---

Planning-gain Supplement (Preparations) Bill

As one of those Scottish Members, I add my weight to the desire to vote on the new clause in an attempt to bring matters back to a more local level, at least by having more negotiation. Local government is best placed to see the impact on the local community of any development that it decides on, and section 75 agreements, rather than a centrally collected tax, are the best way of deciding how that impact is to be ameliorated and paid for at the time of the planning application. We can make an analogy between this proposal and the centralisation of the business rates, which also removed some of the debate about unpopular business developments and whether they would benefit the community. Councils looking at the wider benefits of encouraging business and its growth could see the impact of having new land available for business and office development, but at least in the days when business rates were collected and kept locally there was a straight local benefit that could be perceived. Similarly, the Government should recognise the benefits of section 75 agreements, which allow the local authority to assess its priorities in its own community for dealing with the impact of development.