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Modernising Public Local Inquiries: A Consultation Paper
Introduction
1. This paper forms part of the Executive’s proposals for modernising
the planning system for the 21st Century. The Executive has already
consulted on the modernisation of development planning in the Review of Strategic
Planning and on public participation in the planning system in Getting
Involved in Planning. The Scottish Ministers have since published their
conclusions in the White Paper Your place, your plan. The White Paper
recognises that there are some calls for the introduction to the planning system
of a right of third party appeal. This is a complex matter with potentially
wide ranging implications, but which remains a topical question. Ministers have
indicated that it is their intention to carry out a full consultation to examine
the issues and options thoroughly. That consultation will take place in parallel
with this separate exercise on modernising public local inquiries. The proposals
in this paper are intended to lead to improvements in practice that may be worth
making regardless of which parties have a right of appeal. Should work on the
consultation paper concerning widening the right of appeal raise issues that
impact on the public local inquiry system, the issues will be dealt with in
that consultation.
2. Getting Involved in Planning touched on a number of issues relevant
to the work of the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit. It indicated that
many people found the formalities of public local inquiries daunting and one
of the questions posed by the consultation was "How can we make appeal inquiries
more accessible and less intimidating?" We now wish to consider the changes
that are needed to the public local inquiry system which has for several decades
provided the means of reaching decisions on planning appeals and on some planning
proposals in a fair and transparent way whilst affording an opportunity to be
heard to all of those with an interest in the proposal. The process has been
reviewed in the past, with major improvements in both procedure and practice
introduced in 1997 and 1998.
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