Perth and Kinross councillor calls for urgent review of national planning policy on retail developments
Perth and Kinross Council's (PKC) planning convener has written to the Scottish Government saying there is an "urgent need" for a review of national planning policy regarding retail.
SNP councillor Ian Massie - who wrote to Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee on behalf of PKC's Planning and Placemaking Committee - said the current policy "lacks coherence" and "will not strengthen town centre High Streets".
Cllr Massie's committee requested he write the letter after councillors approved a new Lidl supermarket on Perth's Crieff Road, going against the council officers' recommendation of refusal which was based on national policy.
On Wednesday, March 12 councillors voted by nine votes to two to grant Lidl permission to invest £10 million building a second Perth store and creating over 30 jobs.
They rejected council officers' recommendation to refuse the application, arguing the development would give residents "more choice" and supported the National Planning Framework 4's (NPF4) 20-minute neighbourhoods.
The only objector to the application was Tesco, which has a store on the other side of McDiarmid Park from the proposed Lidl site.
At the March meeting, convener Ian Massie pledged to write to Scotland's Public Finance Minister raising the committee's concerns about the conflicting national planning policy.
In response to a request from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, PKC this week shared both Cllr Massie's letter and the response he received from Ivan McKee MSP.
In his letter, Cllr Massie said the current policy could result in "stifling competition".
Referring to the committee's decision over the Lidl application, he wrote: "The officers' recommendation was for refusal on the grounds that it did not meet Policy 28: (a) and (c) as it was not located in an existing city, town or local centre, nor was it in an edge of centre area, or an allocated site within the LDP; (b) was not applicable as it did not meets the terms of (a); and also (c) Small scale neighbourhood development because the proposal could not be classed as small scale.
"Whilst the committee agreed the criteria for Policy 28 (a) and (c) had not been met they went against officers' advice and granted permission stating that the application should be supported because it would provide over 30 jobs in the local area, help families on limited income afford more with what income they have and aligns with the Scottish Government's approach to 20-minute neighbourhoods , as outlined through Policy 15 of NPF4."
He called for planning policy to meet the "specific needs of our communities". The Perth City North ward councillor added: "Currently, the framework for Policy 28 lacks coherence on several crucial aspects, including the balance between High Street regeneration, out-of-town developments, and the promotion of sustainable practices within retail. However fundamentally, there is the lack of a specific reference to what floorspace thresholds should be deemed to define what is small scale neighbourhood development. "Unless there is an early review of the retail policy of NPF4 the likelihood is that the current policy will result in the planning system in Scotland stifling competition in this sector. This will favour those operators who secured consents for out-of-town centre sites over the last 20 years to the detriment of newer and possibly more innovative operators. It will not strengthen town centre High Streets. This is not 'good planning'. "
Ivan McKee thanked Cllr Massie for his letter and said the intent of the national planning policy was "to encourage, promote and facilitate retail investment to the most sustainable locations that are most accessible by a range of sustainable transport modes".
The Minister for Public Finance said there were a "range of factors" which need to be considered in planning assessments and there were no plans to review the policy.
Mr McKee said: " There is no scheduled review of NPF4 at this time, however it is helpful to have your input on the effectiveness of NPF4 policies and I am grateful to you for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
22 minutes ago
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on the legacies of slavery: the response to Edinburgh's report must go beyond academia
The British campaign against slavery and the slave trade has long been recognised as an inspiration for later social movements. But for centuries, the brutality inflicted on the millions of African people who were bought and sold into chattel slavery in British colonies was either veiled from view or treated as a sin that was expunged when it was abolished. New research from the University of Edinburgh, about its history of involvement in slavery and the slave trade, is part of a belated reckoning by UK institutions with this disturbing aspect of their past. Another Scottish university, Glasgow, was among the first to embark on such a process. In response to evidence about substantial gifts from plantation owners and slave traders, it partnered with the University of the West Indies on a reparative justice programme in 2019. Edinburgh's report highlights a minimum of £30m in funds raised, over the years, from numerous donors with links to slavery, and points to the university's historic role as a 'haven' for racist thinkers, some of them prominent advocates of the pseudoscience of phrenology. It also criticises the university for being less active in the abolitionist movement than others. Recommendations, to which the university is weighing its response, include the establishment of a new racism and colonialism study centre, the renaming of buildings, and efforts to diversify the university's staff and student body, with a particular focus on the low number of Black students and academics. But as well as new policies and financial decisions such as the creation of new scholarships or a summer school, the research demands a reaction beyond the institution itself. The University of Edinburgh has a prominent role in the life of the Scottish capital, with Gordon Brown and John Swinney among its alumni. Steps to address injustices within academia, which are part of the legacy of slavery, are important. But the point of such investigations goes beyond this. As well as prompting internal changes, the report should promote stronger public understanding of the ways in which present-day unfairness is rooted in the abusive practices and ideologies of the past. For too long, the myriad ways in which our modern world was shaped by grossly unequal colonial-era relations were glossed over as historians focused on other topics – often those which showed Britain in a favourable light. But the truth is that traces of the exploitative dynamics of previous centuries are all around us: in our global financial system; in the landscapes and built environments of former imperial powers and the countries they colonised; in museum collections; and in the histories of organisations such as the Guardian, which examined its own links to slavery in the Cotton Capital project. Institutions with centuries of power and influence behind them, and endowments of obscure provenance, have a responsibility to be open that some have started to recognise. Universities such as Edinburgh cannot, in good conscience, continue to trade on past achievements unless they are also honest about the parts of their past that provoke anger and regret. But reflecting on historical events, while necessary, is not sufficient. As this report makes clear, the challenge for organisations that benefited directly from slavery, and colonial-era exploitation more broadly, is to ensure that their actions in the present are guided by awareness of the past.
