Scottish Planning Policy
National planning policy is currently set out through the following documents:
Statements of Scottish Government policy in SPPs, NPPGs, the NPF, Designing Places and Circulars can be material considerations to be taken into account in development plans and development management decisions.
The Consolidated SPP
As part of the commitment to proportionate and practical planning policies, the Scottish Government is rationalising national planning policy by replacing the current series of SPPs and NPPGs with a single SPP. The consolidated SPP will provide a shorter, clearer and more focused statement of national planning policy.
In October 2008, SPP1 The Planning System was replaced by the initial sections of the consolidated SPP. The remaining sections of the consolidated SPP, and associated Environmental Report, were published for consultation on April 01, 2009. These sections set out national planning policy on community engagement, sustainable development, various subject policies and outcomes. The subject policies that will be covered in the consolidated SPP are economic development, town centres and retailing, housing, rural development, coastal planning, fish farming, historic environment, natural heritage, open space and physical activity, green belts, transport, renewable energy, flooding, waste, minerals, opencast coal and radio telecommunications. An environmental assessment of the final sections of the consolidated SPP was undertaken which focused on changes to policy and any omissions which may have significant environmental effects. The Screening Determination was issued on January 23, 2009. The Environmental Report was published at the same time as the consultative draft consolidated SPP. The consultation on the final sections of the SPP and the Environmental Report closed on June 24, 2009. The responses to the consultation and the analysis of consultation responses report have now been published.
Since the publication of the draft consolidated SPP in April the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act and the Climate Change (Scotland) Act have been passed by the Scottish Parliament. Both these Acts have implications for planning policy which need to be reflected in the final SPP. Changes to the sustainable development and coastal planning sections are proposed, along with updated policy on onshore oil and gas operations and high amenity business sites. Changes to policy are subject to Strategic Environmental Assessment. We published a statement outlining the proposed policy changes, accompanied by an annex to the Environmental Report containing the assessment of any likely significant environmental impacts of the proposed policy changes on September 30, 2009.
Proposed policy changes
Environmental Report Annex
The consultation ran from September 30, until November 12, 2009. The purpose of this further consultation linked to the consolidated SPP was to gather stakeholder views on the proposed policy changes. The final SPP will be published late 2009/early 2010.
Until the final consolidated SPP in published, the existing SPPs and NPPGs remain in force. These are:
Further Information
For further information about the consolidated SPP, please contact Emma Richardson at emma.richardson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or on 0131 244 7059