Commercial peatland notifications: Chief Planner letter - 17 February 2021

Letter issued by Chief Planner on the direction requiring planning authorities to advise Scottish Ministers of receipt of commercial peatland extraction planning applications.

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The Town And Country Planning (Notification Of Receipt Of Applications) (Commercial Extraction Of Peatland) Direction 2021

I am writing to you to draw your attention to the attached direction which will come into force on 17 February 2021.
The effect of the Direction is to require authorities to advise Scottish Ministers of receipt of commercial peatland extraction planning applications.
This Direction is given to allow the Scottish Ministers to monitor planning applications for commercial peatland extraction, in view of the national importance of peatlands and peatland restoration contributing to the objective of addressing climate change.
The direction is attached in Annex A.
If you have any queries about this letter - please do not hesitate to contact our planning decisions team at planning.decisions@gov.scot

Annex A 

Scottish Ministers, give the following Direction in exercise of the powers conferred on them by Regulation 31 and 32 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2013 and all other powers enabling them to do so:

1. Information to be given to Scottish Ministers

When a planning authority receives an application for the commercial extraction of peatland, it must give Scottish Ministers the following information—

  • the planning application reference
  • the address or location of the development; and
  • a description of the development.

2. The Scottish Government would expect that the information sent to Scottish Ministers, is provided electronically by means of a link, or series of links to the relevant case file on the authority’s website.

Reason for the Direction

3. This Direction is given to allow the Scottish Ministers to monitor planning applications for commercial peatland extraction, in view of the national importance of peatlands and peatland restoration in contributing to the objective of addressing climate change.

Submission of information

4. Submission of information should be made by e-mail to the following address:
Email: planning.decisions@gov.scot

Post:
The Scottish Government
Directorate for Local Government and Communities
Planning and Architecture Division
Planning Decisions
Victoria Quay
EDINBURGH
EH6 6QQ
17 February 2021

Contact

email: chief.planner@gov.scot

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