{"id":30066,"date":"2021-05-21T17:10:46","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T16:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=30066"},"modified":"2021-05-21T17:10:46","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T16:10:46","slug":"signposting-advocacy-at-ihbcs-school-marketplace-cockburn-association-stallholder-on-scottish-planning-systems-short-term-fixes-with-long-term-consequences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=30066","title":{"rendered":"Signposting advocacy at IHBC\u2019s School MarketPlace: Cockburn Association Stallholder on Scottish planning system\u2019s short-term fixes with long-term consequences"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Cockburn Association, an IHBC MarketPlace Stallholder<\/a>, has been reading \u2013 and reacting to – official communications from Scotland\u2019s Chief Planner.<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2026 Liberalising planning control (and by extension other regulatory processes\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

\u2026 urged planners to break long-held protocols\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

The Cockburn Association<\/a> writes:<\/u><\/p>\n

Reading official communications from Scotland\u2019s Chief Planner might not figure highly on most people\u2019s \u2018must read\u2019 lists, but it can be very instructive.\u00a0\u00a0Concerns articulated by us early in the pandemic<\/a>\u00a0on the implications for good city planning becoming a victim of expedient decision-making in the name of economic development sadly seem to be in danger of becoming a reality.<\/p>\n

On March 22nd<\/sup>\u00a02021, in\u00a0a final communication<\/a> to local planning authorities before the Holyrood election, John McNairney re-emphasised the Scottish Government\u2019s official line expressing,\u00a0\u201c\u2026encouragement for a relaxation of planning control, particularly through choosing not to take enforcement action, in a range of circumstances that could help businesses and services to diversify and continue to operate within our communities during the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

He elaborated still further by restating the Scottish Government\u2019s \u201c\u2026general support for planning authorities to exercise their discretion and allow for temporary breaches of planning control that are reasonable in the current difficult circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cockburn has great sympathy for local businesses who have been hardest hit by the lockdown restrictions.\u00a0 We agree that it is essential for the local economy get back on its feet.\u00a0 Liberalising planning control (and by extension other regulatory processes such as licensing) will be welcomed by some, no doubt, as part of this.\u00a0 However, short-term fixes tend to have long-term consequences.\u00a0 In this, we do not agree that lower standards of management or turning a blind eye to developments that normally would be unacceptable is a good step forward.<\/p>\n

In fairness, the letter of 22 March was simply a reaffirmation of similar messages including one\u00a0letter sent on 18 December<\/a>\u00a0which offered local authorities some examples of this desired \u201crelaxed approach\u201d.\u00a0 Here, it urged planners to break long-held protocols to support:<\/p>\n