![\"Image](\"https:\/\/blogs.gov.scot\/planning-architecture\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/03\/leith-3.jpg\")
<\/a>Image of a boat and buildings on Leith waterfront in Edinburgh.<\/p><\/div>\n
Policy context<\/h3>\n
The Hub supports planning authorities to accelerate decision making and development delivery by providing direct additional resources and wrap around knowledge, practice and professional development support. It is led by Scottish Government working in partnership with the Improvement Service.<\/p>\n
As a Programme for Government (PfG) commitment to support economic growth, the Hub provides direct and immediate additional support to planning authorities for housing and renewable energy<\/strong> (including onshore wind, hydrogen, and battery energy storage solutions) and local development plan<\/strong> delivery. It also responds to emerging priorities, such as recently pivoting to supporting investment opportunities for Data Centres.<\/p>\n Key to the Hub\u2019s approach is partnership working, as well as the Improvement Service, there is collaboration with Heads of Planning Scotland (HoPS) and individual Planning Authorities. Together we have tackled the shared challenges of delivering investment and development through the planning system, within the context of on-going resource challenges and constraints.<\/p>\n Oversight was provided by the High-Level Group on Planning Performance, co-chaired by Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Public Finance, and Councillor Gail Macgregor, COSLA spokesperson for Environment and Economy.<\/p>\n The Hub, using its modest core staff and funding resource, takes a pragmatic and flexible approach based on the \u2018art of the possible\u2019. Key to this is building and maintaining good relationships with planning teams in local authorities, getting under the bonnet to understand the practical issues and challenges for delivery.<\/p>\n The Chief Planner wrote<\/a> to all Planning Authorities in May 2025 outlining the Planning Hub offer and inviting proposals, with follow up engagement from the Hub team to help shape and make support available.<\/p>\n The Hub offer\u00a0is:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This helped shape the potential asks from planning authorities\u00a0with a focus on the\u00a0value-added\u00a0benefits\u00a0and ensuring\u00a0impact and\u00a0value for money.\u00a0\u00a0This\u00a0created\u00a0the\u00a0space for\u00a0exploring\u00a0issues,\u00a0constructive challenge,\u00a0and\u00a0enabling\u00a0the Hub team to\u00a0offer brokerage\u00a0support\u00a0on\u00a0delivery.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We have also been working in co-ordination with the planning housing team\u00a0as part of the Hub\u00a0programme.\u00a0\u00a0The\u00a0<\/span>Housing Emergency Action Plan<\/span><\/a>\u00a0commits us to four new planning actions to accelerate investment in new housing delivery.\u00a0The team\u00a0are working with authorities and industry in a shared effort to accelerate delivery of stalled sites where\u00a0planning has been raised as an issue\u00a0impacting\u00a0delivery.\u00a0\u00a0Further information can\u00a0be found on the Stalled Sites Short Life Working Group\u00a0<\/span>blog<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Improvement Service leads the\u00a0Hub programme for\u00a0wrap around support for planning authorities.\u00a0This\u00a0was\u00a0developed with\u00a0the National Planning Improvement\u00a0Champion and team,\u00a0drawing on\u00a0insight and\u00a0evidence from the National Planning Improvement Framework and Hub engagement across the planning system.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This year\u00a0the Hub has delivered a wide range of support\u00a0focussed on the priorities\u00a0outline above.\u00a0The Hub has supported surge capacity with 50 projects across 20 planning authorities, while\u00a0working with a further 12 planning authorities that are not requiring\u00a0additional\u00a0support at this stage.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some of the highlights of this\u00a0year\u2019s surge capacity\u00a0support\u00a0include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Improvement Service delivery programme was finalised in August and since then has delivered:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nApproach to delivery<\/h3>\n
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Delivery\u00a0highlights<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
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\u00a0<\/span>Next steps<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n