Chamber
Plenary, 29 Jun 2005
29 Jun 2005 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Planning
Unfortunately, as a back bencher, I did not get sight of the white paper before the minister's statement to Parliament, but it appears from the statement that the minister is introducing a raft of reforms. I am sure that he will agree that the outdated planning system has meant that, for years, local authorities and communities have been working with their hands tied behind their backs. Like many other members, I am interested in the proposals on public engagement.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman):
Lab
The next item of business is a statement by Malcolm Chisholm on the white paper "modernising the planning system". The minister will take questions at the en...
The Minister for Communities (Malcolm Chisholm):
Lab
I am pleased to announce the publication today of the Executive's white paper "modernising the planning system", which follows a series of consultations and ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
The minister will now take questions on the issues that he has raised in his statement. I will allow around 20 minutes for questions before lunch time. Howev...
Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I thank the minister for the advance copies of his statement and the white paper. The difficulty in reading the white paper during the debate on the Housing ...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I welcome Christine Grahame's acknowledgement of the progress that we have made on development plans.In my statement, I emphasised that national developments...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
On behalf of the Conservative party, I welcome the Executive's rejection of the third-party right of appeal. The minister has said that local people will hav...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
The white paper is not the only document that is relevant to planning. A revised national renewable energy planning policy statement will be issued soon, whi...
Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
I ask the minister to help members in their study of the white paper by answering two questions. First, which aspects of the white paper does he consider wil...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
As I have said, I believe that revitalising development plans will be the best way in which to maximise local people's opportunities to feed in their views a...
Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the minister's commitments on the national planning framework being subject to consultation and strategic environmental assessment, and on the stat...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I thank Sarah Boyack for her comments. I am pleased by her support for the requirement for up-to-date development plans. I will certainly be pleased to debat...
Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP):
SNP
The minister mentioned a series of consultations, said that he wants to reform and not tinker, and said that he wants to listen to what local people have to ...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
There are different views on the third-party right of appeal among the public, in the Scottish National Party and, I do not doubt, in other parties. I have g...
Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab):
Lab
If the success of the reforms is to rest on regularly updated development plans, what reassurances will the minister give to my constituents that action will...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I will deal with those points in reverse order. I agree with what Karen Whitefield said about cumulative effect, which she has talked to me about before. The...
Mr Jim Wallace (Orkney) (LD):
LD
I welcome the minister's statement. Taken as a whole, although the package goes a long way to creating a more efficient planning system and ensuring more eff...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I have a sense of déjà vu. I have not had a question from the back benches from Jim Wallace since 1997. I welcome him to his new position and thank him for t...
Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab):
Lab
Unfortunately, as a back bencher, I did not get sight of the white paper before the minister's statement to Parliament, but it appears from the statement tha...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
Will you ask a question, please?
Cathie Craigie:
Lab
I do not believe that it would be right to add a third-party right of appeal on to the existing system. How will the minister ensure that communities can eng...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
I am pleased to be untying local authorities' hands, which I am sure they will welcome.I welcome the fact that Cathie Craigie has again homed in on public en...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
From an economic perspective, the Executive's proposals for widespread reform rather than tinkering with the current system are very welcome as is the reject...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
One of the problems that I described at the beginning of my statement is the way in which all applications tend to be dealt with in a similar way at the mome...
Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP):
SNP
I seek more detail from the minister about the proposals. First, how will they relate to a community such as Greengairs? After the implementation of the refo...
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
There will certainly be the piece of work on wind farms that I have described. Although that will be a separate Scottish planning policy, some of it will fin...
Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green):
Green
The minister complains that his proposals have been misrepresented, but the description of the proposals as a power grab to the centre seems pretty accurate....
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Lab
Was that your question, Mr Harvie?
Patrick Harvie:
Green
At a time when a certain party is considering the prospect of losing control of some local authorities in 2007, those reassurances are extremely important.
Malcolm Chisholm:
Lab
The description of the proposals as a"power grab to the centre"is one of the most ridiculous travesties of the truth that I have heard in all the six years o...
Meeting suspended until 14:00.