Alison Johnstone, Parliamentary Species Champion for the Brown Hare, has described the U-turn as a "small victory".

BSCG welcomes the Scottish Government's confirmation that they have decided to exempt the planning system from a duty to contribute to economic growth.

On 11 September 2013 Fergus Ewing (local MSP and Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism) wrote in a letter to the Convener of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee Murdo Fraser MSP:

"we are minded to bring forward a Stage 2 amendment that will make it clear that the planning functions of a local authority are not subject to the proposed duty to contribute to sustainable economic growth."

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_EconomyEnergyandTourismCommittee/Bills/Fergus_Ewing_response_130906_-_MurdoFraserMSP.pdf

BSCG, with others, has long been concerned at the Government's over-emphasis on economic growth.

Alison Johnstone, Green MSP and Species Champion for the Brown Hare, commented that the duty could have become a "developer's charter" and that "this u-turn is a small victory."