Daily Record
24 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Donald Trump says he 'wants to see Scotland thrive' during visit
The US President – whose mother was born in the Outer Hebrides – spoke of his 'love' for the country during a visit to his golf course in Ayrshire. Donald Trump has said he wants to see Scotland 'thrive' during his visit to the country. The US President – whose mother was born in the Outer Hebrides – spoke of his 'love' for the country during a visit to his golf course in Ayrshire. Flanked by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the 79-year-old was asked if changes could be made to the UK-US trade deal, which would benefit Scotland. He said: 'I have great love for Scotland.' Speaking of his mother, the President said she would 'religiously' return home every year. He jokingly added: 'When we do our trade deal, a lot of it comes to Scotland, maybe all of it should go to Scotland.' He continued: 'We deal with the UK, but a lot of it comes to Scotland. I was very particular, because this is a part of the world I want to see thrive.' Despite the trade deal agreed between the two countries, a 10% tariff remains on Scotch whisky, one of the country's biggest exports. Asked earlier if that tariff could be dropped or eliminated as a result of the meeting with the Prime Minister, Mr Trump said: 'We'll talk about that, I didn't know whisky was a problem. I'm not a big whisky drinker, but maybe I should be.' Scottish First Minister John Swinney is expected to raise the issue when he meets the President during his visit to his second course in Aberdeenshire before he returns to the US. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. 'Tariffs are very important for the Scottish economy and obviously Scotch whisky is a unique product,' he told BBC Breakfast on Monday. 'It can only be produced in Scotland. It's not a product that can be produced in any other part of the world. So there's a uniqueness about that, which I think means there is a case for it to be taken out of the tariffs arrangement that is now in place. 'Obviously, the trade deal with the United States provides a degree of stability for economic connections with the United States, but the application of tariffs is increasing the costs for the Scotch whisky industry. 'So one of my objectives will be to make the case to President Trump that Scotch whisky should be exempted from those tariffs.
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Trump hits out at ‘ugly monster' wind farms as he backs oil and gas
The President spoke during a marathon press conference at his golf course in South Ayrshire alongside Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who said the UK needs a 'mix' of different types of energy. Mr Trump has long been outspoken about his opposition to wind and famously strongly opposed an offshore development which is visible from his Aberdeenshire golf course. Asked at the event if he had spoken to Sir Keir or planned to do so with Scottish First Minister John Swinney, Mr Trump said: 'Wind is the most expensive form of energy and it destroys the beauty of your fields, your plains and your waterways. 'Wind needs massive subsidy, and you are paying in Scotland and in the UK, and all over the place, massive subsidies to have these ugly monsters all over the place.' Instead, the President urged the UK to exploit North Sea oil and gas. 'When we go to Aberdeen, you'll see some of the ugliest windmills you've ever seen, the height of a 50-storey building,' he said. 'You can take 1,000 times more energy out of a hole in the ground this big,' he added, gesturing with his hands. 'It's called oil and gas, and you have it there in the North Sea.' Last week, First Minister Mr Swinney described offshore wind as 'one of Scotland's greatest modern success stories'. To the laughter of some of the assembled group, the Prime Minister – breaking with the President – calmly said: 'We believe in a mix. 'Obviously, oil and gas is going to be with us for a very long time, and that'll be part of the mix, but also wind, solar, increasingly nuclear, which is what we've been discussing this morning. 'As we go forward, the most important thing for the United Kingdom is that we have control of our energy and we have energy independence and security because, at the moment, whatever the attributes and facilities in the North Sea, that is sold on the international market and we buy it back off the international market. 'That was a historic mistake, in my view, but what we need is a mix so that we get the energy security we need for the future.'
