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The published strategy

The Scottish Government has been exploring how data and technology could be used to transform the Scottish planning system and put data at the heart of decisions that create and shape great places in Scotland.


For Scotland to have a world leading digital planning system that helps connect people with their places to deliver a prosperous, green and fair country
The Vision, Transforming Places Together: A Digital Strategy for Planning

We have now reached a key milestone in this work and have published the strategy which you can download (this document may not be fully accessible): 

Alternatively, you can view the accessible HTML version on gov.scot:

Transforming Places Together: Scotland’s Digital Strategy for Planning.

Our strategy

Transforming Places Together lays the foundation for a user-centric transformation of the Scottish planning system, based upon a detailed period of research and stakeholder engagement.

The strategy is ambitious. It sets out our vision to create a world leading planning system and a set of key missions to deliver it. These missions are centred on the themes of

  • data
  • digital technologies and services
  • ways of working
  • people
  • innovation

That together will have a transformative impact on planning in Scotland. Importantly, the strategy sets out the benefits and opportunities which could result from digital transformation, not just for the planning sector, but for Scotland as a whole.

And finally, it outlines the guiding principles that govern how we will deliver these.

What happens next

The strategy sets out ambitious five year goals to deliver this vision alongside immediate actions that we will take over the next 18-24 months.

The immediate actions will include a mixture of quick-wins that will build on the success of the existing eDevelopment service, whilst also building the foundations for the large-scale transformation which will take place in the longer-term.

 


Draft NPF4 logo

National Planning Framework 4

Read the adopted NPF4 on gov.scot

Last Updated: 07 Jun 2023