Scotland’s fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) was approved by the Scottish Parliament on 11 January 2023 and adopted by Scottish Ministers on 13 February.

The new framework seeks to prioritise projects that will help to tackle the climate crisis and reach net zero through the sustainable development of communities and the economy.

Attention now turns to delivering NPF4 and what it will take to do this effectively. Concerns remain around resourcing, monitoring and evaluation, to name a few.

Key themes

This conference, which is jointly delivered with the Housing and Place Delivery Forum, aims to address key delivery challenges, including:

• Behaviour and the ability of people to respond to the radical change required by Scottish Government’s policies on net zero.

• Housing supply issues and how Housing Need and Demand Assessments (HNDA) can be improved to assess and determine real need.

• Communities and their role in engagement, local place plan production and community development.

• Brownfield Development, how can it work and the role of the housing developer, existing communities and enabling investment.

Speakers

• Steven Tolson (Chair of the HPDF)

• Irene Beautyman (Improvement Service)

• Nick Wright (Nick Wright Planning)

• Euan Leitch (SURF)

Other speakers to be announced in due course along with the full programme details.

This event offers an exciting opportunity to be part of a truly cross-sector conversation about what it will take to deliver NPF4.