Town Centre First Principle

A call to central government, local authorities, communities and our institutions to 'put the health of town centres at the heart of decision-making processes

The main recommendation from the town centre review group is for a 'town centre first principle', a call to central government, local authorities, communities and our institutions to 'put the health of town centres at the heart of decision-making processes'.
The Scottish Government understands this to mean a principle which extends beyond the town centre first planning policy, traditionally associated with Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) and the associated sequential test applied currently to decide on the location of retail and commercial leisure uses. The review group aspire to a principle which drives public sector investment decisions, aligns policies and targets available resources to prioritise town centre sites and encourages vibrancy and diversity.

More information.