Planning system over-stretched and under-resourced, says Labour

Scotland’s planning system is “over-stretched and under-resourced”, Scottish Labour has said as figures show the country has the lowest number of planners per head in the UK.

Analysis from the party – which used the most recent estimate of the number of chartered planners in the country in 2023 and the population from that time – showed Scotland has one planner for every 3,431 people.

That compares to one planner per 2,110 people in Wales, 2,401 in Northern Ireland and 3,187 in England.

Figures released in November showed the average time for a decision on a local application in 2023-24 was 11.6 weeks – up from nine weeks in 2019-20 – while the average decision time for major applications jumped from 33.5 weeks to 36.1 during the same period.

Scottish Labour has pledged to boost the number of planners, consider the economic impact of applications and fast-track key projects if it wins the election next year.

Daniel Johnson said Scottish Labour would speed up the planning system (PA). PA Media

The party’s economy spokesman Daniel Johnson said: “The SNP’s low-growth economy has deprived Scots of jobs, left our country poorer, and starved our public services of resources.

“We need to get building, but under the SNP Scotland’s planning system is overstretched and under-resourced.

“After almost 18 years in charge the SNP still can’t even get the basics right.

“Our clogged-up planning system is driving away investment and jobs, but it should be a vehicle for growth and jobs.

“The UK Labour Government’s ambitious reforms will add billions of pounds to the UK’s economy and create countless jobs, and we need that same level of ambition in Scotland.

“A Scottish Labour government will speed up Scotland’s planning and ensure it has the staff it needs to cope, so we can boost growth, create jobs and build the houses our country so desperately needs.”

Public finance minister Ivan McKee said the Scottish Government had “aready significantly reformed planning in Scotland with support across the Parliament”.

He added that the National Planning Framework 4 “has put Scotland in the vanguard of how to plan for and deliver developments and infrastructure sustainably”.

Mr McKee continued: “We do not think changing approach and spending the next few years legislating is what anyone wants government to do.

“We are investing in a National Planning Hub, directly recruiting and training 18 graduates this year, and trebling the number of bursaries for post-graduate planning students.

“The Scottish Government is also working with industry to welcome new talent and develop skills through the National Planning Skills Commitment Plan.

“What is really preventing the Scottish economy from reaching its full potential is the UK Government’s commitment to austerity, its tax on jobs through the national insurance hike and its commitment to Brexit which is causing huge economic damage.”