Summary:
20 April 2010: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government, Royal Town Planning Institute (Scotland), Planning Aid and a selection of local authorities (East Lothian, Midlothian, Highland, Perth & Kinross) seeking responses to points raised in the petition and during the discussion. Link to Official Report 20 April 2010 (560KB pdf)
7 September 2010: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government seeking a response to specific points. Link to Official Report 7 September 2010 (420KB pdf)
23 November 2010: The Committee agreed to write to the Scottish Government seeking a response to specific points. Link to Official Report 23 November 2010 (580KB pdf)
8 February 2011: The Committee agreed to invite, in its legacy paper, the Session 4 Public Petitions Committee to give further consideration to the petition. Link to Official Report 8 February 2011 (450KB pdf)
28 June 2011: The Committee agreed to refer the petition to the Local Government and Regeneration Committee under Rule 15.6.2 for further consideration. Link to Official Report 28 June 2011 (515KB pdf)
7 September 2011: The Local Government and Regeneration Committee considered its approach to a petition by Douglas McKenzie, on behalf of Communities Against Airfield Open Cast and agreed to hold an evidence session on the issues raised in the petition at its meeting on 14 September. The Committee also agreed to consider, in private, in due course, the evidence received at that meeting and what further action, if any, it might wish to take on the petition. Link to Official Report 7 September 2011
14 September 2011: The Local Government and Regeneration Committee took evidence from Jim Mackinnon, Chief Planner, Scottish Government, Craig McLaren, National Director, Royal Town Planning Institute in Scotland and George Eckton, Team Leader, Environment and Regeneration Team, COSLA. Link to Official Report 14 September 2011
23 November 2011: The Local Government and Regeneration Committee considered a Petition by Douglas McKenzie, on behalf of Communities Against Airfield open Cast calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend Planning Circular 3/2009, Notification of Planning Applications to (a) provide the same status to a planning objection to a major development from a neighbouring local authority as to one from a government agency in order to trigger a notification to Scottish Ministers and (b) state that such objections by a neighbouring local authority to major developments which represent a departure from the development plan should be a significant factor in the decision to call-in. The Committee took evidence from Douglas McKenzie, Chair, and Iain Cane, Member, Communities Against Airfield Open Cast and agreed to consider what futher action it might wish to take in relation to the petition, in private, at a future meeting. Link to Official Report 23 November 2011 (290KB pdf)
18 January 2012: The Local Government and Regeneration Committee considered the evidence recieved on a petition by Douglas McKenzie, on behalf of Communities Against Airfield Open Cast. The Committee agreed to write to the Minister for Local Government and Planning, bringing to his attention the evidence it had received on the petition at its meetings on 14 September 2011 and 23 November 2011. The Committee further agreed to note the issues raised by the petition, in the context of any future inquiry work on planning the Committee might undertake. The Committee agreed to close the petition (by division: For 6, Against 1, Abstentions 0). Link to Official Report 18 January 2012 (470KB pdf)
Written Submissions: