National Planning Framework 4

The National Planning Framework 4 is a long term plan for Scotland that sets out where development and infrastructure goes. It is a powerful document that can influence many things from what kind of housing we have and where it goes to whether we allow fracking sites to be developed in Scotland, to how many windfarms we allow. 

Watch our 3 minute film here.

The Scottish Government civil servant’s are responsible for writing this plan, but they have to consult the public on the document. This consultation will be happening in the autumn. It is really important for people to get involved, because it is a 10 year plan, so there won’t be a chance to change things for a long time. You can find out more about this here

The Scottish Parliament also gets involved. MSPs look at the document and decide whether or not they will approve it. They will do this in the autumn or winter. So we need to make sure our politicians know what we want or whether we have any concerns about what is in the plan. The Local Government, Housing and Planning committee will be leading on this. 

Why should you get involved?

Although this might seem an obscure document that doesn’t directly affect your life, it may well do now or in the future. 

You can be sure that there are plenty of powerful groups, especially those with vested interests who make money out of building developments, are working behind the scenes to make sure the policies in the document benefit them. This doesn’t always mean they benefit you or the planet.

We need to really shout to make sure what local communities want for there areas gets into these plans. 

If you think that climate change is really important then it is important because it decides what kind of energy projects are allowed to have permission, it can affect whether or not we allowed airports to expand, or whether we encourage developments that are local so we can live close to where we work and don’t have to travel long distances to work. 

If you believe we need to protect wildlife and Scotland’s beautiful landscapes, then this plan is important to you, because it will include policies about what areas get protected. For example a policy written in the plan will guide decisions about whether or not a developer might be able to cut down a woodland in order to build houses or it may contain policies that say renewable energy is a good thing therefore developers should be able to put windfarms in remote areas. 

If you think we need more affordable housing then this plan sets out how many houses will be built and where they will go. It will also guide developers on how to build good quality houses. 

If you want to know more contact us. We can run workshops or send you information to help you campaign for a better NPF4 that is for People not Profit.

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