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A councillor has urged Falkirk Council’s planning department to speed up appeals that are being delayed due to new government guidance.

Councillors heard that it will take time for the new national planning framework (NPF4) to become part of the council’s decision-making process and that there would be a “period of uncertainty”.

The new national guidance will now need to be considered alongside the local development plan, which guides all future planning in the area. That could mean the new national policies will be used by some developers to appeal decisions.

There are currently three outstanding appeals that are due to go to the local policy review panel, which looks again at decisions taken by council officers without going to the planning committee.

Councillor James Kerr called on Falkirk Council to speed up planning appeals

Last week, members of the panel agreed to defer any hearings until officers had looked carefully at how each case relates to the new framework.

On Wednesday, members of the planning committee agreed they should invite applicants to submit written statements if they believe the policies in the new guidance are relevant.

Conservative councillor James Kerr, who represents the lower Braes, said he was in full agreement this should be done but he urged officers to make sure that the review process is as short as possible.

“Whether it’s officers, applicants, agents, our procedures – some of these (appeals) are going for a year and a half, two years. I’ve had experience of building my own house and it took me two and a half years to get planning permission,” he said.

Councillor Kerr said that the stress for somebody building one house “is absolutely horrendous”, so taking a year or more for an appeal was not acceptable, adding: “Can I just urge officers – it’s people’s lives, lets try and get it done as soon as possible.”

Councillors were told that any decisions that have already been issued will stand.

However, applicants can either appeal to the Scottish Government or the planning review panel as appropriate and the new legislation will be taken on board as part of that appeal.

“We are in a period of uncertainty and it will take time,” said Ian Dryden, Falkirk Council’s head of planning.

Falkirk Council: Plea to speed up planning appeals