The Scottish Government is running several consultations on some hefty topics at the moment. They have 20 consultations open, with most of them on topics that are far-reaching and will affect much of Scotland’s population. Here is a small selection.
Fire safety in high-rise buildings
Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in 2017, the Scottish Government set up a group which created the Review of the Fire Safety Regime for High Rise Domestic Buildings in Scotland. This consultation seeks the public’s views on the proposals, how they could be strengthened, and, ultimately, how they could best be implemented.
Regulation of short-term lets
Short-term or holiday lets, such as via companies like AirBnb, have been a contentious issue across Scotland, particularly in Edinburgh. The Scottish Government is running a consultation on the possibility of introducing regulations to the industry. Among other things, this will help ensure that residents in tourist hotspots aren’t priced out of the housing market due to short-term let saturation.
Environmental Principles and Governance in Scotland
This consultation seeks the public’s views on how to maintain best practice in environmental governance after Brexit. Scotland has pledged to maintain or exceed EU environmental standards, with the hope that they can continue to do so without EU oversight once the UK leaves the European Union.
The Scottish Government has a great track record of consulting on topics that are part of the national conversation, often opening consultations on subjects or decisions that have been discussed in Westminster and/or national news. Doing so ensures that the Scottish people are able to remain part of the discussion. Also – it proves that there’s no topic too big to tackle in Citizen Space!
As ever, have a great weekend, and enjoy your bank holiday. We’ll be back next week with more.
