Official Report 908KB pdf
The next item of business is a statement from Tom Arthur on the national planning framework.
14:44
We have all been enthralled as the world has descended on Glasgow for the 26th United Nations climate change conference of the parties—COP26—to debate and commit to the future of our planet. The choices that we all make now and in the years to come will define that future.
Scotland must and will stand up and play its part, making the right choices in the public interest, for us now and for future generations. The twin global climate and nature crises have focused many of our minds on the quality of our places. We know that we have to change how we plan our future places if we are to respond to those challenges.
The coronavirus pandemic has meant that we all have a much better understanding of our individual needs and our priorities. Whether we realise it or not, planning is central to helping us to recover and to deliver the Scotland that we want to be. Planning can help us to deliver green energy, to restore nature and to create a circular economy. It can mean that we are protected from future threats of flooding and coastal vulnerability. It can improve our health and quality of life by delivering homes that meet our lifetime needs, shops and services that we can get to easily, and local parks and outdoor spaces that improve our wellbeing.
We must think today about the places that we will need tomorrow, and we need to plan for the change. We will have to be more decisive and firmer about the development that we do and do not want to see, so as to shape the kind of country that we want Scotland to be.
I am absolutely delighted that, today, the Scottish Government has laid the draft document “Scotland 2045: Our Fourth National Planning Framework” in the Parliament. It signals a turning point for planning. It is much more than a technical or routine update; it is the Parliament’s opportunity to be clear about what is needed in shaping Scotland’s future. It is our opportunity to lead the transition to stronger, greener, fairer, healthier communities across Scotland.
The new national planning framework is part of a much wider planning reform programme, which includes the Parliament’s passing of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. That act has given the NPF a new, enhanced status as part of the statutory development plan on which all planning decisions must be based. The 2019 act requires that development plans must work in the long-term public interest, and that is what our draft NPF4 does.
Giving such a clear steer will enable Scotland’s planning authorities to focus their local development plans on setting out a long-term vision for the future of their places. There will be no need to repeat planning policies over and over again, while some scope is retained to tailor local policies to respect local circumstances. That will mean that the planning system is more consistent and predictable and that the precious time and resources of planning authorities can be deployed effectively towards supporting the delivery of good-quality development.
I must stress that today is not the beginning for NPF4. Much has happened already to lead us in this ambitious new direction for planning. I want to pay tribute and say thank you to the many people and organisations from all over Scotland who have engaged enthusiastically with us before and during the pandemic. They have all helped to shape the draft that we have presented today.
Our engagement started at the beginning of 2020 with a call for ideas, which was backed up with an extensive programme of public consultation and involvement, including a Scotland-wide roadshow before the first lockdown. Over the past year, planning authorities have worked creatively with us to explore new duties to prepare regional spatial strategies. The outputs from that work have helped to shape the draft NPF4 national spatial strategy, and we can now open up to a much wider audience the debate about the contribution of different parts of Scotland.
There have been extensive and detailed conversations about specific parts of the strategy, including the challenging question of housing numbers and the need to better support nature recovery. We received an enthusiastic response to our position statement, which we published last November.
All of that work means that the draft “Scotland 2045” document is not just the Scottish Government’s view of our future, but a collective effort to think about how we need to change.
I want that collective effort to continue throughout the process of parliamentary scrutiny that is now ahead of us. During the scrutiny of the 2019 act, we heard how many members care a great deal about planning, and the draft national planning framework aims to respond to many issues that many members have already told us are important. For example, we have listened to views from members that our planning system needs to do more to improve health and wellbeing; we have looked at how we can best mitigate and adapt to climate change; we aim to enable the repopulation of rural Scotland; we have set out how planning can improve biodiversity and protect peatlands; and we have brought forward a new approach to planning for housing that will support the delivery of new, good-quality homes that meet all our needs.
