National Planning Improvement has published updates on progress being made by planning authorities to improve their performance showing that over 500 of around 600 identified actions are complete or in progress.
The Improvement Action Progress Update reports published by planning authorities this week outline how planning departments have addressed actions they identified through the National Planning Improvement Framework. These reports set out what actions they have completed, are in progress or have not been started, what the next steps are and how planning authorities have engaged with others in taking it forward
The areas they have identified as the most important to tackle are:
- how to make best use of digital approaches and data in service delivery and design
- how to be more efficient in processing planning applications
- how to better attract, retain and support staff at a time of reduced resources
- how to ensure that councillors are equipped to make sound planning decisions
- how to better engage and consult with applicants, developers and communities
- how to support planners to make& successful places for people
The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 says that planning authorities must publish a report on their performance on an annual basis. The reports provide an update for the 2025/26 financial year.
The National Planning Improvement Framework is a new co-designed plan and collaborative process that supports planning authorities to assess and improve their performance. Taking a constructive approach, it aims to embed a culture of improvement in planning services. The framework has been developed with stakeholders and identifies 12 attributes of a high ;performing planning authority that provide the basis of assessment and identification of improvement actions to be taken forward. It includes collaborative peer review where planning authorities discuss their improvement actions with their customers and stakeholders. Agreed improvements are monitored annually for progress and impact
Find the Improvement Action Plan Progress reports here.
National Planning Improvement is part of the Improvement Service, the 'go to' organisation for Local Government improvement in Scotland.