Holyrood to reform planning to deliver more homes

THE SCOTTISH Government has promised to reform planning policy to help deliver more homes and speed up the planning process.

Housing and Planning minister Kevin Stewart said this week the Scottish Government had identified areas that could be tackled immediately, such as extending permitted development rights – where planning permission is not needed – to more types of development, introducing pilot simplified planning zones for housing, so that planning permission is granted for housing up front, allowing developments to progress more quickly and flexibly.

The Scottish Government will now work with local authorities, including Argyll and Bute Council, developers and community groups to develop more detailed proposals for reform, which will be fully consulted on later this year. This will pave the way for a new Planning Bill to be brought forward to the Scottish Parliament in 2017.