Chamber and committees

No minister was directly involved. The appointment of reporters to examine development plans is delegated to the chief reporter.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02199 on 12 September 2011. Scottish Planning Policy states that the purpose of green belt designation in the development plan as part of the settlement strategy for an area is to:

direct planned growth to the most appropriate locations and support regeneration,

protect and enhance the quality, character, landscape setting and identity of towns and cities, and

protect and give access to open space within and around towns and cities.

SPP also states that green belt designation should be used to direct development to suitable locations, not to prevent development from happening and that land should only be designated by a planning authority as green belt where it will contribute to the settlement strategy for an area.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

These are set out in the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 (Development Planning) (Saving, Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Order 2008. The effect is that those local plans which had progressed through the consultation stage but not to public local inquiry stage when the new development planning arrangements were commenced at February 2009 could still progress, but would be examined under the new arrangements.

Section 20(7) gives ministers the powers to direct that the plan will only be constituted if and when approved by ministers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02188 on 12 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Development plan examination reports are not signed off by ministers, but ministers do have the opportunity to intervene later in the process.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02188 on 12 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

Section 19(3) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 requires ministers to appoint a person to examine a proposed local plan if they have been requested to do so by the planning authority or it appears to them that there are outstanding representations on the proposed plan. Ministers were accordingly bound to hold an examination in relation to the North Lanarkshire Local Plan as there were outstanding representations about the plan.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02202 on 12 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

In their consideration of issues raised at the examination, reporters will be informed by Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) and any other material considerations. SPP notes that where it is considered necessary, the proposed release of land previously designated as green belt should be identified as part of the settlement strategy set out in the development plan.

I refer the member to the answer to questions S4W-02188 and S4W-02209 on 12 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.