< Previous | Contents | Next >

PLANNING Bulletin Issue No 21

Foreword

Margaret Curran MSP
Minister for Social Justice

RTPI Speech

Planning is pivotal to making Scotland a better place to live and work for everyone, the Royal Town Planning Institute was told in November. Addressing delegates at the RTPI conference last month Social Justice Minister Margaret Curran emphasised how the modernisation of the planning system is a key driver of the government's agenda.

Ms Curran also launched the new Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) on Economic Development which sets out how the planning system can maintain and enhance economic competitiveness.

It underlines how the planning system should recognise and anticipate changes in the economy, promotes the use of sites for economic development in sustainable locations such as town and city centres and calls for more effective dialogue with the business community.

The Minister said:

"We are actively modernising the planning agenda to make it fit for the 21st century. Today's theme 'Delivering Excellence' is what we are striving for. We should aspire to excellence in the places and spaces we use daily. It is crucial that delivery of the planning service is of the highest possible standard.

"The planning system has clear strengths _ its statutory basis, the primacy of the development plan and the absolute right of public involvement. But planning is not delivering as well as it should and that is why we are committed to modernisation."

She also directed comments to underperforming authorities and called for a culture change in poorly performing councils from a "can't do" to the "can do"attitude of the best performing authorities.

"We want joined up working, best value and sustainable practices. Councils must deal with planning applications for business and other developments efficiently. Our planning audits contain too many examples of management failure, inefficient practice and ineffective process.

"Taking almost three years to process a planning application for housing on a site already allocated for housing development is unacceptable. We need better management of the processes, a clearer understanding of the issues to be addressed, more realistic achievements with clear direction for staff and effective community involvement."

Public involvement has been an important and longstanding feature of the Scottish planning system. Local communities have real opportunities to express their views on plans for the future of their area, on neighbourhood planning applications and developments which might have a bearing on their quality of life.

Ms Curran continued:

"Our 'Getting Involved in Planning' consultation found public involvement to be disappointingly low compared to public interest which was relatively high. We aim to publish a White Paper on public involvement towards the end of the year.

"Over the next year we will concentrate
on the delivery of an ambitious work programme to modernise the planning system: ensuring community access and engagement at the start and speeding up the time taken to conclude the process."

Margaret Curran is MSP for Glasgow Baillieston. Previously a lecturer in community education and an election agent, Ms Curran graduated from Glasgow University where she studied History and Economic History. She has a wide ranging experience of local government and community education work and is particularly interested in economic and urban regeneration and education.

Des McNulty MSP
Deputy Social Justice Minister

The MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Des McNulty, was appointed Deputy Minister for Social Justice in November this year. Des McNulty was born in 1952 in Stockport. He was educated at St Bede's College, Manchester, the University of York and the University of Glasgow. He is married and has two sons. Before being elected to the Scottish Parliament, Mr McNulty was a Strathclyde councillor (1990-96) and a Glasgow City councillor (1995-99). He worked as subject leader in Sociology and subsequently Head of Strategic Planning at Glasgow Caledonian University.

e-mail: scottish.ministers@scotland.gov.uk

This year's Bulletin contains articles on all of the above topics. It also contains features on the National Planning Framework, The West Edinburgh Planning Framework, Designing Places, Planning and Open Space as well details of research projects, SPPs, NPPGs, PANs and Circulars.

Further information on the subjects covered in this issue, as well as an electronic version of the bulletin are available at our website: www.scotland.gov.uk/planning

< Previous | Contents | Next >