Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee, 25 Jun 2008

Meeting date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Official Report 116KB pdf

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National Planning Framework

Item 2 is consideration of a paper on the national planning framework. The paper contains recommendations for how the committee may wish to deal with national planning framework 2. Do members wish to comment on paragraph 6 of the paper?

The paper and the accompanying Scottish Parliament information centre briefing are helpful. We should consider taking evidence on the framework following the summer recess and identify one or two specific areas on which to focus. Clearly, that is dependent on the overall context of how committees are to consider the framework.

Indeed.

I concur with Lewis Macdonald's conclusion. Given how much we have heard about planning in the course of our tourism inquiry, it would be remiss of us not to consider the national planning framework. One area that we could consider is energy. What I have seen so far indicates that there is a great deal about renewables in NPF 2, but I am not sure that the whole energy picture is covered. One or two transport infrastructure questions also jump out at me—the upgrading of the A9 and the creation of a three-lane M8 appear to be absent from NPF 2. The committee should definitely examine the framework.

Those are sensible points. By the time that we come to consider the framework, the Government may have published its strategic transport projects review, which will address some of the issues that Gavin Brown has raised. Depending on how we conclude our consideration of tourism, we may also want to reflect on the investment plan for tourism in the context of the framework.

No member has indicated that they disagree with the suggestions that have been made. Are colleagues content to leave the final scheduling of witnesses to the convener and deputy convener?

Yes. In addition to the points that Gavin Brown specified, in the context of our consideration of tourism we may want to consider the identification of the expansion of Glasgow airport and the expansion of Edinburgh airport as national developments.

Absolutely. We will produce a list of suggested topics and circulate that in the usual way. If colleagues have other ideas, they should submit them. We will schedule a session on the national planning framework in the autumn. Do members agree to that approach?

Members indicated agreement.