Fourth National Planning Framework - position statement: consultation analysis

Our future places

The first section of the Position Statement, entitled "Our future places" opens with two statements:

"Our places will look and feel different in the future. A significant shift is required to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045."

"We cannot afford to compromise on climate change. If we are to meet our targets, some significant choices will have to be made. We will make these choices next year as we move towards a draft National Planning Framework 4 for public consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny, but it is already clear that significant effort will be required. We will have to rebalance the planning system so that climate change is a guiding principle for all plans and decisions..."

A number of respondents commented on aspects of these statements including agreement that a significant shift will be required, and that significant choices will have to be made. It was suggested that there should be stronger emphasis on how delivery of the changes required for climate ambitions also delivers on implementation of other national policies particularly around promoting greater health and wellbeing and reducing Scotland's inequalities.

The statement that it will be necessary to 'rebalance the planning system so that climate change is a guiding principle for all plans and decisions' was supported, particularly by Energy Supplier respondents. Respondents suggested that delivery of renewable energy infrastructure will require greater weight to be placed on climate change considerations, and that decisions made at Local Planning Authority (LPA) level must reflect the urgency of the situation. Specifically, it was argued the system should be rebalanced to give greater weight to the positive aspects of onshore wind developments and less weight to general landscape and visual impacts. It was also suggested that NPF4 should recognise that landscape change is an inevitable consequence of some of the actions required to address the climate emergency and should explain how individual decisions on planning applications are to be guided by climate change considerations.

Comments on the wording of this part of the Position Statement included that:

• Tacking the climate emergency should be 'imperative' rather than simply a 'guiding principle'.
• The planning system should be rebalanced so that 'tackling the causes and adverse effects of climate change is accepted as an overarching environmental imperative and fully recognised as the guiding principle for all plans and decisions.'
• Inclusion of the words 'and improves wellbeing' would help emphasise the centrality of community wellbeing to NPF4.