)), the private sector (including business interests, developers and planning consultancies), the community and voluntary sector (including community councils, other community and voluntary groups and environmental organisations), as well as elected representatives, academic experts, professional bodies and learned societies. A particular effort will be made to reach beyond the constituency of organisations normally involved in planning consultations to a wider range of public interests such as young people, older people, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.
8. The schedules below set out when, how and with whom engagement on the NPF is taking place. The schedules will be kept up to date on the NPF webpage so that stakeholders and the public know exactly how the preparation process for the NPF is being conducted and what opportunities they will have to participate and engage with it. We are continually looking for new ways to engage and additional opportunities will be added as they are identified.
PREPARATION PROCESS AND TIMETABLE
9. The preparation process will involve the following 5 stages:
1) Initial engagement on scope and content of the NPF - February-June 2007
2) The issue of a draft NPF for public consultation - Autumn 2007
3) Revision in the light of reaction to the consultative draft - Early 2008
4) Scrutiny of a final draft in Parliament - Spring 2008
5) Final considerations and publication of the NPF - Autumn 2008
10. Extensive engagement with stakeholders and the public will take place throughout the first and second stages. Full consideration of the representations received will be ongoing through all stages. Reports on how the representations have been taken into consideration and any conclusions which have been drawn will be made available on the NPF webpage promptly. A final draft will be scrutinised by Parliament at stage 4, prior to Ministerial approval.
Stage 1) Initial engagement on scope and content of NPF
11. The objective of the initial phase of the participation programme is to raise awareness about the NPF and to seek views on the scope and content of the NPF and on projects which might be identified as national developments. Six stakeholder seminars were held throughout the country during February 2007 and there was a discussion on the Framework at the meeting of the Convention of the Highlands and Islands in Stornoway on 5 March 2007. Meetings have also been held with government Directorates, key pubic agencies, business, environmental and voluntary organisations, professional bodies and educational establishments. A lot of material has been collected during the initial phase of engagement on scope and content of the NPF. While stage 1 of the participation exercise is now largely complete, the NPF team will continue to accept contributions from stakeholders during the summer months. Drafting is, however, now already underway to enable a draft NPF to be issued for consultation at the end of 2007. The schedule below provides more detail on where to find information about the NPF and about who, how and with whom engagement on scope and content has taken place.
Details | Target | Timing |
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a) NPF Webpage | Stakeholders and the public | Throughout the process |
A dedicated NPF webpage on the Scottish Executive's Planning homepage provides immediate access to NPF publications, including the first NPF published in 2004 and the Monitoring Report; publications relating to the strategic environmental assessment; newsletters providing feedback on the preparation process; and key papers submitted during the consultation process. Our webpage at www.scotland.gsi.gov.uk/topics/planning/national-planning will be updated regularly throughout the preparation process, so add it to your favourites list to keep up-to-date with the latest information. |
b) Helpline and email inquiry point | Stakeholders and the public | Throughout the process |
A telephone helpline and email inquiry point are available to enable individuals and organisations to contact the NPF team and to submit feedback and enquiries. Members of the team are available to explain the participation process and provide assistance with making representations on the scope and content of the NPF. Phone: 08457 741741. Email: NPFTeam@scotland.gsi.gov.uk |
c) Leaflet - "Small Country - Big Plans" | Stakeholders and the public | February - June 2007 |