All those issues—and more—featured during the parliamentary scrutiny of the Planning (Scotland) Bill and are now being addressed in the draft document. The draft NPF4 brings together a new vision for planning, it draws on all that we have heard so far and it sets out a new spatial plan for Scotland in 2045. The plan does not shy away from the sometimes uncomfortable choices that we will need to make about our future. It sets out shared spatial planning principles and proposes 18 national developments that will help to deliver the strategy. It also proposes new and revised national planning policies that, once approved, can be applied consistently to development proposals across Scotland.
In line with the work of Scotland’s best-known town planner, Sir Patrick Geddes, our plan considers the importance of folk, work and place. We want liveable places for people that better support health and wellbeing and that are accessible to everyone; productive places that help us to grow a wellbeing economy and deliver fair work; and distinctive places that protect our most-cherished buildings and reinvigorate city and town centres. All of that must lead to more sustainable places, in line with our climate ambitions and commitment to nature recovery.
It will take time to get to grips with the draft framework and the transformational change that it can lead, so, to help with that today, I will highlight some of the key changes we are proposing. A new policy will ensure that planners give significant weight to the global climate emergency in plans and decisions. Policies will also require us to consider how we adapt to the future impacts of climate change—including flood risk, risks to infrastructure resilience, temperature change and coastal vulnerability. Development proposals will be required to contribute to nature recovery and community wealth building. We also propose to update our policies on green energy and heat networks, to enable the delivery of new facilities for a circular economy and to require more sustainable travel.
We are promoting the roll-out of 20-minute neighbourhoods, so that people have to travel less and benefit from an infrastructure first approach. The spatial strategy considers how such neighbourhoods can work in practice, including how they will vary between rural and urban areas.
New and updated policies propose limiting greenfield development and out-of-town retail, to ensure that we protect the land that we will need if we are to reach net zero, make best use of vacant land and reuse empty buildings.
All of that—and much more in the draft NPF—adds up to a more positive, greener future in which our places support people to realise their potential rather than limit opportunities and reinforce inequality.
It is in the nature of planning that people will have different views on the spatial strategy and draft policies, but I hope that we keep in view those shared outcomes as we explore the detail over the coming months.
The draft NPF4 will be before Parliament for a period of scrutiny that will last up to 120 days. I am also pleased to announce that, today, we are kick-starting an extensive programme of engagement and public consultation that will run over a similar timeline. It is crucial that, in the consultation, we hear from as wide a range of people as possible, so that their needs are at the heart of our plans for the future, because our people and society deserve nothing less.
I look forward to a wide-ranging, exciting and lively debate about the future development of Scotland to 2045, through Scotland’s journey to net zero. I hope that all members will embrace the opportunity and that we can work together to consider our draft framework with open minds and enthusiasm about what we need from Scotland’s planning system in the challenging years that lie ahead.
The minister will now take questions on the issues raised in his statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions before we have to move on to the next item of business. It would be helpful if colleagues who wish to ask a question could press their request-to-speak button now, or place an R in the chat function if they are joining us online.
I thank the minister for advance sight of today’s statement. I refer members to my entry in the register of members’ interests, which shows that I am still a councillor on Aberdeen City Council.
With NPF4, partnership working will be vital, and key partners in it all will be local authorities and local planning authorities. One of the main pieces of work that every local authority is currently focused on is the development of local development plans. The plans are central to the economic and social development of our towns, villages and rural settings, and are heavily consulted on through local engagement and consultation events.
How have local authorities been consulted in the development of NPF4, what active engagement with local authorities is on-going, and how is the Government ensuring that the development plans—which are a year or more in the making—are workable within the new national planning framework? Will the Government financially compensate any local authorities that have to restart their local development plans as a result of what has been covered today?
The member is absolutely right to recognise the fundamental importance of local planning authorities. He will be aware that NPF4 is a product of more than two years of work and two rounds of consultation, and involved cross-portfolio work across Government. However, consultation and engagement with local authorities has played a key role in, for example, housing numbers and the emerging indicative regional spatial strategies. Local authorities have been engaged every step of the way.
As the member will be aware, measures will be set out regarding transitional arrangements for local development plans, but I bring to his attention that the 2019 act includes provision for new-style local development plans, on which I will be laying draft regulations shortly.
