Seòmar agus comataidhean

The committee will publish a report setting out its recommendations on the instrument in the coming days.

With regard to the two negative instruments on planning—the Town and Country Planning (Masterplan Consent Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 and the Town and Country Planning (Amendment of National Planning Framework) (Scotland) Regulations 2024—I am minded to reflect on the evidence that we have heard today and bring them back to the committee next week. Are members content to do so?

Members indicated agreement.

I do not think that anyone is moved to speak.

One of my concerns is that if a local authority designates an area as an MCA and it does the overarching environmental impact assessment, once the development has been decided on—for example, for housing or roads—we could lose that nuance and miss out something in that overarching area.

Thank you. It is great to have you back.

Good morning and welcome to the 28th meeting in 2024 of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee. I remind all members and witnesses to ensure that their devices and notifications are on silent.

We have received apologies from Mark Griffin.

I welcome Alexander Stewart and Meghan Gallacher to the committee, and I invite Alexander Stewart to declare any relevant interests.

I just wanted to pick up on the issue of the MCAs. My understanding is that, once the regulations are brought in, the detail itself will be left to guidance. I am a bit concerned about that; as you have said, a 30-day period is longer than 21 days, but we could be talking about quite big areas being covered by different pieces of work. It might not just be housing, but could be housing, roads and other pieces of infrastructure. Indeed, in your opening remarks, you mentioned the green freeports as places where MCAs might be used.

I am just a bit concerned about our passing these regulations and then the detail coming through in guidance. We have already seen the challenges that have arisen from NPF4 being introduced and bedding in, with planners feeling a sense of challenge in ensuring that biodiversity is right up there as a key element of the national planning framework that needs to be considered. I just want to understand that a bit more, because, for me, the problem is that guidance can be changed and is therefore more flexible than regulations.

Okay—so there is even more time, and even more preamble, in a way, for people to get involved.

Could you clarify one point? Is that within the 30-day window?

Thank you. I am really glad of your presence on the committee.

I invite Meghan Gallacher to declare any relevant interests.

Continuing on the same subject, what impact might an LDP amendment process have on the planning authority’s resources and on already busy planning stakeholders, who might be required to respond to multiple LDP amendments at one time?

I am sure that that is very welcome news to our struggling planning authorities in relation to the need for us to move to full cost recovery.

We have come to the end of our questions, so many thanks for giving evidence this morning.

We turn to agenda item 4, which is consideration of the motion on the Town and Country Planning (Amendment of National Planning Framework) (Scotland) Regulations 2024. I invite the minister to move motion S6M-14644.

Motion moved,

That the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee recommends that the Town and Country Planning (Amendment of National Planning Framework) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 [draft] be approved.—[Ivan McKee.]

Motion agreed to.