RTPI Scotland: Countdown to Holyrood | The Royal Town Planning Institute

Kirsty Fox Hay is Public Affairs Officer at the RTPI

With May’s election date fast approaching, RTPI Scotland’s eyes are turning towards what the parties will offer in terms of commitments and policies relating to planning. We have been busy circulating our Planifesto since its publication in November and are working towards polling day and beyond to focus on delivering for planners and the Scottish planning system.

Planning will be a critical lever for the next Scottish Government as it overlaps with many pressing policy issues like the housing emergency, energy, skills and public health. Planning is a positive and enabling force and should be treated as such by the next parliament.

Current polling predicts a return to government for the SNP, who have been in power in Scotland since 2007, despite losing some seats to Labour in the last general election. The next Scottish Government has an opportunity to strengthen the planning system that exists as opposed to reforming it. Planning plays a pivotal role in delivering national priorities and achieving outcomes.

Recently, the Scottish Government announced More Homes Scotland, a housing delivery body with the aim to deliver ‘- simplicity, scale and speed’. This announcement followed the Scottish Budget for 2026-27, so the question is: is this the kind of thing to expect in the SNP’s upcoming manifesto? Either way, we at RTPI Scotland welcome the announcement as in our Planifesto, we called for the next Scottish Government to establish a housing delivery body and to take a focus on rural and island housing.

Speaking of our Planifesto!

Published in November 2025, the Planifesto sets out a vision for Scotland that is prosperous, resilient and equitable, where everyone has access to safe, well-planned places and a healthy natural environment. We call for:

A fully resourced planning system

Infrastructure-led development

Diverse and inclusive housing

To ensure the future of rural and island communities, and

Build thriving and resilient places.

Since its launch, we have been busy disseminating the Planifesto through a number of channels to various individuals and groups including through our RTPI Scotland social media to political parties, politicians, members, our sister institutes, and other built environment stakeholders. Also in November, the RTPI launched our State of the Profession report, which found that 60% of planners in Scotland felt overstretched in their role frequently or all the time, but that planners are overall happy within their roles. These findings support our Planifesto call for a fully resourced planning system.

Prior to the Planifesto’s launch, Dr Caroline Brown and I attended the SNP’s October conference in Aberdeen where we spoke with Màiri McAllan, the Cabinet Secretary for Housing, at a housing panel. We were able to bring our Planifesto ideas out for a test drive and engage with and contribute to future policies being shaped ahead of the SNP’s manifesto being publicised. To ensure planners’ voices are heard and to maximise the impact of our Planifesto, we have continued to engage with politicians, and we will be attending the upcoming Scottish Green Party conference later in February.

Dr Caroline Brown and Màiri McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Housing

As we get closer to the election, the Planifesto will continue to be a live discussion as we participate in and organise events and other platforms where the Planifesto calls can be discussed with stakeholders. For example, we are publishing think pieces on our LinkedIn page to encourage further conversation on our key asks. We have also organised a Housebuilders Breakfast at our Edinburgh office at the end of February to foster further discussion with RTPI members and non-members in the sector as housing is such a prominent policy area.

We are optimistic about what this election holds for the future of planning in Scotland. There is an opportunity for Scotland’s places to be strengthened by collaborative working between the next Scottish Government and the built environment sector. We look forward to reading what the parties have to say about planning in their highly anticipated manifestos, particularly, which of our Planifesto asks are taken on board.