Prior to the highly anticipated Planning Bill White Paper, RICS in Scotland has worked with ICE and RTPI to devise five shared priorities for planning in Scotland, writes Hew Edgar.

Following their response to the Review of the Scottish Planning System, the Scottish Government undertook significant engagement with an aim to publish a Planning White Paper in December 2016.

Accordingly, we co-hosted a breakfast roundtable with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE), which was attended by a selection of professionals with sound-expertise and experience in planning, and Deputy Convenor of the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee John Mason MSP.

Five shared priorities

Our organisations provided an in-depth assessment of what we, collectively, want to see the Planning Bill achieve. We used this opportunity to discuss and deduce a professional bodies’ wish-list for the Planning Bill and establish five shared priorities. These are:

The report, downloadable below, has now been finalised and will be delivered to the Minster for Local Government and Housing, relevant parliamentarians, parliamentary committees and stakeholders over the next week.

Unlocking sector potential

We welcome the Government’s aspiration to further improve Scotland’s world-class planning system and share the view that a Planning Bill provides the ideal opportunity to ensure this shared ambition is realised. By engaging with planning professionals in Scotland, we can assist Government in making this Planning Bill effective in unlocking the sector’s potential to drive growth and sustainable development.

Professional Bodies Planning Bill Priorities Report - November 2016