The Scottish Government has announced the development of a new Planning Hub, offering specialist expertise to boost development and green energy opportunities in Scotland.

The Planning Hub will support planning authorities to improve their resourcing, skills and capacity to deliver planning determinations promptly.

It will initially focus on improving consenting speed for hydrogen developments until March 2025.

Minister for Public Finance Ivan McKee visited Chapelcross in Annan, the site of a multi-million pound, net-zero focused development includes plans for hydrogen production storage, advanced manufacturing, and energy and enterprise campuses.

He said: "Communities across Scotland benefit from a planning system that is efficient, effective and well-resourced.

"The Planning Hub will utilise and build capacity and skills to enable good quality development that improves places and quality of life, whilst growing our economy and supporting the transition to net zero.

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"In the first instance, it will have a focus on hydrogen applications – a vital industry that Scotland is embracing as we diversify our energy supply."

Sarah Gadsden, Chief Executive, Improvement Service said: "It is good to see the Scottish Government highlight the important role of planning in achieving net zero and their subsequent investment in building capacity in the sector. We are very pleased to host the hub as it complements the Improvement Service's broader approach to supporting public service reform and the work of our National Planning Improvement team supporting planning authorities."

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland has welcomed the announcement of the new Planning Hub.

Dr Caroline Brown, Director of RTPI Scotland, said: "Whilst recent budget announcements from the Scottish Government raise concerns about the impact on funding for nature recovery, active travel, and climate action, we are really pleased to see a more positive announcement about the creation of a new Planning Hub. This is a very positive step, investing new resources into Scottish planning with the potential to bring in diverse expertise and drive innovation in the profession.

"The Sottish Government has taken great initiative in setting up a hub that will operate to support the work of local authorities, building skills and capacity by leveraging specialist expertise from outside the planning profession. In our consultation response earlier in the year, we voiced concerns that an initiative like this could create new bottlenecks in local authorities, and it is encouraging to see those concerns addressed in the architecture of the proposed Hub.

"The true benefits of the planning hub are likely only be visible over time. Sustained funding is necessary for its long-term viability, and it will need to expand beyond hydrogen to truly impact Scotland's communities."