Planning and Architecture

Planning and the Housing Emergency Delivery Plan – Actions Update

October 28, 2025 by planningarchitecture No Comments | Category Uncategorized

Since publication of the Planning and the Housing Emergency Delivery Plan last November, we have worked collaboratively and at pace to make significant progress towards delivery of the 23 actions within it. Building on that momentum, we are now progressing more planning actions which we committed in The Housing Emergency Action Plan (HEAP), as we explained in our letter of 2 September. We are grateful for the time and expertise that many planning stakeholders have contributed, and continue to contribute, to support the positive progress across all of this work.

Here’s an update on the 23 actions:

Policy: a strong and consistent planning and policy framework for investment

1. Consistent application of policies – in progress / HEAP
• We have issued Chief Planner letters that have reinforced that NPF4 policies should be read and applied as a whole (June 2024 / April 2025).
• We are monitoring application of policy through the housing notification direction.

2. Mechanisms to stimulate build out – in progress / HEAP
• We will issue a consultation this autumn, on ‘Accelerating Build Out’, exploring potential fiscal and legislative measures to increase the volume of delivery, including specific measures that could support SMEs.

3. Promote good practice in demonstrating community benefits from new housing developments – complete
• We worked with authorities, the housing industry and community sector to review existing approaches and identify best practice, which was promoted in a blog.

Delivery: actively enabling and facilitating development

4. Establish an action focused planning hub – in progress / HEAP
• We have established the National Planning Hub, which has prioritised housing and is supporting planning authorities with surge capacity and expertise.
• We have worked closely with industry and other stakeholders to remove barriers to stalled housing sites so they are development ready.
• We have committed to drive improved customer service in planning departments. The National Planning Improvement Champion (NPIC), with support from the Planning Hub, will carry out a sprint to strengthen service quality by the end of 2025.

5. Work with SME housebuilders to better understand the challenges they face with the planning system and identify actions to support them – in progress / HEAP
• We have convened and collaborated with the Proportionality of Assessment Short Life Working Group.
• We have published a blog Championing proportionality of planning assessments which highlights the key principles and best practice identified by the Group.
• We have written to planning authorities stressing the need for proportionality in the planning system in relation to SME housebuilders.

6. Help early adopters to put in place Masterplan Consent Areas (MCAs) – in progress
• We have introduced legislation enabling MCAs to simplify upfront consenting and support investment.
• We have published Masterplan Consent Areas guidance (Jan 2025).
• We are providing grants for up to £280,000 to support rollout in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, and Highland Councils.

7. Help planning authorities to bring forward new style development plans including a pipeline of deliverable housing land and delivery programmes – in progress
• We are now collecting 6 monthly updates on LDP preparation timescales, with the first ones received at the end of September 2025.
• We have supported shared learning sessions on Evidence Reports and on Delivery Programmes.
• We are actively engaging with authorities to identify and support tasks to enable earlier plan preparation, through the National Planning Hub.
• We have published Housing Land Audit: guidance.
• We are monitoring housing figures in plans as they come forward.
• We are working with authorities and Homes for Scotland to promote effective engagement on deliverability of land, to support timely preparation on HLAs and inform new LDPs.
• We are working with HOPS, authorities, DPEA, and the National Planning Improvement Champion to support a proportionate, efficient approach to evidence reports and gatecheck.

8. Continue to work with our advisory group and other stakeholders to progress compulsory purchase reform ahead of a consultation in 2025 – in progress
• We have published a consultation on a comprehensive package of reform proposals on 19 September 2025.

Efficiency: an end-to-end approach to improving the efficiency of the system

9. Continue to support the National Planning Improvement Champion (NPIC) to roll out a new framework for performance improvement – in progress / HEAP
• We fund the NPIC post based within the Improvement Service (since 2023).
• The NPIC has piloted a new National Planning Improvement Framework, with focus now on progressing improvement actions.
• We are supporting the NPIC to lead on a Customer Service Sprint to strengthen planning service quality. A recent webinar on Customer Care was delivered to public sector planners, through the National Planning Hub.
• We have supported a Place Promotion and Housing Delivery event in partnership with the National Planning Hub in October.

10. Work with planning authorities and applicants to increase the use of processing agreements and pre-application advice – complete
• We have published a blog on the benefits of pre-application discussions and processing agreements.

11. Provide advice on further streamlining and consistency in validation of planning applications – complete
• We have convened the Proportionality of Assessment Short Life Working Group.
• We have published a blog Championing proportionality of planning assessments which highlights the key principles and best practice identified by the Group.

12. Work with Heads of Planning Scotland to develop advice on standardised planning conditions – in progress
• We have provided grant funding to Heads of Planning Scotland (HOPS) to develop standard wording templates for common planning conditions.
• Draft templates are being refined and disseminated by HOPS.

13. Work with Heads of Planning Scotland to encourage the use of a standard template for Section 75 planning agreements – in progress
• We have provided grant funding to HOPS to develop a guide/template that can be issued in the preparation of S75 agreements.
• We have published Draft Guidance on Planning Obligations and Good Neighbour Agreements. Comments are now being analysed and the updated guidance will be published soon.

14. Work with Heads of Planning Scotland to identify and share best practice in aligning various consents – in progress
• We have provided grant funding to support HOPS to identify good practice in aligning consenting processes.
• HOPS are currently finalising a good practice case study.

15. Stop work on the introduction of an infrastructure levy – complete

16. Highlight examples of good practice in development management – in progress
• We have continued to fund the NPIC, who has published a number of case studies provided through the National Planning Improvement Framework.

17. Consider and engage widely on the potential scope for further permitted development rights which could support housing delivery – in progress
• We had a live PDR consultation on potential measures to simplify planning processes and encourage new homes, which closed on 27 October 2025.

Capacity: investing in capacity with access to excellent professional skills and expertise

18. Treble the number of bursaries offered to post-graduate planning students – complete
• We have trebled the number of bursaries in 2025 from 10 to 30 for students undertaking post-graduate planning degrees in Scottish planning schools.
• This has prompted the provision of 5 additional Homes for Scotland bursaries, funded by housing developers.

19. Increase fees for planning applications – complete
• We have introduced an annual inflation linked increase to planning fees.
• We have extended the range of services for which an authority can introduce charges
• We have introduced fees for appealing planning decisions to Local Review Bodies and Scottish Ministers.

20. Work with the National Planning Improvement Champion, who is leading the Hydrogen Planning Hub, to identify where wider improvement work can help to address the process and practice challenges with housing that applicants, such as SMEs, are experiencing – in progress
• We have incorporated the Hydrogen Hub into the National Planning Hub (from April 2025), working in partnership with the National Planning Improvement Champion.
• We have discussed with the NPIC what information and improvement actions have arisen from National Planning Improvement Framework reporting and customer survey.
• We have undertaken discussions with the SME housebuilder sector, notably including participation of the Cabinet Secretary for Housing in a roundtable.

21. Develop arrangements for local elected member training – in progress
• We have provided grant funding to Planning Aid Scotland to prepare a route map for implementing mandatory elected member training.
• We are progressing the development of a mandatory training package which will be available for the 2027 local government election.

22. Launch a Scottish Government graduate programme – complete
• We have established the Future Planners Programme, with 17 Future Planners now in place on the Programme, combining employment in planning roles with funded post-graduate studies.

23. Roll out a co-ordinated skills and recruitment drive – complete
• We have rolled out a planning skills commitment plan with a programme that set out opportunities for pooling learning and development and promoting the planning profession.

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