Comment from independent Scottish planning consultancy DPP
The Scottish Government has today (8 July) launched a major consultation into the future of the Scottish planning system.
The consultation, Resourcing a High Quality Planning System, seeks to address how the planning system in Scotland is to be properly resourced, both in terms of people and cash, to ensure it continues to drive future economic success.
Katherine Sneeden, associate partner in the Glasgow office of independent planning consultancy DPP, said: “The planning system in Scotland has undergone significant change over the past two years, yet this consultation document recognised that further change is needed.”
The consultation is looking specifically at two areas – fees associated with planning applications and resourcing at local authorities and other government agencies.
Katherine adds: “Scotland has, compared to England and Wales, very low fees attached to planning applications. The maximum possible fee in Scotland is just £15,950, compared to £250,000 in England and Wales.
“The consultation puts forward five alternative fee structures. Two of the ideas – allowing local authorities to charge on a time spent basis and allowing local authorities complete freedom to set their own fee levels – would be potentially disastrous. The temptation would be for local authorities to view planning applications as a revenue generation measure to the detriment of future development.
“We recently saw a 10 per cent increase in fees and a further 10 per cent increase has been proposed as part of Government research, which I believe most developers will be happy to pay as long as they see an improved level of service from local planning departments. The consultation does not preclude further more significant increases in the future”
The consultation also introduces the idea of paying for Pre Application Discussions, where developers are able to seek the advice of local planning authorities before submitting a planning application.
Katherine said: “Local authorities in England have had the option of charging for such Pre Application Discussions for some time and with mixed results. Experiences of charging for such discussions from colleagues in the firm’s Leeds office are not particularly encouraging. Councils can introduce the charges at their own discretion and set their own levels, so developers can find they are being charged up to £2,000 for a meeting with a junior member of staff. The charging add-on has not necessarily resulted in any greater certainty as to an application’s reception.”
Katherine continues: “This consultation however seems to have taken on board some of these criticisms and has suggested that any Pre Application discussion fees may then be discounted from the future planning application fee. Planning authorities in England may wish to look at this as well.”
Planning resourcing in local authorities is an issue and is likely to remain so, particularly as budgets are squeezed further.
“The consultation expects local authorities and government agencies to do more and work that much closer together,” says Katherine. “We are beginning to see evidence of this already, but I am afraid that without significant incentive or a big stick, this may remain just a wish.”
The consultation period runs until 15 October 2010. DPP will be making representations under this consultation on behalf of its clients and would welcome the comments and inputs from other interested parties.
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About DPP
DPP is a large independent town planning consultancy working in all development sectors. It has a comprehensive range of core planning skills, with specialisms in sustainability, urban design and master planning, together with heritage and conservation planning advice. DPP has 35 years of experience and operates from a network of 10 regional offices throughout the UK and Ireland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, enabling the firm to combine national coverage with local knowledge.
Clients of DPP include DP World, Stewart Milne Homes, Caffé Nero, Centros, Domino's Pizza, English Heritage, Vico Properties, Liberty Properties, Liverpool Land Development Company, ING Real Estate, The Ministry of Justice, Shell International, Standard Life Investments,Taylor Wimpey, Tesco, Unilever Pension Fund Trustees, United Utilities, the Church of Scotland and the Welsh Assembly Government.