Question reference: S4W-25541
- Asked by: Michael Russell, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 14 May 2015
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Current status: Answered by Alex Neil on 28 May 2015
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the system of neighbour notification in the planning system to ensure that people with an interest in a development but who are temporarily absent from their property when the notification is delivered are fully consulted.
Answer
The current system aims to ensure that whoever is living in a property, whether owner, occupier or lessee, has opportunity to comment on proposals which may affect that property. Neighbour notification is only one way in which the public can find information about planning applications, and all planning authorities are required to publish online a list of all planning applications in their area. Certain types of application may also require notices to be published in newspapers.
Any changes requiring authorities to undertake searches to identify individual owners would cause delay and introduce additional burden to the system. We have no current plans for review.