In their most recent letter, the Minister for Public Finance and Chief Planner have identified a strong and immediate focus on identifying and addressing housing sites that have stalled as part of progressing the Housing Emergency Delivery Plan.

The work which has been done to date has demonstrated that there are many reasons for sites stalling, both before and after planning consent has been granted, including:

  • decision-making timescales
  • funding issues
  • construction costs and viability
  • the continuing bedding in of national planning policies
  • infrastructure delivery
  • the need to maintain strong communication
  • the need for a shared sense of urgency

In addition to site specific interventions, it is likely that there will be more strategic actions which could be taken to help move a number of sites forward and updates are promised over the coming weeks.

The updated guidance on Housing Land Audits is seen as a way of enabling improved monitoring locally and nationally of the housing pipeline and its progress through the planning system.

A fuller plan is being developed for the Housing Planning Hub so that Scottish Government can better support planning authorities in their crucial work to address the housing emergency.

Masterplan Consent Areas are highlighted as having potential to be used to take action to tackle the housing emergency. See our blog on the guidance which has been published for MCA schemes.

But it's watch this space on the application of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Policy 22 on flood risk and water management. While the policy has been highlighted as an ongoing issue for stalled sites, there is as yet no updated guidance as the Scottish Government continues to explore the issues with planning authorities, SEPA and the development sector.

Planning authorities' need for more resource and capacity is acknowledged and local authorities are encouraged to ring-fence increased planning fees for the planning service given the central role of planning to a wide range of cross-cutting priorities. A significant future planners' graduate programme will also be launched to secure a future pipeline of planners.

Contributor

Elaine Farquharson-Black

Partner