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Chamber and committees

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

National Planning Framework

The Scottish Government published its fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) in February 2023. It sets out how places and environments will be planned and designed in the years to come.

Read the NPF4

How Parliament scrutinised NPF4

Parliament had 120 days to report on the framework put forward by the Scottish Government.

The Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee undertook joint scrutiny of the framework. This allowed additional committees to share their knowledge of:

  • planning
  • climate change
  • rural affairs
  • the economy
  • health
  • equalities

The Committee wrote to the following committees proposing collaborative scrutiny:

  • Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee
  • Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee
  • Economy and Fair Work Committee
  • Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

The Committee wrote to the following committees informing them of its inquiry:

  • Social Justice and Social Security Committee
  • Public Audit Committee
  • Finance and Public Administration Committee

The final version of NPF4 was laid in Autumn 2022.

The Scottish Government gave Parliament six weeks to scrutinise it. The Committee took evidence on the 22 and the 29 November 2022 on the final version of NP4 to inform Parliament’s consideration of it.

Call for views (closed)

The Committee launched a consultation to hear views on these plans.

They wanted to know:

  • what does your ideal home look like and what surrounds it?
  • how can we design our environments to address climate change?
  • how do you use space to stay healthy and well?
  • how can planning encourage people to live in rural areas?
  • how can land and spaces best promote equality?
  • how can we use land and spaces to meet biodiversity targets?
  • Your priorities for your environment and whether the NPF4 will deliver this.

The call for views closed on Monday 10 January 2022.

View the responses

Meetings

The inquiry was discussed at the following Committee meetings:

Committee reports

The Committee published its report on NPF4 on the 29 March 2022.

Read the report on NPF4

The Committee published its Report on the Revised Draft National Planning Framework 4 on 21 December 2022.

Read the Report on the Revised Draft National Planning Framework 4

Correspondence

The Committee has sent and received the following correspondence during the inquiry:

NPF4

A letter from the Minister for Public Finance, 30 August 2024

Annual review of NPF4

A letter to the Minister for Public Finance, 26 June 2024

NPF4 annual review

A submission from the Climate Emergency Response Group, 16 May 2024

NPF4 annual review 2024

A submission from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) 30 April 2024

NPF4 annual review 2024

A submission from Coastal Communities Network, Scotland, 26 April 2024

NPF4 annual review 2024

A submission from the John Muir Trust, February 2024

NPF4 7 February 2022

Letter from Homes for Scotland to the Convener, 7 February 2022

Revised NPF4 submission Salmon Scotland

A submission from Salmon Scotland, 15 December 2022

Revised Draft National Planning Framework 4 submission

A submission from Aldi Stores Limited, 15 December 2022

Revised Draft National Planning Framework 4

A submission from Heads of Planning Scotland 2 December 2022

Revised Draft National Planning Framework 4 Appendix A

An appendix to the Heads of Planning Scotland submission dated 2 December 2022

Scottish Environment Link submission NPF4

A submission from Scottish Environment Link submission on NPF4, 28 November 2022

Planning Democracy NPF4

A submission from Planning Democracy on NPF4, 28 November 2022

The Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers NPF4 submission

The Association of Scotland's Self-Caterers submission on NPF4, 24 November 2022

McDonald's submission on NPF4

A submission from McDonalds' on the National Planning Framework 4, 21 November 2022

Woodland Trust Scotland submission on NPF4

A submission from Woodland Trust Scotland on the National Planning Framework 4, 21 November 2022

Submission from RTPI on NPF4

A submission from the Royal Town Planning Institute, 17 November 2022

A letter from Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on NPF4

A letter from the Convener of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to the Convener, 16 November 2022

NPF4 submission

A submission from John Muir Trust on NPF4, 16 November 2022

Convener to RAINE Committee NPF4

A letter from the Convener to the Convener of the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee,9 November 2022

Convener to NZET Committee

A letter from the Convener to the Convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, 9 November 2022

Laying of NPF4

A letter from the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth to the Convener, 8 November 2022

NPF4 11 July 2022

A letter from the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, 11 July 2022

NPF4 29 June 2022

A letter from the Convenor to the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, 29 June 2022

NPF4 22 June 2022

Letter from the Minister for Public Finance, Planning & Community Wealth 22 June 2022

NPF4 9 June 2022

A letter from the Convener to the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, 9 June 2022

NPF4 Glasgow airport 9 March 2022

A letter from Glasgow airport to the Convener 9 March 2022

NPF4 4 March 2022

Letter from the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, 4 March 2022

NPF4 Glasgow airport 19 February 2021

A letter from Glasgow airport to the Scottish Government, 19 February 2021

NPF4 15 February 2022

Letter from Heriot-Watt University 15 February 2022

National Planning Framework 4

Letter from the Convener of the Economy and Fair Work Committee to the Convener - 17 December 2021

National Planning Framework 4 15 December 2021

Letter from the Convener of the Public Audit Committee - 15 December 2021

National Planning Framework 4 November 2021

Letter from the Convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee to Convener - 16 November 2021

Response from the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth on Laying Date for the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) - 1 November 2021

Letter from the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth to the Convener - 1 November 2021

Publication of the Fourth National Planning Framework - 28 October 2021

Letter from the Convener to the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth - 28 October 2021

NPF4 Glasgow airport 30 April 2020

A letter from Glasgow airport to the Scottish Government, 30 April 2020