A move which will mean the Scottish Government scrutinising large-scale planning appeals has been branded “yet another example of the SNP wanting to centralise all decision-making”.
Alex Johnstone, the Scottish Conservatives’ housing spokesman and candidate for Angus North and Mearns, said the change amounted to an assault on local government.
Ministers will in future intervene in all disputes around housing schemes of 100 homes or more to “scrutinise” land supply issues.
The new measure was unveiled by the SNP’s Alex Neill as part of plans to build 50,000 new homes over the next five years.
But Mr Johnstone said taking planning appeals out of councils’ hands “flies in the face of local democracy”.
He said: “This is yet another example of the SNP wanting to centralise all decision-making.
“Ministers do not need to scrutinise every major planning appeal – the system in place at the moment means that the reporter considers all appeals against the local development plans produced by councils and agreed with the Scottish Government.
“This flies in the face of local democracy and once again takes more power away from elected councillors.”
Mr Neill, speaking when the plans were unveiled last month, said they were necessary to increase the number of houses being built.
He said: “We have listened to our partners and are putting in place measures to support the increase in the supply of homes across all tenures, support jobs in the construction industry, and encourage inclusive growth in the wider economy.”