Another issue of which I am sure the member is aware is the importance of ensuring that our planning authorities are well resourced. Therefore, I am glad to confirm that I will be laying regulations on fees towards the end of the year. Ultimately, if we are to make NPF4 a reality, we need well-resourced planning authorities, and I am committed to ensuring that that is the case.
We will work constructively and collaboratively with local government, planning authorities and a range of stakeholders. I also draw the member’s attention to the participation statement, which we published recently, and the programme of engagement, which we published today, which give a view of how broad our consultation will be.
I take the opportunity to encourage members to thoroughly engage in their constituencies and with their local authorities. I want as many voices as possible to participate in the consultation. We need collective buy-in, because it will set the planning journey for Scotland to net zero in 2045. Therefore, it is vital to ensure the broadest commitment and engagement possible.
I thank the minister for advance notice of his statement. I agree that our priorities have to be Covid recovery and delivering on the climate and nature emergencies, but the key message from COP26 is that it is not enough to have targets; we need effective planning and funding for implementation.
What new resources will come through NPF4 to enable local authorities to deliver on the infrastructure—for example, to make flood plains safe for residents—and to build in adaptation infrastructure for new investment, such as the rapid transit networks and the high-speed rail that are mentioned in the NPF4?
Given their negative environmental and climate impacts, will the document rule out fracking proposals?
I missed the last part of Sarah Boyack’s question.
Fracking.
I hear that loud and clear. The member will be aware of the Government’s policy on unconventional oil and gas, which remains unchanged.
On the broader issue of resourcing, I already touched on resourcing for planning authorities in my response to Mr Lumsden.
On delivery of NPF4, it is important to remember that it is a draft document. Part 4 is on delivering our spatial strategy, and when the finalised document is agreed, we will publish a fully worked up delivery plan, which will be a live document in partnership with other Government strategies. I think that members would find it presumptuous of me if I published a fully worked up delivery plan at this juncture, but that will help to address a lot of Ms Boyack’s points.
What is ultimately reflected in the final NPF4, which I hope will be agreed to by Parliament prior to the next summer recess, will be the product of a period of consultation and engagement that begins right now.
Joe FitzPatrick joins us remotely.
With many new-build housing developments poorly served by bus services and safe, segregated cycle paths, what assurances can the minister provide that NPF4 will ensure that future housing developments in Dundee and elsewhere are well served by sustainable transport options, so that people can walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport to access schools, shops and other local services?
That is an important question. The document has policies on quality housing that take account of place, and on sustainable travel and transport. In addition, the national wheeling, cycling and walking network, which is one of the national developments, touches on all the aspects to which the member referred.
More important and fundamental is the concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods, which is embedded throughout the draft NPF4. We are strongly promoting local liveability, directing future development to existing city, town and neighbourhood centres, and supporting sustainable rural communities.
The draft NPF4 clearly advocates limiting out-of-town and greenfield development, and making much better use of vacant and derelict land and empty buildings. That will greatly enhance our existing places and communities.
The focus on well-planned, good-quality homes will bring many benefits to our environment, our communities, our health and our lifestyles. It will also disincentivise unsustainable travel and, in doing so, incentivise sustainable travel.
Does the minister recognise the importance of working with commercial partners as part of the transition to greener, fairer and healthier communities, such as the partnership between BP and Aberdeen City Council on the low-carbon hydrogen energy hub, which the Scottish Government’s Green coalition partners oppose?
I want to approach NPF4 in an open and constructive spirit. I think that we all recognise that reaching net zero will be a collective and collaborative effort. Government, the private sector and communities all have a role to play in that.
This is the start of a long period of consultation and I would encourage the member to engage with the process constructively. We are committed to working in partnership to deliver net zero. I will lead a constructive process of engagement and partnership in taking forward the consultation.
I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests: I, too, am a councillor on Aberdeen City Council.
I am pleased to see that Aberdeen harbour is one of the proposed national developments included in the draft NPF4. Will the minister outline the role that the Government envisages the harbour playing in the transition to net zero and in stimulating economic investment in the north-east?