An awareness-raising leaflet has been distributed widely to stakeholders including local authorities, public agencies, interest groups, representative organisations, communities of interest and individuals during the first half of 2007. The leaflet is available in local authority planning offices and in libraries and it can be viewed on the NPF webpage or obtained in hard copy from the NPF team. The leaflet sets out the purpose of the NPF, why it is important to get involved and where to get further information. The purpose of the leaflet is to seek views on the scope and content of NPF2 and on the main themes to be addressed. At the end of June, 308 responses to the "Small Country - Big Plans" leaflet have been received and these are being used to inform the content of the draft NPF which will be issued for consultation before the end of the 2007. The second edition of the NPF newsletter (available on the NPF webpage or by contacting the NPF team) provides feedback on the responses to the leaflet. The NPF team will continue to accept completed leaflets after June to aid drafting over the summer months. |
d) Seminars on regional and thematic issues | Local authorities, public agencies, interest groups, communities of interest and individuals. | February 2007 |
Six regional seminars took place across Scotland in February 2007. The purpose of the seminars was to raise awareness and to assist in determining the scope and content of NPF2 and views on candidate national developments. 285 people took part including representatives of planning authorities, members of community councils and amenity groups, students and academics, developers, enterprise and industry groups, environment and heritage groups, consultants and lawyers, national and regional agencies and professional bodies. The seminars are listed below. |
Date | Location | Participants |
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13 Feb 07 | Aberdeen | 45 |
14 Feb 07 | Dundee | 48 |
19 Feb 07 | Stirling | 75 |
20 Feb 07 | Inverness | 26 |
22 Feb 07 | St Boswells | 40 |
23 Feb 07 | Ayr | 51 |
The seminars were independently chaired by Professor Greg Lloyd of the University of Liverpool. Following an introductory presentation and discussion on the role and scope of the NPF, stakeholders were invited to participate in workshops on key policy themes (on economy, sustainability, connectivity and communities) and to offer views on projects which should be identified as national developments. The first edition of the NPF newsletter (available on the NPF webpage or by contacting the NPF team) contained feedback from the seminars. The newsletter was posted to everyone who participated in the seminars. The newsletter can be viewed on the NPF webpage and a hard copy is available by contacting the NPF team. Comments from the evaluation sheets can also be viewed on the NPF webpage. |
e) Convention of the Highlands & Islands | First Minister, MSPs, Councillors, central and local government officials | 5 March 2007 |
A paper on NPF2 was presented to Convention members for discussion. |
f) Meetings with the public sector. | Government directorates, agencies, regional bodies, local planning authorities, national park authorities and Councillors. | January to June 2007 |
Key Agencies: - Meeting with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Inverness: 26 January 07
- Meeting with Communities Scotland: 18 May 2007
- Meeting with Historic Scotland: 23 May 2007
- Meeting with Scottish Natural Heritage ( SNH), Battleby: 4 April 07
- Meeting with Scottish Enterprise Competitive Place and Transport Scotland Strategic Transport Project Review teams on Place Potential, Glasgow: 25 April 07
- Meeting with Forestry Commission for Scotland: 30 April 07
- Meeting with Scottish Environmental Protection Agency ( SEPA): 14 May 07
- Meeting with Scottish Water: 15 May 07
- Meeting with the Defence Estate: 15 May 07
- Meeting with Communities Scotland: 17 May 07
- Meeting with Historic Scotland: 23 May 07
- Meeting with Scottish Natural Heritage ( SNH): 24 July 2007
Regional & Other Bodies: - Meeting with Wales Spatial Plan team, Edinburgh: 30 January 07
- Contribution to Community of Practice event, Scottish Enterprise, Glasgow: 16 February 07
- Meeting on cross-border project for Northern Ireland and Western Scotland: 29 March 07
- Meeting with Government Office for the North West of England: 11 April 07
- Meeting with Regional Transport Partnerships: 14 June 07
- Meeting of European Spatial Planning Observation Network ( ESPON) UK Steering Group: 20 June 07
- Meeting with Central Scotland Forest Trust, Shotts: 31 January 07
- Local Planning Authorities and National Parks
- Meeting with East Ayrshire Council: 17 April 07
- Meeting with Falkirk Council, Falkirk Stadium: 18 April 07
- Video Conference with Comhairle nan Siar - Western Isles Council: 11 May 07
- Meeting with Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and Cairngorm National Park Authorities: 8 June 07
- Meeting with indicative Strategic Development Plan authorities: 13 June 07
- Meeting with local authority Heads of Planning, Kinross: 18 & 19 June 07.
