The Planning (Scotland) Bill 2017: Can Local Place Plans Restore Community Confidence in the Scottish Planning System?

The Planning (Scotland) Bill 2017 seeks to effect further significant changes to the Scottish planning system to supplement those introduced through the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006. In an acknowledgement of a decline in trust in the planning system the Bill allows community bodies to produce their own local place plans (LPPs). This paper reviews the regulatory framework governing the preparation of similar plans in England before considering the proposals for LPPs in Scotland. It then examines the concerns raised by the Scottish Parliament about the proposals and finally considers a critical geographical mismatch issue overlooked by planning reformers.