Our spatial strategy is clear that Aberdeen harbour and the north-east will play a crucial role in our transition to net zero. NPF4 identifies the on-going redevelopment of Aberdeen harbour as a national development, which carries forward an existing national development from NPF3. However, the draft NPF4 does not cut across on-going consideration of a local development plan, which is addressing wider land-use proposals arising from the energy transition zone.
NPF3 had a commitment to the town centre first principle, but I am sure that the minister will accept that the decline of our high streets has continued. In fact, it has, I am sad to say, accelerated in recent years. Does he accept that, whatever commitments are made in NPF4 on town centres, which he referred to in his statement, those must be backed up by adequate resources? For example, building housing on a brownfield site to get people back living in our town centres is more expensive than putting a square box on a greenfield site. Will those extra costs be reflected in Government grants, and will that be set out clearly in the delivery plan that he publishes?
The member raises an important point. I refer him to policies 25, 26 and 27 on distinctive places in city, town, commercial and local centres, which set out the planning aspect. The member will be aware that we have a £350 million funding commitment to our place-based investment programme over this parliamentary session. [Tom Arthur has corrected this contribution. See end of report.]
We will take forward a review of development obligations as well, and then look towards how we can implement the infrastructure levy provisions in the 2019 act. Further down the line, we will also look at reforming policy on compulsory purchase orders to bring it up to date. A number of different components have to come together to ensure that we have all the levers at our disposal to see the regeneration and revitalisation of our town and city centres that the member referred to.
As part of the Scottish Children’s Parliament project, the moment, I recently met online with pupils from Forgandenny primary school in my constituency of Perthshire South and Kinross-shire. One thing that we talked about was using sheep’s wool as building insulation. Wool is abundant, continuously renewable and locally produced. It lasts for decades, and at the end of its life it can simply be composted. Can the minister tell us how NPF4 will ensure that new building standards promote the use of such sustainable materials?
I thank the member for bringing that matter to the attention of the Parliament and for ensuring that young voices are being heard in the Parliament.
I note that we want our places and our buildings to be resource efficient. That is reflected in the draft framework, as it promotes sustainable building that prioritises the reduction and reuse of materials, which are intrinsically important to achieving a circular economy.
With reference to building standards regulations, mandatory requirements, such as the need to limit heat loss from buildings, are set on the basis of performance. Regulations and supporting guidance define an expected level of performance but do not prescribe the use of any particular material or solution when demonstrating compliance with standards.
Right now homes with gas boilers are being built in my constituency. Persimmon Homes has refused to connect new homes in Guardbridge to the already-operational district heating system 100m away. Will the new, significant weight being given to the climate emergency in the framework prevent such decisions from being made in future?
The member will appreciate that I cannot comment on any individual and specific case. When he has a chance to look through the document, he will see strong commitments to supporting heat networks and, in general terms, the matters that he raises. I encourage him to look through the document, where I hope that he will find the answer that he is looking for.
I ask whether the minister can provide reassurance to me and my constituents in Inverness and Nairn that his statement does not and will not, in any way, manner or means, delay, detract, diminish or dilute the absolute commitment of the Scottish Government to dual the remaining sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness and the section of the A96 from Inverness to Auldearn, and to do so as swiftly as possible?
I thank the member for his question and for his—as always—formidable and robust defence of his constituents’ interests.
As Mr Ewing will appreciate, NPF4 is a draft document; we hope to have it adopted by the Parliament prior to summer recess. It is forward looking and will consider future planning decisions.
More generally, the sustainable transport hierarchy from the national transport strategy—NTS2—applies in rural as well as urban areas. Draft NPF4 proposes that both rural and urban areas demonstrate how they provide for and prioritise transport in line with the NTS2 hierarchies.
Government policy aims to reduce car kilometres by 20 per cent by 2030. That is needed to meet ambitious carbon-reduction targets in the face of a climate emergency. [Interruption.] Draft NPF4 aims to provide—
Excuse me, minister. There is a bit too much chuntering from a sedentary position. Continue, minister.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. To conclude, draft NPF4 aims to plan future development in a way that helps us to achieve zero-carbon living. It looks to minimise the need to travel by unsustainable modes, for example, by the creation of 20-minute neighbourhoods where they are achievable.
