The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.
All Official Reports of meetings in the Debating Chamber of the Scottish Parliament.
All Official Reports of public meetings of committees.
Displaying 4578 contributions
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
This is our first review of NPF4, which is taking place a bit more than a year after it has come into play, and quite a lot of elements in it need to get bedded in, including the changing approaches to planning. Jenny Munro mentioned some of the policies. At this point, do we have any evidence that the NPF4 policies on climate change and biodiversity are impacting on decision making in planning authorities? Are you seeing that?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
Can you say a bit more about that idea of homes as infrastructure?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
If homes were recognised as infrastructure along with the whole idea of reusing what we have, would we have a stronger retrofitting agenda?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
I want to come back on 20-minute neighbourhoods. I know that we are talking about new builds, but I would also point that 80 per cent of Scotland’s housing stock still exists. How do we transform those areas into 20-minute neighbourhoods? It is something that I have been trying to get my head around, but do you have any thoughts on that?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
I will pick on somebody—Jenny Munro.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
Catriona, could you explain for those of us who are not into the planning lore what “conditioned” means?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
I agree with you. Certainly, I have seen great examples of terracing and of two-storey and maybe even three-storey houses working really well in their landscape. I know that there is sensitivity about building high and that we have to be thoughtful about where to do that, but I have seen it working well. There are also two-level buildings that are one and a half storeys high, and that kind of thing. I observe that in terraces of houses that are all next to each other, blocks of houses or flats are heated, rather than individual houses being heated, which takes a lot more energy.
I will go back to my specific example. Regarding applications to build housing on existing infill or gap sites, or to extend an existing group of domestic—or non-domestic—buildings, I imagine that such sites would surely have been in the local development plan, because housing already exists. There is something else at play, so maybe there is something to unearth around other policies.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
That was a really helpful response: you said plenty. Does anyone else want to come in? Craig McLaren will answer, then I will move on. We are over time, but the subject is important and we still have a few questions to get into.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
How would you see that happening? Would there be in-person meetings, with an initial discussion and discussions at points in the process?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 7 May 2024
Ariane Burgess
Great. [Laughter.] Jenny?