Issues for the Scottish Executive
21. The first Annual Report recorded 6 areas where local authorities felt that action by central government could lead to improvements in the development control process. These were: -
ISSUE | ACTION | CURRENT POSITION |
| 1. Complexity of legislation | Working Group set up with CoSLA to look at scope for simplification of the GPDO | Ongoing with a view to reporting end 1999 |
| 2. Performance Targets | Working group set up with COSLA representatives. | Report issued October 1999 and placed on SE Planning Web Site. Conclusions summarised in Annex 3. |
| 3. Conservation Area Controls | Working group set up with Historic Scotland (HS) and local authority authority representatives. | Report issued October 1999 and placed on SE Planning Web Site. Conclusions summarised in Annex 4 |
| 4. Planning Implications of Conservation Area Designation Controls | Joint work undertaken with HS. | A Guide to Conservation Areas in Scotland was published in November 1998. |
| 5. Overlap of Planning and Building Control Legislation | From 1st July 1999 Planning and Building Control have been brought under a single manager within the Scottish Executive. | Issue being kept under review. |
| 6. Use of Planning Conditions | Joint work with local authority representatives. | Model planning conditions issued as an Annex to Circular 4/1998 in February 1999. |
The 6 topics have all been progressed. Two have resulted in new guidance; 2 have resulted in working group reports; with work on the remaining 2 ongoing.
| Existing Targets | Suggested Targets |
| Within 2 months | All Applications | - 80% | All Applications | - 80% |
| Householder | - 90% | Householder | - 90% |
| Minor Buisness and Industry | - 85% | |
| Other Minor Development | - 85% |
| Within 3 months | | Householder | - 95% |
| Non-householder | - 85% |
| Within 4 months | | Major Applications | - 80% |
22. Concerns continue to be expressed by urban and rural authorities on the consultation arrangements with the Trunk Road Network Management and Maintenance Division (TRNMMD) of the Scottish Executive. We propose, therefore, over the next 12 months to review in consultation with local authority representatives and TRNMMD, the current arrangements and make recommendations on how they can be improved.
23. A key objective of the Audit Unit is to communicate best practice through the Planning Advice Note (PAN) series. The current advice on development control is contained in PAN 40 and we propose, in the next 12 months and in association with local authority representatives, to issue updated advice to reflect changes in legislation, recent research findings and lessons learnt from the audits.