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 491 contributions
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 4 June 2024
Mark Griffin
The Nationwide Foundation’s better renting research found that some tenants were less likely to exercise their rights due to a power imbalance between tenants and landlords. There is a perception for tenants that if they try to enforce their rights, they will simply be evicted. While giving tenants more rights, how will we give them more power individually to enforce those rights?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 4 June 2024
Mark Griffin
Have there been any problems in accessing sufficient data in order to make comparisons about open-market rent levels? Is that more of a problem in cities and towns or in rural areas? Do you have any information on that?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 May 2024
Mark Griffin
I have another question about the ruling. The court considered, with regard to the exceptional housing land release policy, whether there was still a target in the planning system. I think that the court decided that the minimum all-tenure housing land requirement—MATHLR—figures were a target. The Government contention has always been that MATHLR figures are a minimum—that is in the name—and that authorities should go beyond them. Given the decision of the court, does the Government plan to review guidance around MATHLR figures to give planning authorities not just the confidence but the incentive to go past them, especially given the declaration of a housing emergency?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 May 2024
Mark Griffin
Is it not the case that a consultation on the criteria for amending NPF4 closes tomorrow? My question was about how, given the new national outcome and the declaration of a housing emergency, other Government directorates are feeding that relatively new information into a consultation that closes tomorrow.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 May 2024
Mark Griffin
I will carry on with the theme of data and research on existing brownfield sites. As part of that exercise, will you be looking at the age profile of that brownfield land? There is a contention that there is brownfield land that has been designated as effective land supply, but it has been in plans for generations and there is a reason why it has not come forward. Should we just say that, once we get past a certain cut-off date, it is not effective land supply and that we should look for other sites to fill that gap? I am interested to know whether the research will look at the age profile of that land.
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 May 2024
Mark Griffin
What is the Government’s assessment of the effect that the Miller Homes Mossend ruling will have on the number of developments that are being brought forward and approved?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 May 2024
Mark Griffin
Is the court’s decision to treat MATHLR figures as a target rather than a floor having any bearing on Government’s thinking on using those figures going forward?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 May 2024
Mark Griffin
I will move on to a different subject. The level 4 budget figures for planning state that the planning budget line has fallen by just over 40 per cent, because
“Capital investment in digitally transforming planning services has been reduced.”
What impact will that budget reduction have on what we hope to see in the digital transformation of the planning system?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 May 2024
Mark Griffin
My final question is on the Scottish Government’s proposed new national outcome on housing. I think that a consultation closes tomorrow on the review of criteria for amending NPF4. How will the proposed new national outcome on housing and the declaration of a housing emergency by the Parliament and the Government feed into that consultation on the review of NPF4?
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Meeting date: 21 May 2024
Mark Griffin
Thank you.