THE Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland has highlighted the need for more planners to successfully deliver the nation’s new national planning framework.
On the eve of the parliamentary debate and vote on National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), the organisation has outlined a number of challenges that need to be addressed.
One such challenge is that planning department staff has been cut by a third since 2009. The RTPI emphasised the need to provide enough planners to help implement the framework and ensure the future workforce can meet its ambitions.
Craig McLaren, director of RTPI Scotland, said, “The upcoming parliamentary debate is a fantastic opportunity to draw national focus to the importance of planning in meeting a range of societal challenges. Given this, we are pleased to see the progress that has been made in terms of the clarity, consistency and usability of the framework.
“Whilst we very much support the ambitions of NPF4 in tackling the twin climate and biodiversity crises we need to focus on how it will be delivered. Critically, we need to ensure planning authorities have the resources and skills needed to do this, particularly as we move through the challenging transition period ahead.
“I am also pleased that there will be a review of the framework’s delivery programme in six months and the commitment to set in place effective monitoring processes to ensure the framework is delivering on its laudable intentions. As set out in the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee’s report we need to monitor its impact and effectiveness and cannot assume that planning policy is now set for ten years and can be left as it is.”
