At the end of May 2016 the Scottish Government published the report produced by the independent panel set up to review the Scottish planning system.  What it produced was an ambitious vision of how the planning system ought to work, with 48 recommendations covering 6 key areas.    The report recommends a shift in how the system works so as to create stronger and better integrated strategic plans at a higher level, with local development plans being focussed on identifying and implementing specific development opportunities.  This could create a risk of distancing communities from the system, but is balanced out by promoting public involvement at an early stage in the local development plan process.  This article considers the report’s recommendations and the resulting potential for change.