Petra Biberbach agrees repeal rights are "overdue for reform".

However, she expresses concern that it could exacerbate conflict, undermine early engagement and undermine a plan-led system.

The planning system must facilitate better debate and I do not think third party right to appeal would do that, concludes Ms Biberbach.

The panel is asked about third party right of appeal.

Clare Symonds says an appeal system is generally a blunt instrument and was dismissed for this bill as such.

However, she argues it would encourage front-loading of plans and incentivise better behaviour.

Developers would seek to get communities involved from the beginning because there would be "a stick at the end of the process", Ms Symonds states.

Labour MSP Monica Lennon asks about quantifying how planning delivers for communities.

We need to be a rethink about the language of planning, says Petra Biberbach.

People are enthusiastic about place, such as where there children go to school and where local health services are, but few people relate this to the planning system, Ms Biberbach suggests.

Clare Symonds says it is difficult to assess performance but this ought to be considered.

Dr Andy Inch says there needs to be a clear definition of what planning is for as this would create indicators to test plans against.

Labour MSP Monica Lennon suggests it seems odd that the bill does not include this.

Dr MacLeod says the bill is process oriented and the lack of a definition of planning is an "omission".

Planning should be about making rural and urban Scotland sustainable, giving communities a voice and balancing development within rural contexts, he argues.

We need to find some mechanism to unlock and repopulate town centres, argues Petra Biberbach.

There are 32,000 empty homes in Scotland, the majority of which are in town centres, she says.

Green MSP Andy Wightman asks about the replacement of simplified planning zones with simplified development zones.

"I have reservations with the description of them as simplified development zones", says Dr Andy Inch of Planning Democracy.

We should be laying out zones to produce high equality settlement, he argues.

Zones can be really innovative and deliver development, Dr Inch says, stating that the planning system at the moment is reactive.

Petra Biberbach of PAS agrees, suggesting they should be named "investment ready areas" because there has already been community buy-in.

On zones, she says: "It's a great opportunity and I think we want to see more of those happening."

New powers are being sought to reverse the impact of the clearances in Scotland.

Communities were cleared from land where generations had lived in areas including the Lowlands and Highlands in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The landowners turned this land over to sheep farming or deer stalking.

Community Land Scotland wants to see the land repopulated and for nearby remaining communities to be given greater powers to be able to do that.

The suggested powers include compulsory purchase of areas that have been designated for resettlement.

Community Land Scotland, which represents community landowners, also wants Scotland's "no-longer existing communities" to be mapped, in a similar way as areas of "wild land" are mapped to protect them from development.

The organisation has sought to have the Planning Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament to be amended to give government ministers and communities the new powers.

Read more here.

"This is driving democracy back into the local community," says Petra Biberbach.

If the Planning Bill is to bring in a more collaborative and inclusive system, time and resources need to be invested she says.

Image source, bbc

Petra Biberbach of PAS says the local place plan is a much stronger replacement as the vast majority of people out there do not know there is a planning system.

Ian Cooke from the Development Trusts Association Scotland agrees, saying involving people in the planning process at the earliest stage is crucial.

In July 2016, the Scottish government outlined 10 "immediate actions" which it said will help deliver more homes and speed up the planning process.

It follows an independent review which urged a "fundamental rethink" of Scotland's planning system.

The actions include introducing pilot Simplified Planning Zones for housing.

They also include extending permitted development rights - where planning permission is not needed - to more types of development.

Read more here.