Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 26 January 2017
26 Jan 2017 · S5 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Improving Scotland’s Planning
I also welcome the consultation. Planning reform is long overdue. It will be important to try to engage as widely as possible if we are serious about engaging communities across Scotland.
Today, a number of briefings were sent to us from the Royal Town Planning Institute Scotland, Planning Aid for Scotland, Planning Democracy and the John Muir Trust. I intend to circulate those briefings. I encourage those organisations to consider how they can engage more widely with community organisations. Graham Simpson talked about community councils. The reality is that the community council is the body that is consulted, so it tends to take more interest in planning. Therefore, community councils are a good starting point for engaging in this debate before the consultation closes on 4 April.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Linda Fabiani)
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S5M-03612, in the name of Kevin Stewart, on improving Scotland’s planning—improving Scotland’s places. 15:02
The Minister for Local Government and Housing (Kevin Stewart)
SNP
I am pleased to be debating the planning reform agenda so early in the new year. I was delighted to publish “Places, People and Planning: A consultation on t...
Gil Paterson (Clydebank and Milngavie) (SNP)
SNP
We are all aware that, when it comes to developments, the developer has much more power than the community—that is not just a perception but a reality. Does ...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I welcome Gil Paterson’s intervention. We need a much more collaborative approach. Wise developers already have a huge amount of consultation with local comm...
Graham Simpson (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
I declare an interest as a serving councillor in South Lanarkshire. Having been a councillor in that area for nearly 10 years now, I have been involved in a ...
Alex Rowley (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab)
Lab
I also welcome the consultation. Planning reform is long overdue. It will be important to try to engage as widely as possible if we are serious about engagin...
Kevin Stewart
SNP
I welcome Mr Rowley’s comments. At the early stages of the consultation, I wrote to MSPs highlighting that it was live. I would be grateful if everyone in th...
Alex Rowley
Lab
On that basis, there is a lot of room to work together. I was disappointed when I saw the minister’s motion, because the important starting point for us is ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
We move to the open debate. I have a little time in hand, but I ask the usual suspects not take advantage of that. Speeches will be of up to six minutes. 15:32
Ben Macpherson (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (SNP)
SNP
The effectiveness of our planning system affects aspects of all our lives: it affects the quality of our environments and the sustainability of our communiti...
Bill Bowman (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I am honoured to have joined the Parliament as a list member for the North East Scotland region. However—it is a big however—I am sure that we all wish that ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Thank you, Mr Bowman. I hope that all your colleagues and mine will take note of your closing sentences. 15:45
George Adam (Paisley) (SNP)
SNP
I congratulate Mr Bowman on his first speech. Obviously, it comes on the back of circumstances that none of us desired, but it was good to hear from him for ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Christine Grahame)
SNP
And there you must conclude, Mr Adam, with seating for 1,000 people. You are out of time. 15:52
Monica Lennon (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I refer to my entry in the register of members’ interests: I am a proud member of the Royal Town Planning Institute. As a chartered town planner, I am sure t...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
Thank you, Miss Lennon. You have the privilege of having complimented and promoted Mr Stewart and of having made Mr Macpherson blush. 15:58
Kate Forbes (Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) (SNP)
SNP
One of our easiest functions as MSPs is to highlight the challenges and grievances in our constituencies, and that always seems quite easy for the Highlands....
Andy Wightman (Lothian) (Green)
Green
I congratulate Bill Bowman on giving his first speech in the chamber and welcome him to Parliament. I welcome this debate on planning, a subject that is of...
Alex Cole-Hamilton (Edinburgh Western) (LD)
LD
I extend a welcome to Bill Bowman and congratulate him on making an excellent first speech. He does so in this Parliament in our nation’s capital, which is a...
Andy Wightman
Green
I am intrigued by Alex Cole-Hamilton’s comments about incremental development. Does he imagine that if the Liberal Democrats had been running Edinburgh counc...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
He is taking you back a bit, Mr Cole-Hamilton, but there you are.
Alex Cole-Hamilton
LD
By “development by increment”, I mean unintelligent housing development such as I have referred to, in which things are just thrown up on pieces of land that...
Gordon MacDonald (Edinburgh Pentlands) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, congratulate Bill Bowman on his maiden speech, Edinburgh is one of the UK’s economic hotspots. As a result of that, the city’s population has grown ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I call Jamie Greene, to be followed Bob Doris. Mr Doris will be the last speaker in the open debate. You have been warned. 16:24
Jamie Greene (West Scotland) (Con)
Con
I start by welcoming Bill Bowman to Parliament. Despite the sad circumstances in which he does so, I am sure that he brings a lot of experience. I also reite...
Andy Wightman
Green
Will the member take an intervention?
Jamie Greene
Con
I will give way, if I am given some extra seconds.
The Deputy Presiding Officer
SNP
I can give you the time back.
Andy Wightman
Green
I heard Jamie Greene’s comments about community engagement. What is his position on a third-party or equal right of appeal?
Jamie Greene
Con
I am no planning expert. One of the first pieces of advice that I was given when I got into politics was to stay away from planning. I am not the only member...