Councillors - Seminar for Councillors: City of Edinburgh Chambers: 29 June 2007
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g) Meetings with representative sectoral organisations. | Business, enterprise and industry groups, environmental and organisations. | January to June 2007 |
- Meeting with Built Environment Forum for Scotland ( BEFS): 26 April 07
- Meeting with Confederation of British Industry ( CBI) Scotland: 9 May 07
- Meeting with Scottish Environment Link: 18 May 07
- Glasgow City Collaboration Workshop: 22 May 07
- Meeting with Network Rail: 24 May 07
- Meeting on East Coast Corridor Model: 24 May 07
- Strutt & Parker Planning Seminar: 6 June 07
- Video Conference with Locate in Scotland - Global Scots: 11 June 07
- Meeting with Scottish Financial Enterprise: 12 June 07
- Meeting with the Scottish Youth Parliament: 5 July 07
- Meeting with Scottish Power: 27 June 2007
- Meeting with British Property Federation / Scottish Property Forum: 28 June 07
- Meeting with Scottish Renewables Forum: 4 July 2007
- Meeting with Oil and Gas sector - 20 July 2007
- Meeting on energy transmission issues: 24 July 2007
- Meeting with Homes for Scotland: July 2007 ( TBC)
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h) Meetings with professional bodies and educational establishments | University Students, Royal Town Planning Institute | January - June 2007 |
- Student seminar at the Institute of Geography, University of Edinburgh: 12 March 07
- Meeting with Royal Town Planning Institute ( RTPI) NPF Task Group: 16 April 07
- Student seminar at School of the Built Environment, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh: 27 April 07
- Student seminar at the Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow: 16 May 07
- Meeting with Royal Town Planning Institute ( RTPI) NPF Task Group: 15 August 07
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i) Events | A range of interest groups and representative organisations | February to May 2007 |
Display material will be erected at conferences and events to raise awareness and maintain interest throughout the preparation process. Officials will be available to discuss issues, answer questions and receive feedback. To date exhibition boards have been displayed at the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning Event (8 March 07), "Making the Planning Act a Reality" Holyrood Events Conference (9 March 07) and the Scottish Young Planners' Conference (29 March 07). A conference on the NPF is being organised by Holyrood Conferences at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on 4 September 2007. Display material can be made available on request for appropriate forthcoming events. Please contact the NPF team for further details. |
j) Advisory Group | Key experts | Throughout the process |
An Advisory Group comprising 12 individuals with expertise in key areas of strategic policy has been established to provide expert advice on the content of the NPF and to comment on the SEA as it progresses. The members of the Advisory Group are: Margaret Bochel: City Development, Aberdeen City Council
Sandy Brady: Strategy, Highlands & Islands Enterprise
Adrian Colwell: Senior Research Fellow, EPRC, Strathclyde University
Iain Docherty: School of Business Management, University of Glasgow
Brian Farrell: City strategy expert
Stuart Housden: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds ( RSPB)
Steve Inch: Development & Regeneration Services, Glasgow City Council
Euan Dobson: Competitive Places, Scottish Enterprise
Greg Lloyd: Department of Civic Design, University of Liverpool
Kelvin MacDonald: Royal Town Planning Institute ( RTPI)
Mandy Meikle: Reforesting Scotland
Veronica Noone: Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh & the Lothians The first meeting took place on 28 March 07. The second meeting took place on 11 June 07. |
k) Meetings with the Scottish Parliament. | Members of the Scottish Parliament. | Throughout the process |
Meetings will be held with the relevant committees of the Scottish Parliament at key stages of the preparation process. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth answered questions on the National Planning Framework at the meeting of the Local Government and Communities Committee on 27 June [the minutes are available on the Scottish Parliament webpage:www.scottish.parliament.uk] |
l) Communications Strategy | All stakeholders and the public | Throughout the process |
The participation process is being supported by a communications strategy, involving the use of electronic newsletters and the briefing of the national and local media and relevant technical and specialist publications at key stages. The first edition of the NPF newsletter provided feedback form the regional seminars and was issued in March 2007. The second edition of the NPF newsletter (available on the NPF webpage or by contacting the NPF team) contains feedback from the meetings with stakeholders which have been taking place since February 2007 and from responses to the leaflet campaign "Small Country, Big Plans" and is available on the NPF webpage now. Progress articles will also be posted in various bulletins and magazines including editions of Planning Magazine, SEPA view, Black and Ethnic Minority Infrastructure Scotland Update, Community Voices Network and Scottish Youth Parliament press. If you have a community newsletter or business bulletin and would welcome an article on the NPF please contact the NPF team. |
m) Networking out information | Throughout the process |
The NPF team encourages all stakeholders to share information you have received or know about the NPF more widely with your organisations and networks. |
n) Additional Sources of Information and Advice | Throughout the process |
In addition to the NPF helpline, webpage and email box, other sources of information and advice on planning issues are noted below: |
- Planning Aid for Scotland provides free and independent advice about specific planning issues for individuals and groups across Scotland. Phone 0131 2209730. Visit www.planningaidscotland.gov.uk
- The Improvement Service is funding Friends of the Earth to provide training for community councils on planning issues. Contact Emma Richardson on the Improvement Service on 0131 01506 775569 for more information.
