What regulations it is considering reforming or removing in order to speed up the planning process.

Scotland’s planning system has already undergone significant system changes including through the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 and the adoption of National Planning Framework 4, Scotland’s long-term spatial strategy, which sets out where development and infrastructure is needed. Our package of reforms is focused on incentivising development and delivering clear and quicker decisions which provide greater confidence and predictability to those who are planning to develop.We have also significantly extended permitted development rights (PDR), including for renewable energy equipment and thermal efficiency measures, and developments in town and city centres and in ports. PDR allow certain types of development to be carried out without a planning application. In doing so, they help provide certainty and save the time and expense associated with applying for planning permission.Alongside system reform, we have been progressing a range of measures to increase capacity and skills and improve practice in planning authorities which are helping to accelerate development delivery. This includes providing direct support via the National Planning Hub for additional surge capacity and expertise within planning authorities and funding the National Planning Improvement Champion to help share knowledge and best practice across the planning system.We have taken significant steps to simplify navigating the planning system through withdrawing 27 historical Planning Advice Notes (PANs) and 19 other pieces of obsolete guidance. This equates to 71% of the planning advice and guidance (over 1000 pages).