This is the APRS response to a Scottish Government Consultation on Mandatory training on planning for elected members.

APRS believe that it is essential that elected members who are making decisions such as on planning appeals should have training, but our response concentrates on the needs for those elected representatives on National Parks Boards to also be included in this training.

The Key points we made are:

• We appreciate that the consultation relates specifically to elected members but would point out that in National Park Authorities, planning decisions can be taken by appointed members too and that they should also receive the same level of training.

• We would like to see enforcement of planning decisions (and conditions) covered by the training.

• Where relevant (ie for National Park Authorities, and for Local Authorities where district-wide decisions might impact on a National Park area (where part of the LA area is in a National Park)) we believe that the statutory aims of National Parks should be included in the training as should the operation of the National Park Principle (often called the Sandford principle) which is covered by section 9(6) of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000.