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While the initial participation phase is now over, comments (including completed leaflet return slips, emails, letters and papers) will continue to be welcomed during the summer months to help inform drafting. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney MSP, will be using his summer tours to seek further views on the scope and content of the second NPF. Further information will be posted on the NPF webpage shortly. |
Stage 2) Issue of a draft for public consultation
12. The second stage of consultation will focus on raising awareness and seeking feedback on the content of the draft NPF in Autumn 2007. The draft will include a provisional list of national developments for discussion. A range of techniques will be used to ensure that communities who are likely to have a particular interest in aspects of the NPF are involved in the process.
Details | Target | Timing |
|---|
a) Draft NPF | Stakeholders and the public | Autumn/Winter 2007 |
The draft NPF will be published on the NPF webpage. Paper copies will be available free of charge. Requests for material in large print or in other formats or languages should be directed to the NPF Team. The SEA Environmental Report will be published at the same time. |
b) Non-technical summary | Stakeholders and the public | Autumn/Winter 2007 |
A non-technical summary of the draft NPF will be distributed to an extensive range of stakeholders and the public at large. This will also be made available in public buildings such as libraries and council offices as well as on the NPF webpage. A non-technical summary of the SEA Environmental Report will also be distributed. |
c) NPF Webpage | Stakeholders and the public | Throughout the process |
The dedicated NPF Webpage on the Executive's Planning homepage will provide access to the draft NPF and accompanying SEA documents and allow feedback and enquiries to be submitted. |
d) Targeted engagement with communities | Communities with a particular interest in an aspect of the NPF | Autumn/Winter 2007 |
Additional targeted participation events may be arranged for communities with a particular interest in an aspect of the NPF, such as a proposed national development. |
e) Meetings with key stakeholders | Key agencies and representative organisations | Autumn/Winter 2007 |
Further meetings will be held with key agencies and representative organisations to discuss the draft NPF and the accompanying SEA. |
f) Involving Young People | Scottish Youth Parliament Debate | Autumn/Winter 2007 |
We hope to provide a seminar for a debate on the NPF by the Scottish Youth Parliament |
g) Events | A range of interest groups and representative organisations | Autumn/Winter 2007 |
Display material will be erected at appropriate conferences and special events. Officials will be available to discuss issues, answer questions and receive feedback. Specific events will be identified and listed closer to the time. Display material can be made available on request for use at other events. |
h) Seminars on regional and thematic issues | Local authorities, public agencies, interest groups and representative organisations, communities of interest and individuals. | Autumn/Winter 2007 |
A second round of regional seminars will engage stakeholders in the content of the draft NPF. They will again be independently chaired and held in a range of location throughout Scotland. Presentations, open discussions forums and Workshops will be facilitated. |
i) Advisory Group | Key experts | Throughout the process |
The Advisory Committee will continue to provide expert advice on the content of the NPF and the SEA. |
j) Meetings with Scottish Parliament's Communities Committee. | Members of the Scottish Parliament. | January 2007 to May 2007 |
Meetings will be held with the Scottish Parliament's Communities Committee. |
k) Communications Strategy | All stakeholders and the public at large | Throughout the process |
The participation process will be supported by a communication strategy involving the use of electronic newsletters and the briefing of national and local media and relevant technical and specialist publications at key stages. The availability of the draft framework and key SEA documents will be advertised in the national press. |
l) Helpline and email inquiry point | | Throughout the process |
The helpline and email inquiry point will continue provide advice on the participation process to individuals, organisations and the public wider pubic at large. A member of the NPF team will be available to discuss the draft, explain the process and assist with providing feedback. |
Stage 3) Revision in the light of reaction to the consultative draft
13. All representations, comments and feedback will be fully taken into account in drafting the final draft of the NPF. This process will take place early in 2008. A summary of the issues raised and the changes made in the light of the participation exercise will be published on the NPF webpage and made available in hard copy free of charge.
