e-Planning

Historic Scotland is a partner in the national e-Planning programme, moving the planning system from paper to electronic based processes, as part of the modernisation and improved efficiency of planning in Scotland.

The partnership is led by the Scottish Government’s Planning Directorate and includes all Scottish local authorities, the two National Park authorities, the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA ) and a number of statutory consultees, including Historic Scotland.

What is the purpose of e-planning?

To create a higher quality, more accessible and easier to use planning system. e-Planning will;

• Provide a better service to citizens and business;
• Provide a consistent level of service delivery;
• Standardise processes;
• Share best practices;
• Develop shared services, where appropriate.
  

e-Planning will allow members of the public and organisations to use a local authority planning website to ;

• Submit planning applications online, including applications for listed building consent and conservation area consent
• View applications and drawings online, check their progress, view Historic Scotland’s and other consultee’s responses, check committee dates and decisions
• Submit comments online
• View details of weekly planning lists
• Obtain planning advice and guidance online
• View development plans, with online local plan mapping service for site specific enquiries
• Submit online responses to development plan consultations      
  

e-Planning will also enable appeals to be submitted online to DPEA and outcomes checked     

What does this mean for Historic Scotland ?

Historic Scotland has a key role in the planning system, providing advice and guidance on behalf of Scottish Ministers, on development proposals and development plan policies relating to the historic environment. Historic Scotland’s main engagement with e-Planning will relate to development proposal casework, where the agency has responsibility for the handling of statutory and non-statutory consultations, referrals, or notifications by planning authorities to Scottish Ministers, for the following types of cases:

• Statutory consultations for applications for planning permission where a proposed development would affect a scheduled ancient monument, a category A listed building, or their settings, or a historic garden/designed landscape contained in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes
• Formal notifications for applications for listed building consent and conservation area consent, where the planning authority is minded to grant consent in respect of works to any building at category A or B, or if the consent is in respect of the demolition of any listed building.
• Formal referrals for local authority own applications for listed building consent and conservation area consent       
• Non-statutory consultations for applications for listed building consent and conservation area consent, under consideration by the planning authority, where Historic Scotland’s view would add value to the planning authority’s determination of the case.
  

e-Planning will improve consistency across Scotland on when the above cases need to be sent to Historic Scotland, through nationwide standards for transactions between planning authorities and consultees. The process will be faster, with e consultations from planning authorities reducing the need for sending out paper copies of application drawings, and will be more accessible, with Historic Scotland’s responses available for viewing on the planning authority’s online planning system. Historic Scotland will be able to respond electronically to planning authorities.

There will be a similar electronic process to enable Historic Scotland to deal with consultations received from DPEA on appeals relating to historic environment issues

Historic Scotland will also be engaged in the online development plan process as a statutory consultee. The agency will be able to interact with the local authority online development plan information, and be able to submit representations online.   

Where can I obtain further information on e-Planning ?

Further information on Scotland’s e-Planning programme is available here :

Contacts
Scottish Government Planning Directorate email : eplanning@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Historic Scotland email : hs.inspectorate@scotland.gsi.gov.uk