New Petitions

Petition PE755 is from Roger Knox, on behalf of the Ravensheugh Tenants and Residents Association. It calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Executive to review its guidance to local authorities to ensure that adequate public consultation is carried out on planning proposals such as the development of Musselburgh ash lagoons, which is a 400-acre site created as a repository for the ash from Cockenzie power station. In early 2003, East Lothian Council published a detailed plan based on recommendations by a consultancy firm for the development of Musselburgh ash lagoons, which involved a two-month public consultation period. The petitioners are concerned that the council subsequently approved a less detailed revised plan that they claim involved little consultation, gathered more than 100 objections and failed to include an investigation into the environmental impact. In March 2003, the Executive published "Your place, your plan: A White Paper on Public Involvement in Planning", which set out its proposals for strengthening and enhancing public involvement in all stages of the land-use planning system and speeding up the application process. The proposed planning bill is to be introduced in this session, although the Executive has yet to confirm the exact timetable. Do members have any views on the petition?

Do members agree with that recommendation?Members indicated agreement.