Technical Notes 2025, Issue 11 - National Planning Improvement Framework
Report by:
Ann Davie, Chief Executive
TN Number:
011-25
Subject:
National Planning Improvement Framework
Responsible Officer:
Heather Holland, Chief Planning Officer, Executive Officer - Land Planning & Development
Publication:
This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Members. Its contents may be disclosed or shared outwith the Council.
The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 has introduced a new approach to measuring the performance of planning authorities (replacing the previous Planning Performance Framework process). The Act has made it mandatory for planning authorities to prepare a report on their performance as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of the financial year.
A new role of National Planning Improvement Champion was also introduced in the Act to monitor the performance of planning authorities and provide advice to them on the steps that could be taken to improve performance. As a result of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders involved in the planning process, the National Planning Improvement Champion has devised a new ‘National Planning Improvement Framework’ process to satisfy the requirements of the 2019 Act. Further information on the National Planning Improvement Framework (NPIF) can be found on the Improvement Service Website.
To ensure that the process is rolled out in a meaningful way, the framework is being introduced through a pilot approach where the 34 planning authorities in Scotland have been split into three separate ‘cohorts’. The purpose of this approach is to test, improve and refine the approach as it is rolled out; and to allow the National Planning Improvement Team the ability to support authorities in carrying out their first NPIF. East Dunbartonshire is participating in Cohort 2 and begun the process of undertaking the Self-Assessment in August 2024.
In the spirit of the Verity House agreement, the intention for the NPIF is that it shifts from the old Planning Performance Framework model of marking from the Scottish Government to one that focusses on planning authority self-assessment and constructive challenge. Whilst a performance assessment will be undertaken by the authority, the focus of the process should be on the improvement actions that will be identified by the Council. The NPI team will play a ‘critical friend’ role in providing constructive advice and testing assumptions arising from the performance assessment and improvement action plan. The process also involves a Peer Review workshop that should include a group of roughly a dozen stakeholders with an interest in planning in the local area, and also the NPI Team and the Council’s partner planning authority (which the Council is assigned at the start of the process).
A peer review workshop was held on Wednesday 3 December 2024 in Southbank Marina. The purpose of the workshop was to test an initial draft of the Council’s Self-Assessment and the identified Improvement Actions, thus providing an opportunity for those with particular experience in interacting with the Planning Service to give considered and constructive feedback. The workshop did not address issues relating to individual planning applications or development plan policies.
The session was organised and attended by officers within the planning service but was facilitated on the day by Nick Wright Planning as an impartial third party. The session was attended by the following stakeholders:
Key agencies (x2)
Internal service (x1)
Community Council (x1)
Local agents (x2)
National housebuilders (x2)
National Planning Improvement Team (x2)
Inverclyde Council – partner authority (x1)
Participants in the session gave feedback on a number of matters related to the operation of the planning service and subsequent changes have been made to the document as a result of the comments.
Members are invited to consider the attached draft NPIF document and make comments before it is designed and formally submitted to the National Planning Improvement Champion for their endorsement. Once the document has been endorsed by the improvement champion it will be made publicly available on the Council’s website.