However, there will be those who continue to rely on a car, and NPF4 aims to support the roll-out of electric vehicle infrastructure, which I am sure that Fergus Ewing will warmly welcome.
I thank the minister for an advance copy of his statement. The new national planning framework demonstrates an important shift towards a plan-led system that helps communities and nature thrive, while aligning with Scotland’s climate targets.
That shows the value of having Greens in Government. It paves the way for a massive expansion in renewable energy and active travel, as well as channelling the £55 million nature restoration funding that was announced on Saturday. I particularly welcome the shift in focus towards communities, 20-minute neighbourhoods and town centres that will work for people, not traffic jams.
What assurance can the minister provide that the huge ambition and scale in tripling the budget for walking and cycling to at least £320 million, or 10 per cent of the total transport budget, will not be focused just on the central belt but will benefit communities across Scotland?
The member will appreciate that, as I am not the transport minister, it is not for me to comment on those specific matters. However, the document is a national planning framework, so it applies to all of Scotland, and I can assure the member that it will apply to Scotland in the fullest way.
A key aspect of that is recognising that certain commitments and policies will apply differently, depending on the locality. An obvious example of that is 20-minute neighbourhoods. In urban centres where we have high population density, a 20-minute neighbourhood will be quite different from such a neighbourhood in one of our more rural or island communities. That is another area on which we are keen to get responses and feedback in the consultation process. I encourage the member to respond to the consultation, and to encourage all the stakeholders with whom she engages to respond to it.
When a minister does not want to answer a question, he simply reverts to reading his civil service briefing. We have had an object lesson in that from the minister today. The statement has lots of buzzwords and fuzzy ideas—frankly, it is pretty much what we have come to expect from the Scottish National Party Government. The minister is fair and frank enough to admit that we are years away from action. Will he therefore say—without buzzwords—what the Government will do now in respect of town centres, many of which are in need of urgent action after the past 18 months, which have resulted in shop vacancies being at a six-year high? What will the statement do now to convert derelict and abandoned brownfield sites into usable spaces?
How much time do I have, Presiding Officer? I will keep this terse. I will not be drawn into a political bunfight, because this is a positive day for planning. I hope that the member will reflect on his comments, because the document is not just the result of the work of Government. There has been a huge process of engagement with the planning profession and stakeholders right across Scotland. I encourage the member to take the time to digest the document and to fully consider it before coming to any hasty conclusions. The document reflects the provisions of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. I realise that the member was not in the Parliament when that legislation was passed, but his party supported it and indeed worked and engaged constructively on it. I encourage the member to fully digest the document.
Specifically on town centres, I have already referred to the £350 million for the place-based investment programme. [Tom Arthur has corrected this contribution. See end of report.] We have the Scotland loves local campaign, the Scotland loves local fund and the Scotland loves local gift cards. Retail is a key element of our town centres, and I will very soon be publishing the retail strategy. The Government is undertaking a range of work now. However, in case it escaped the member’s attention, the statement is about Scotland’s national planning framework, which is a long-term strategic document until 2045. If the member approaches it with that broader perspective, he will find a lot in it with which he can agree.
In light of the focus on sustainability and tackling climate change in the draft document, will the minister advise whether due consideration is being given to supporting suitable renewable energy developments that will ensure the case for an interconnector for Orkney?
As the member will appreciate, I cannot comment on live planning applications. However, the spatial strategy recognises the exceptional opportunities for our islands and coasts in transitioning to net zero. An important part of that is supporting development that contributes to the blue economy and energy innovation and investment. The draft NPF4 proposes an updated national development, which would establish the need for strategic renewable energy generation and grid connections throughout Scotland.
Jamie Halcro Johnston can have a very brief supplementary question.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. I very much enjoyed the minister’s response to Fergus Ewing, and also Fergus Ewing’s deadpan face as he did not receive an answer. Therefore, I ask the minister again: will the A9 and the A96 be dualled in full as planned?
There is no change to the Government’s policy on that.
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