13th February 2023
National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was adopted by the Scottish Ministers and published today at 09:00. It is now part of the statutory development plan, while also replacing NPF3 and Scottish Planning Policy.
This is a significant milestone for the planning system in Scotland. It sets out Ministers' policies and proposals for the development and use of land and should be read as a whole. The framework is available at our Transforming Planning and gov.scot websites.
National Planning Framework 4: Delivery Programme
Supporting early action towards delivery of NPF4 we are working with Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) to reach out national development lead partners with a view to identifying high level actions and next steps, building upon the work SFT delivered in 2022. If you would like further information on this, please contact SFT at NPFdelivery.engagement@scottishfuturestrust.org.uk, or refer to the SFT website
Developing with Nature Guidance
In support of NPF4 NatureScot has published Developing with Nature Guidance on their website. This is new guidance that will encourage developers and planners to deliver more for biodiversity as an everyday part of their development.
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