Question reference: S5W-09491
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 30 May 2017
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Current status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 7 June 2017
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities have planning enforcement powers to (a) impose fines for, (b) increase planning fees for and (b) ban repeat planning applications.
Answer
Planning authorities do not have powers to impose fines or increase fees for repeat planning applications.
Repeat applications can, in some circumstances, be useful by allowing improved proposals which address problems or sources of objection so that planning permission can be granted. We are, however, aware of some people’s concerns and frustration regarding repeat applications.
Under section 39 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, planning authorities already have discretion to refuse to deal with repeat applications where certain criteria are met.
Currently an exemption from planning application fees applies to a repeat application in certain circumstances. In our consultation paper, ‘Places, People and Planning’ (January 2017), we proposed removing this exemption from planning fees.