The regulations allow planning authorities to take a place leadership role, by proactively consenting the type and quality of development they wish to see in their areas. MCAs offer potential for a co-ordinated, streamlined approach to consenting, being able to grant planning permission, plus roads construction, listed building and conservation area consent.

The new regulations cover the process for preparing an MCA ‘Scheme’ - the document which grants the consent(s), and ensures that EIA requirements are part of the process where applicable. Once the MCA scheme is ‘made’ (adopted) development can be brought forward without the need for a full application providing it is in line with the scheme. MCAs can support placemaking, and accelerate delivery of development plans, offer certainty by frontloading scrutiny, removing risk and streamlining consents – to provide greater confidence to investors and facilitate investment in places.

Guidance on MCAs will be published shortly, with work to support early adopters getting fully underway in January 2025.

Two more sets of regulations that will enable Scotland’s planning system to respond flexibly to newly emerging matters and allow authorities to amend Development Plans have also come into force.

The regulations can be found at:

• The Town and Country Planning (Amendment of Local Development Plan) (Scotland) Regulations 2024
• The Town and Country Planning (Amendment of National Planning Framework) (Scotland) Regulations 2024