National Planning Framework 4: integrated impact assessment post adoption statement

3. Integration of key considerations into National Planning Framework 4

3.1. Introduction

3.1.1 NPF4 sets out how we will work together in the coming years to improve people's lives by making sustainable, liveable and productive places. This will play a key role in delivering on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals^[14], as well as our national outcomes^[15]. The Planning (Scotland) Act requires the NPF to contribute to 6 outcomes:

• Meeting the housing needs of people living in Scotland including, in particular, the housing needs for older people and disabled people;
• improving the health and wellbeing of people living in Scotland;
• increasing the population of rural areas of Scotland;
• improving equality and eliminating discrimination;
• meeting any targets relating to the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases, within the meaning of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, contained in or set by virtue of that Act; and,
• securing positive effects for biodiversity.

3.1.2 Part 1 of NPF4 sets out a spatial strategy for Scotland, identifying

• 6 spatial principles which will influence all plans and decisions:
  • Just transition
  • Conserving and recycling assets
  • Local living
  • Compact urban growth
  • Rebalanced development
  • Rural revitalisation
• 3 themes, linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Scottish Government National Performance Framework:
  • Sustainable places where we reduce emissions, restore and better connect biodiversity
  • Liveable places where we can all live better, healthier lives
  • Productive places where we have a greener, fairer and more inclusive wellbeing economy

3.1.3 Further detail on the integration of key considerations is set out below.

3.2. Environmental considerations

3.2.1 From the outset, the vision of NPF4 has been to give priority to the climate emergency and nature crisis. NPF4 sets out a strategy for working towards a net zero Scotland by 2045. The NPF4 policies and spatial strategy will work together to help reduce emissions from energy, transport, land use and the built environment.

3.2.2 The preparation of the environmental baseline for the SEA helped to frontload environmental considerations into the draft framework. Early engagement with the SEA Consultation Authorities (Historic Environment Scotland, NatureScot, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)) assisted in highlighting key environmental issues for further consideration, and identified the potential for likely significant effects to occur across all the SEA topics^[16] which were therefore scoped into the assessment.

3.2.3 Selection of the national developments which help to deliver the spatial strategy was informed by emerging information from relevant impact assessments, including SEA and early stages of the Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA). The SEA included an assessment of the likely health effects of proposed national developments, and also took into account research findings on the assessment of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of proposed National Developments^[17].

3.2.4 The following criteria were published in early 2020 to support people in submitting suggestions for national developments and to structure the assessment of those suggestions:

• Climate Change: The development will help to reduce emissions, contributing to Scotland's target of net zero emissions by 2045, will be emissions neutral, or emissions negative.
• People: The development will support the health, wellbeing, sustainability and quality of life of our current and future population.
• Inclusive Growth: The development will contribute to sustainable economic growth that helps to reduce poverty and inequality across Scotland.
• Place: The development will protect or enhance the quality of a place or improve biodiversity.

3.3. Societal and equality considerations

3.3.1 The purpose of planning is to manage the development and use of land in the long term public interest. Inequality, between different parts of Scotland and across communities, has been highlighted as a key challenge that future planning can help to address, aligned to the national outcomes and UN Sustainable Development goals.

3.3.2 From the outset, societal and equalities considerations have informed the preparation of NPF4. Early framing considerations were based on information contained in the EQIA^[18] published to support consideration of the Planning Bill. Building on this, baseline information was published as part of the early evidence gathering phase and views invited, including on evidence gaps and proposed actions to alleviate these^[19]. Through this iterative approach, the emerging society and equalities evidence base and the comments received have helped to shape the final NPF4.

3.3.3 Alongside parliamentary scrutiny, public consultation has included a range of events, round table discussions and workshops, involving communities, children and young people, equalities interests and businesses. We engaged with the Scottish Youth Parliament and worked with PlayScotland to hold two workshops. Grants were offered to community organisations to support events they ran themselves.

3.4. Business and regulatory considerations

3.4.1 NPF4 was always set to be a high-level document likely to impact on all business sectors across Scotland, and in particular those who engage with the planning system through the submission of planning applications.

3.4.2 The NPF4 Call for Ideas^[20] and public consultation on the Position Statement^[21] attracted significant comments from both business representative bodies and individual companies. The Scottish Government also engaged individually with a range of business interests as part of the policy development process. The comments received almost exclusively focussed on how policies could be developed so that the high level outcomes in the Position Statement could be achieved, including the contribution that specific business sectors could make. These comments and the subsequent BRIA evidence base helped to ensure that key business considerations were taken into account.