Overview of the Act
3.The Act is part of a wider programme of reforms to the planning system as a whole, responding to the independent review of planning, which includes changes to secondary legislation made under existing powers as well as non-legislative changes. Some of the key aspects of the Act are its provisions in relation to the system of development plans; the opportunities for community engagement in planning; the effective performance of planning authorities’ functions; and a new way to fund infrastructure development.
4.Many of the provisions of the Act amend the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (“the 1997 Act”). The sections are arranged into Parts as follows:
	Part 1 – Development planning. This Part sets out the purpose of planning. It makes changes to the system of development plans, amending the procedures for producing plans and the required content of those plans. It introduces local place plans, prepared by community bodies. This Part also requires planning authorities to produce open space strategies and the Scottish Ministers to report to the Scottish Parliament on how the planning system is operating to meet the housing needs of older people and disabled people.
	Part 2 – Masterplan consent areas. This Part introduces provisions and a new Schedule 5A to the 1997 Act, providing a replacement for simplified planning zones, which grant planning permission for specified types of development within the zone.
	Part 3 – Development management. This Part makes various amendments to provisions relating to planning applications, planning permission and planning obligations.
	Part 4 – Other matters. This Part requires the Scottish Ministers to issue guidance in relation to the promotion and use of mediation in planning. It broadens the scope of regulation-making powers on planning fees and makes amendments in relation to fines and recovery of expenses for enforcement activity. It introduces requirements in relation to the training of elected members on planning matters and reporting of planning authorities’ performance, and makes provision for a planning improvement co-ordinator to be appointed. It clarifies that regulations may make different provision for different areas; requires the Scottish Ministers to publish all directions made under the 1997 Act and their reasons for making them; requires each planning authority to have a chief planning officer; amends provisions on National Scenic Areas, makes provision about notification of applications for listed building consent, under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas)(Scotland) Act 1997 and requires planning authorities to prepare forestry and woodland strategies.
	Part 5 – Infrastructure levy. This Part gives the Scottish Ministers a power to make regulations to introduce a levy in respect of development to fund infrastructure, and introduces a schedule giving more detail about such regulations.
	Part 6 – Final provisions. This Part makes provision about regulations made under the Act, about provisions that refer to dates, about the Act’s commencement, and about its short title.