ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to Edinburgh - Historic Scotland

The planning authority can:
• grant planning permission without conditions;
• grant permission with conditions; or
• refuse permission.
If a planning authority refuses planning permission or grants permission with
conditions, it must give clear reasons, and an applicant can appeal to the
Directorate of Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) if they disagree
with the decision. An applicant must appeal within six months of the council's
decision.
7.3 Involving the Public
Involving the public is an important feature of the planning system, and
planning authorities must do this by law. Two main ways in which people and
communities can become involved are:
• contributing to the preparation of Development Plans; and
• commenting on planning applications.
Planning authorities must provide opportunities for public involvement when
preparing Structure and Local Plans. Although planning authorities will do this
in different ways, they will advertise when and how they intend to involve the
public.
Planning authorities will usually try to settle objections to local plans by
negotiating with everyone involved. If this is not possible, objections will be
considered in public at a 'Local Plan Inquiry' before the planning authority
decides how it will adopt the plan.
Everyone has the right to comment on a proposed development that is likely to
affect them. This not only means neighbours and people who are most directly
affected by a proposal, but also the wider community.
Planning applications can be inspected at planning authority offices and
increasingly through the internet. Everyone has the right to information on
planning matters that affect them, and to make sure that their views will be
taken into consideration when planning authorities make their decisions.
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