Labour government at Holyrood would speed up planning process

Scottish Labour say that if there was a Scottish Labour government at Holyrood they would speed up the planning process to unlock economic growth.

New analysis by the party shows that Scotland has the fewest planners per head of population of any UK nation, and the party says this sparksfresh concerns about the effect of long waits on investment.  

The planning system in Scotland has developers waiting for a long time according to Labour’s investigations The most recent annual data on planning applications shows that more than one in three local development applications waited longer than the recommended two months for a decision, while over 40 per cent of major development applications with a processing agreement breached the agreed timescale.

Scottish Labour warned that Scotland’s “slow and under-resourced planning system” is driving investment away and blocking development. 

The party has revealed plans to boost economic growth and tackle housing shortages with planning reform saying the SNP has failed to act with any urgency on the matter. 

The UK government’s planning reforms are expected to boost GDP by 0.2 per cent, or around £6.8 billion, by 2029/30 – the largest positive growth forecast the Office for Budget Responsibility has ever made for a zero-cost policy. 

Scottish Labour Economy spokesperson Daniel Johnson MSP said: “The SNP’s low-growth economy has deprived Scots of jobs, left our country poorer, and starved our public services of resources. 

“We need to get building, but under the SNP Scotland’s planning system is overstretched and under-resourced. 

“After almost 18 years in charge the SNP still can’t even get the basics right. Our clogged-up planning system is driving away investment and jobs, but it should be a vehicle for growth and jobs. 

“The UK Labour government’s ambitious reforms will add billions of pounds to the UK’s economy and create countless jobs, and we need that same level of ambition in Scotland. 

“A Scottish Labour government will speed up Scotland’s planning and ensure it has the staff it needs to cope, so we can boost growth, create jobs and build the houses our country so desperately needs.”