Stage 4) Scrutiny of a final draft in Parliament.
14. The final draft of the NPF will be considered by Parliament for a period of 60 days during spring 2008.
Stage 5) Publication of the second National Planning Framework
15. In laying the published NPF before Parliament, Ministers will report on (a) the extent to which their programme of engagement and involvement of the public at large has conformed with or gone beyond the terms of this Participation Statement and (b) how the views of Parliament have been taken into account.
Stage 6) Monitoring and Evaluation
16. Monitoring and evaluating success is an important element of NPF2. The NPF team are committed to learning from experience to improve the quality of future participation events. Feedback from the regional seminars and events and meetings with stakeholders will be used to evaluate the quality of the participation process. The NPF team will strive to make improvements as opportunities are identified. Improvements can be suggested through the evaluation forms which are available at the regional seminars or by making suggestions by any other means to the NPF team.
STATUTORY ASSESSMENT OF NPF2
Strategic Environmental Assessment
17. The National Planning Framework is being subjected to a strategic environmental assessment ( SEA) to ensure that issues of environmental sustainability are explicitly addressed. The Scottish Executive will ensure that key stakeholders and the public are properly consulted at key stages in the SEA process and that a statement on how the SEA was conducted is published. The Scottish Executive intends to go beyond the basic requirements of the SEA process, to provide additional opportunities to comment on the SEA. This will include publication of a draft Environmental Report alongside the Consultative Draft of the Framework, followed by a second, finalised version at a later stage. The public will be invited to comment on both documents.
18. As a formal part of the SEA process the SEAScoping Report was issued to the statutory consultation bodies, Scottish Natural Heritage, Historic Scotland and Scottish Environment Protection Agency, on 9th February for a 5 week consultation period. The purpose of the report is to set out the likely scope and content of the Environmental Assessment, which will be published in draft alongside a consultative draft version of the second NPF. We would invite you to read the report, which has been provided for your information on the NPF website. However, please note that the report is not issued for formal consultation. If you have any questions regarding the report please do not hesitate to contact the NPF Team. Some comments on the scoping report have been received from interest groups, and are being taken into account as the assessment progresses. We are currently undertaking an assessment of strategic alternatives to inform the NPF preparation process.
19. An SEAEasyread for non-planners has been prepared and is available on the NPF webpage or by contacting the NPF team. A paper summarising the assessment of strategic alternatives has also been prepared and is available on the webpage or by contacting the team.
Appropriate Assessment
19. The Scottish government will consider whether anything proposed for inclusion in the NPF (the new Forth crossing, for example) is likely to have a significant effect on a European Habitats site, and, if necessary, will undertake an appropriate assessment in accordance with Article 6 (3) and 6 (4) of the Habitats Directive prior to the final draft being laid before Parliament.
Equality Impact Assessment
20. A key part of the new duties on race, disability and gender is the requirement to assess all of our policies to ensure that we do not inadvertently create a negativ e impact for equality groups. The NPF will therefore be subject to an Equality Impact Assessment.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
- A Braille Version of the participation statement is available by contacting the NPF Team.
- Requests for material in large print, or in other formats or languages should be directed to the NPF Team.
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