Increasingly planning authorities are turning to external consultants to assess such reports – 1 Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, Letter to the Minister for Public Finance, 26 June 2024 2 Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, Letter from the Minister for Public Finance, 30 August 2024 3 Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, Official Report, 3 June 2025, Col 13; 17 June 2025, 2025 Col 18 and 19; Built Environment Forum Scotland written submission 4 Built Environment Forum Scotland written submission 5 Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, Official Report, 3 June 2025, Col 26; 17 June 2025, Col 18 6 Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, Official Report, 3 June 2025, Col 26; 17 June 2025, Col 18 7 Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management written submission 8 Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, Official Report, 3 June 2025, Col 13 3 adding cost and delay into the already challenging development management 9 process.