Infrastructure levy for Scotland: discussion paper

2 Infrastructure First approach

The National Planning Framework (NPF4) advocates an infrastructure first approach to land use planning, which puts infrastructure considerations at the heart of placemaking. In particular, it seeks to ensure that infrastructure needs are understood and identified early in the development planning process as part of an evidence based approach.

NPF4 makes clear that Local Development Plans and their delivery programmes should:

• be informed by evidence on infrastructure capacity, condition, needs and deliverability within the plan area, including cross boundary infrastructure;
• set out the infrastructure requirements to deliver the spatial strategy, informed by the evidence base, identifying the infrastructure priorities, and where, how, when and by whom they will be delivered; and
• indicate the type, level (or method of calculation) and location of the financial or in-kind contributions, and the types of development from which they will be required.

This approach will help to provide information to support the introduction of the ILS, by identifying the infrastructure which is needed in an area and how and when it will be delivered. It will also strengthen the plan-led nature of Scotland’s planning system by targeting infrastructure investment and delivery in a way that works with the spatial strategy of the development plan.