The Scottish Government has recently launched and concluded three planning consultations. The first covers the National Planning Framework and local development plan amendments.  The second relates to masterplan consent areas.  The third looks at resourcing Scotland’s planning system. The intention is to ensure that planning is more flexible and nimble and also better resourced in funding and staffing terms. What are the likely outcomes of these consultations? Will final decisions result in a system that works faster and more efficiently? Will the planning environment and outcomes for planners, developers and communities be improved? 

This conference will take place online.

Scotland formally has a national housing crisis as every sector of the housing market faces demand that dramatically outstrips supply. The Scottish Government and local authorities have officially declared housing emergencies. Developers are struggling with costs and wider supply side constraints. The affordable housing budget for 2024/25 was cut by £196 million. People who want to buy and who want to rent face unaffordable costs in both sectors. How do we break this downward cycle? What policy action needs to be taken and how do we increase the supply of housing as quickly and sustainably as possible?

This conference will take place online.