The National Planning Framework (NPF) is a long term plan for Scotland that sets out where development and infrastructure is needed.
Scotland's fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) will be a long term plan looking to 2045 that will guide spatial development, set out national planning policies, designate national developments and highlight regional spatial priorities.
It will be part of the development plan, and so influence planning decisions across Scotland.
NPF4 will be different to NPF3. It will have increased status and be part of the statutory development plan, meaning that its policies will have a stronger role in day-to-day planning decision making.
NPF4 will incorporate updated Scottish Planning Policy which will contain detailed national policy on a number of planning topics. For the first time, spatial and thematic planning policies will be addressed in one place.
The Draft NPF4 was laid in Parliament on 10 November 2021, and is available here - https://www.transformingplanning.scot/national-planning-framework/draft-npf4/
The Scottish Parliament will be considering the Draft NPF4 for a period of up to 120 days.
Alongside Parliamentary scrutiny of the draft, the Scottish Government is running a consultation, which is open until 31 March 2022, and may be accessed here - https://www.transformingplanning.scot/national-planning-framework/get-involved/
(November 2021)