Meeting of the Parliament 11 January 2023
I would, in the first instance, refer the member to the explanatory report that we published in November along with the revised draft of NPF4. It sets out in considerable detail how the consultation process led to the changes that we have made. What we have seen is a strengthening of the policy that is absolutely consistent with our ambition to put climate and nature at the centre of Scotland’s planning system.
The delivery programme that we published alongside our revised NPF4 in November is, so to speak, a first edition. It is very much intended as a live document, to be constantly actioned, reviewed and updated. It will play a crucial role in bringing together all of the actions to support NPF4’s delivery. It sets out an approach to governance, to new legislation and guidance, to facilitation of investment in development, and to the vital monitoring of progress that will inform future actions and subsequent iterations of the programme. I have already committed to undertaking the first review of the NPF4 delivery programme after six months, and then annually thereafter, to ensure that we get off to a strong start and then maintain the momentum throughout the lifetime of NPF4.
I also note the concerns that the committee heard about getting the balance right where there appear to be potential conflicts between certain policy areas. That balance will be key. However, in essence, is that not what planning has always been about—seeking to get the right decisions about how we manage and develop places to meet a range of policy needs? Those tensions are inherent in the very concept of planning.
Yet, if we are to deliver on this Government’s ambition to make Scotland fairer, greener and more prosperous, it is right that we prioritise key, national policy objectives through the framework’s policies. As I have stated, it was always our intention to put climate and nature front and centre in our planning system. Having listened to calls for greater clarity and strength on that, we introduce in NPF4 a new national planning policy number 1 to ensure that, in all planning decisions, significant weight will be given to the climate and nature crises. That new policy sets out our intention to ensure that positive action is embedded right across the planning system.