Development planning - action and delivery programmes: letter to planning authorities – June 2024

To: Chief Planning Officer / Head of Planning

From: Chief Planner, Scottish Government

Local development plan action / delivery programmes

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) policy 16 Quality Homes sets out a clear intention to support the delivery of more high quality homes in the right locations to provide choice and meet diverse needs.

To support the achievement of this intention, the Scottish Ministers([1]) require that your planning authority review the action programme for you constituted local development plan and update it and publish it as a delivery programme.

Under the legislative provisions listed below, delivery programmes must include:

1. a list of actions required to deliver each of the policies and proposals contained in the local development plan and an explanation as to how those actions are to be taken,
2. the timescale for the conclusion of each such action, and
3. the sequencing of, and timescale for, the delivery of housing sites allocated by the local development plan.

Given the importance of supporting housing delivery through a plan-led approach, Ministers expect this to be completed by 31 March 2025.

Scottish Government officials would be happy to discuss the above requirement with you and your teams should that be of assistance. Please contact carrie.thomson@gov.scot in the first instance.

Yours sincerely

Dr Fiona Simpson

Chief Planner

 

Legislation

Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, 1997 as amended – Section 21(9)(a).

Town and Country Planning (Development Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 – Section 23 and 24.

The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 (Commencement No.12 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2023