Current status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 2 June 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of planners serving local authorities.
It is vital that planning authorities have sufficient capacity to support economic growth. We have already invested £850,000 to reverse the decline of planners and boost public sector capacity. This has secured a path into planning for 48 new student planners through our award winning Future Planners Programme, and our Planning Bursary Scheme which is supporting students as they undertake professionally accredited planning degrees. Our National Planning Hub is directly supporting planning authorities in the short term to increase capacity. It is providing surge support, expert brokerage and sharing learning and knowledge to bridge any skills gaps.
Alongside increasing capacity we are also working to streamline, simplify and accelerate the planning system.
We will continue to work in partnership with planning authorities and other stakeholders to deliver innovative solutions to increase our resilience.