Hansard

I welcome Gil Paterson’s intervention. We need a much more collaborative approach. Wise developers already have a huge amount of consultation with local communities. In this day and age, when we see technological advances, much more use could be made of things such as 3D visualisations, so that people get a real idea of what is proposed for an area.

Of course, people’s input can lead to changes. As Mr Paterson is well aware, I was in his constituency on Tuesday, and I know that major developments are due to take place there. We hope that, in that place and in other places across Scotland, there can be more community involvement; community planning should be involved in spatial planning.

As members may have noted, we do not propose an equal right of appeal. We do not want more decisions to be made centrally, and we do not want to undermine investor confidence and create uncertainty for communities by generating more conflict at the end of the process. We are consulting on whether more review decisions should be made at a local level, to reduce appeals.

Helping to build more homes and deliver infrastructure is a crucial aspect of the consultation. We know that the number of homes that are granted planning approval each year far outstrips the number that are built, and we understand that deliverability and viability are part of the reason for that. We therefore propose that applicants or promoters of sites in a development plan should be able to provide assurances that sites are deliverable within the development plan timeframe. Planning authorities need better information to make better decisions on their plans.

We need planning authorities to move towards an active delivery role that diversifies housing provision so that we can provide greater choice. We need to support medium-sized developers and self-builders to expand capacity and we need to support alternative models of delivery in the development industry.

We can all agree that infrastructure is absolutely key to delivering the homes, businesses and places that Scotland needs. We do not believe that we need a new infrastructure agency to do that; we just need to work better together nationally and regionally. The development plan is key to better infrastructure planning.

Stronger leadership and smarter resourcing are needed. We are also consulting on a new, higher fee cap for major developments. Further thinking on fees to support a new system will be required. There is a level of consensus that a better service requires better resourcing. We need to look at how we can get the balance right, and I am clear that there must be a continuing emphasis on improving performance.

Not everything that we do will require legislation. However, if we want a great planning service, everyone—developers, communities, planning authorities, the health service and other agencies—has to be prepared to play some part. Performance is not just a matter for planning authorities; everyone can contribute by providing and requesting information when required, doing all that we can to reduce the timescales or showing leadership and focusing on outcomes.

We need to make sure that our future planners have the skills and experience to deliver great places. Planners should share their knowledge and skills by working together and connecting with communities and services that can help to deliver vibrant and healthy places to live and work in. I want stronger relationships to be forged between the public and private sectors to help to deliver a better system. As planning is, of course, a democratic process, the role of politicians in the process is vital, and the consultation paper highlights the importance of training for elected members who serve on planning committees.

The 20 proposals that are outlined in “Places, People and Planning” show that everyone has a role to play in making our planning system work better. In my time as planning minister, I have been really encouraged by people’s enthusiasm to talk about the review and by the early reaction to the consultation. I am keen to continue to hear as many comments and suggestions from as wide a range of stakeholders as possible to help to define the elements of the planning reforms that need more consideration as we take the consultation forward.

Presiding Officer, 2017 will be an important year for planning in Scotland. We want to make sure that there is a wide and open debate about the future of planning, so I am grateful to all those who will contribute to today’s debate.

I move,

That the Parliament recognises that improving Scotland’s planning process will require making the planning system more plan-led and accessible, increasing the influence of local people on decisions about the future of their communities and ensuring the delivery of the high quality homes and infrastructure that Scotland needs; agrees that, together with developing skills, smarter resourcing and digital transformation of the planning service, as well as removing any unnecessary procedures and practices that do not add value, planners can focus on delivering great places for people to live and work, and notes the publication of Places, people and planning: A consultation on the future of the Scottish planning system, which includes steps being taken to ensure that the planning system plays a proactive and positive role in attracting investment and creating great places in Scotland.