Chamber and committees

Section 19(3) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 requires ministers to appoint a person to examine the proposed plan if they have been requested to do so by the planning authority or it appears to them that there are unresolved representations on the proposed plan.

The Planning Act includes powers which allow ministers to intervene in development management procedures.

The purpose of such examinations is to examine issues raised in representations on the planning authority’s proposed plan. The proposed plan itself will have been subject to public consultation, and the public will have had the opportunity to make representations for consideration at the examination at this earlier stage.

Some reporters have considered it appropriate to carry out further consultation or notification of neighbours and community councils, particularly where they are considering the suitability of identifying additional land for development which has not previously been the subject of consultation. In these circumstances it is unlikely that notification of every household in a community (as opposed to just neighbours) will be necessary, but it may be possible to gauge wider community opinion through, for instance, asking the community council for their views.

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.

Scottish Planning Policy requires that a five-year ongoing effective land supply is available to meet the identified housing land requirements. Housing land requirements are ultimately to be derived from housing need and demand assessments prepared by local authorities for each housing market area. If a downturn in the housing market is reflected in a lower assessment of need and demand, then this could be expected to produce a lower housing requirement.

The word “necessary” in this context is considered to carry its normal meaning.

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.

The green belt boundaries identified in local development plans should reflect the long term settlement strategy. However, there may be circumstances where it is appropriate to redesignate previously green belt land for other uses through the development plan process.

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/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

Scottish Planning Policy defines the effective housing land supply as the part of the established housing land supply which is free or expected to be free of development constraints in the period under consideration, and will therefore be available for the construction of housing. Planning Advice Note 2/2010 defines the established housing land supply as the total housing land supply - including both unconstrained and constrained sites. This will include the effective housing land supply, plus the remaining capacity for sites under construction, sites with planning consent, sites in adopted local development plans and where appropriate other buildings and land with agreed potential for housing development.

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.