Guidance for Planners - Planning for Development - Timescales for responding to consultations

Timescales for responding to consultations

1. Pre-application consultations 

Type

(a) Planning authority requests for advice
(b) Developer requests for advice
(c) Third party requests for advice

Requests for written advice/information - response times

All within 20 working days

NB. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening and scoping requests and consultations on an Environmental Statement can be received before, after, or at the same time as, the relevant planning application is received. Please see below for response times to EIA-related pre-application consultations.

2. Planning application (Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997) consultations from planning authorities (PAs)

Type

(a) National and major developments
(b) Local developments
(c) Developments that require an EIA (National, Major and Local Developments)

Requests for written advice/information - response times*

(a) Within 20 days or such other time specified by the PA**
(b) Within 14 days or such other time specified by the PA**
(c) Within 28 days or such other time specified by the PA**

*Longer timescales for determination may be agreed between the applicant and the PA.
**Days (including weekends etc.) not working days.

3. Environmental Impact Assessment consultations (development-related casework)

Type

(a) EIA screening
(b) EIA scoping
(c) Consultations on Environmental Statement

Requests for written advice/information - response times*

(a) Within time specified by competent authority but likely to be less than 10 days**
(b) Within time specified by competent authority but likely to be less than 28 days**
(c) Within 28 days on receipt of the consultation**

*Longer timescales for determination may be agreed between the applicant and the PA.
**Days (including weekends, etc.) not working days.

4. Development Plan consultations (Strategic Development Plans, Local Development Plans)

Type

(a) Monitoring report
(b) Pre - Main Issues Report (MIR) informal consultations
(c) MIR consultation
(d) Informal consultations on draft(s) of the Proposed Plan
(e) Proposed Plan
(f) Statutory Supplementary Guidance

Requests for written advice/information - response times

(a) Within 20 working days or such other time specified by the PA
(b) Within 20 working days or such other time specified by the PA
(c) Within time specified by PA but likely to be 6-12 weeks
(d) Within 20 working days or such other time specified by the PA
(e) Within time specified by PA but likely to be 6-12 weeks
(f) Within 28 days or such other time specified by the PA.

5. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) consultations

Type

(a) SEA screening
(b) Draft SEA Environmental Report (if submitted)
(c) SEA Environmental Report
(d) SEA Environmental Report revisions

Requests for written advice/information - response times

(a) Within 28 days*
(b) As agreed at the scoping stage but usually 6-12 weeks
(c) As agreed at the scoping stage but usually 6-12 weeks
(d) Addendums or modifications to Environmental Reports have no statutory timeframe. Consultation is at the discretion of the responsible authority

*Days (including weekends, etc.) not working days.

6. Electricity Act consultations from Scottish Government Energy Consents and Deployment Unit (ECDU)

Type

(a) Consultation request

Requests for written advice/information - response times

(a) Within 20 working days or such other time specified by ECDU

*ECDU has identified a timeframe of 9 months for the determination of all Electricity Act applications.