Planning - What do they do?

A planning team within a Scottish local authority plays a crucial role in shaping the future development and use of land in their area. Their responsibilities are broad and encompass several key functions, working within the framework of national planning legislation and policy set by the Scottish Government. 

Here's a breakdown of what a planning team typically does:
 

1. Development Planning:
   • Creating and reviewing Local Development Plans (LDPs): This is a core function. LDPs are statutory documents that set out how a specific area will change over the next 10-20 years. They identify where new homes, businesses, and infrastructure (like roads, schools, and parks) should be built, and where areas should be protected. LDPs are the starting point for making decisions on planning applications.
   • Engaging with communities: Planning teams actively involve local communities, businesses, and other stakeholders in the preparation of LDPs through consultations and public events. This ensures that local views and needs are considered.
   • Implementing national policy: LDPs must align with the National Planning Framework (NPF), which sets out Scotland's long-term spatial development strategy, with a strong focus on issues like climate change and sustainable placemaking.
      
2. Development Management:
   • Processing planning applications: This involves receiving, assessing, and making decisions on a wide range of planning applications, from small house extensions to large-scale housing developments, commercial projects, and changes of land use.
   • Assessing proposals against policy: Decisions on planning applications are primarily guided by the LDP for the area and national planning policies. The team assesses whether a proposed development is acceptable in terms of its location, appearance, environmental impact, and how it fits with existing surroundings.
   • Consulting with stakeholders: They consult with various internal departments (e.g., housing, transport, environmental health) and external statutory bodies (e.g., Historic Environment Scotland, SEPA, Sportscotland) to gather expert advice and consider potential impacts.
   • Imposing conditions: If planning permission is granted, the team may attach conditions to ensure the development is carried out appropriately and mitigates any negative impacts.
   • Refusing planning permission: If a proposal is deemed unacceptable or contrary to planning policy, permission will be refused with clear reasons.
      
3. Enforcement:
   • Investigating breaches of planning control: This involves looking into cases where development has taken place without planning permission or where conditions attached to a permission have not been followed.
   • Taking action: If a breach is confirmed, the team will seek to resolve it, initially through discussion. If necessary, they can use formal powers, which may include issuing enforcement notices, fixed penalties, or even pursuing prosecution.
      
4. Other Key Functions:
   • Providing advice: Offering pre-application advice to developers and the public to help them understand planning requirements and guide their proposals.
   • Promoting quality and placemaking: Encouraging high-quality design, sustainable development, and the creation of attractive, functional, and well-connected places. This often involves promoting concepts like "20-minute neighbourhoods" and the "Town Centre First Principle."
   • Contributing to wider council objectives: Planning teams work collaboratively with other council departments to support corporate objectives related to economic development, housing, regeneration, environmental protection, and community well-being.
   • Maintaining records: Keeping accurate records of planning applications, decisions, and related documentation.
   • Reporting on performance: Local authorities are required to report annually on the performance of their planning functions to the Scottish Ministers.

In essence, the planning team acts as the gatekeepers of development, ensuring that land is used and developed in a way that benefits the public interest, contributes to sustainable communities, and protects Scotland's natural and built environment.