Local development plan statistics: EIR release
Information request and response under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
Information requested
Since National Planning Framework 4 came into force, and under the framework:
1. Number of local authorities that have submitted Local development plans.
2. Number of local development plans submitted by each local authority.
3. Number of local development plans rejected by the Scottish government.
4. Number of local authorities who have had a local development plan rejected, with the number of local development plans rejected for each local authority, with a breakdown for the reason for each rejection.
5. Number of local development plans submitted by local authorities which were approved.
6. Number of local development plans approved, broken down by local authority area.
7. Number of local development plans which were initially approved, but then rejected, broken down by local authority area and broken down by reason for rejection/change of determination.
Response
As the information you have requested is ‘environmental information’ for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (EIRs), we are required to deal with your request under those Regulations. We are applying the exemption at section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), so that we do not also have to deal with your request under FOISA.
This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption, because there is no public interest in dealing with the same request under two different regimes. This is essentially a technical point and has no material effect on the outcome of your request.
I enclose a copy of all of the information you requested as an Annex to this letter.
Please note that as we are unsure whether your questions relate to ‘old style’ local development plans or the Evidence Reports for new local development plans, we have provided an answer in respect of each where applicable.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact
Please quote the FOI reference
Central Correspondence Unit
Email: contactus@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG