Simple terms explainer

Every year, councils must write and publish a report on their performance. Every three years, they publish a full assessment, this will include things like how quickly planning applications are processed, how well the service supports local development, and how it engages with communities. In this they identify a number of improvement actions. They will then publish a report updating on the progress of these actions annually. The reports help the public, councillors, and the Scottish Government understand how the planning system is performing and where improvements might be needed.