• Report by:

    Ann Davie, Chief Executive

  • TN Number:

    091-25

  • Subject:

    Endorsement of the East Dunbartonshire 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 purpose of this Technical Note is to advise Members that the National Planning Improvement Framework (NPIF) process for East Dunbartonshire has been concluded and that it has been endorsed by the National Planning Improvement Champion (on the behalf of the Scottish Government) on 14 April 2025. The finalised and endorsed NPIF document is provided as Appendix 1 to this Technical Note and will be published on the Council’s website. The letter confirming endorsement by the National Planning Improvement Champion is also attached as Appendix 2.

Background

  • 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 3 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 the Scottish Government marking an authorities’ performance 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, 03 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:
    1. Key agencies (x2)
    2. Internal service (x1)
    3. Community Council (x1)
    4. Local agents (x2)
    5. National housebuilders (x2)
    6. National Planning Improvement Team (x2)
    7. 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 were made to the document as a result of the comments
  • Members were also invited to consider the draft NPIF document and make comments before it was formally submitted to the National Planning Improvement Champion on 26 March 2025. The NPIF was endorsed on 14 April 2025
  • The NPIF document contains the following main elements:
    • Introduction (Pages 2-8) – setting out an overview of the process, and a summary of the comments that were provided as part of the peer review workshop and how these have influenced the final document
    • Performance Assessment (Pages 9-64) – including:
      • The Council’s self-scoring for each of the 12 attributes of a high performing planning authority
      • Proposed improvement actions where the Council’s assessment and scoring identified scope for improvements
      • Proposed monitoring arrangements to ensure that the identified actions (together known as the Improvement Action Plan) are delivered
    • Good Practice Case Studies (Pages 65 – 91) – providing detail on 4 best practice case studies in the area, corresponding to the attributes of a high performing planning authority where the Council scored the highest.
  • Officers will implement and monitor the actions in the Improvement Action Plan in accordance with the arrangements as set out in page 64 of the document
  • It is expected that performance update reports on the Council’s progress will be required on an annual basis to meet the requirements of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. The process for carrying out and submitting these reports is still in development and the Council will ensure that the updates are made as and when required by the National Planning Improvement Team
  • The National Planning Improvement Team has confirmed that the full assessment and setting of the improvement actions will only be conducted every 3 years to allow sufficient time for authorities to implement the actions that they have identified. This therefore means that the document will require to be updated in 2027.
  • For further information please contact Holland@eastdunbarton.gov.uk.