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Guidance on the assessment of noise from onshore wind turbines across the UK is set out in the UK Government’s ETSU-R-97 guidance. The UK Government is currently consulting on an update which aims to bring the guidance in line with available evidence on turbine noise emissions, developments in turbine technology, and wind turbine noise assessment methodologies. The UK Government intends to issue a formal response to the consultation in Autumn 2025, and has advised that the current guidance remains suitable for assessing wind turbine noise in the meantime.

The Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) policy 11 (energy) requires that wind energy project design and mitigation will demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including from noise, are addressed. Having an established and consistent policy framework enables confidence in the planning system and we have no current plans to amend NPF4.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2010 sets out the legislative criteria for becoming a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) and the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) sets regulatory criteria under section 25 of the 2010 Act. A prospective RSL must meet both sets of criteria to be eligible for registration. The SHR have set out their registration criteria and constitutional requirements for social landlords in their Regulatory Framework. They will assess each application to determine whether the applicant body will be a viable organisation that can meet the demands of managing a social landlord’s business and providing services to tenants.

This remains a live appeal, and it would not be appropriate to comment on any specific issues that may be involved in the consideration and decision-making process.

I can assure you that all submitted information and relevant issues will be thoroughly reviewed before a final decision is made. In reaching a decision, Ministers are required by law to have regard to the development plan and to all relevant material factors, including all submissions made by parties involved in the case and all representations made.

A reporter from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) was appointed to examine the proposed development in January 2025 and following our recent recall for ministerial decision on the appeal, will now produce a report to Ministers, with recommendations, instead of the reporter making the final decision.

Our proposed Heat in Buildings Bill will create a target for decarbonising heating systems by 2045. We recognise that reaching this target is likely to require a range of technologies, and so our intention is that the Bill will enable and support flexibility. The Bill when introduced will set out details on the heating methods that will be considered eligible in terms of our target.

The provisions of our proposed Heat in Buildings Bill will take a technology-neutral approach to decarbonising Scotland’s buildings, enabling building owners to choose the technology which is right for them. While not appropriate for most homes, bioenergy – as a low carbon, renewable energy source – can be the best solution to decarbonise heating heat homes in some communities. We intend to ensure that sustainable bioenergy and biofuels remain an option for these communities.

The recalled appeal is currently with Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) with further procedures being carried out, with a revised target date of 11 September 2025 to provide a report to Ministers.

Once Ministers receive a reporter’s report from DPEA, we normally aim to issue decisions within 3 months, although the timescale can sometimes increase where there are more complex issues involved.

The current round of the Housing Infrastructure Fund launched in October 2021 and forms part of the overall Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget. £40.71m of funding has been approved by the Scottish Government in this round and, of that, £9.927m of has so far been drawn down.

The Scottish Government has previously confirmed that the provisions of its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill will take a technology-neutral approach to decarbonising Scotland’s buildings, enabling building owners to choose the technology which is right for them.

A total of £10.066 million was set aside for the Housing Infrastructure Fund within the 2025-26 Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget reflecting spend profiles provided by grant recipients.