This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Planning for Rural Development
07/02/2005
A package of measures to grow the economy and encourage sustainable development in rural areas was launched today.
Deputy Communities Minister Johann Lamont said that new planning policies would stimulate more rural development, supporting people who live and work in rural areas while also attracting newcomers. The goal is to maintain the viability of existing communities and bring new life to many places which have seen years of decline.
Scottish Planning Policy 15: Planning for Rural Development, covers how councils should deal with economic development, rural diversification, housing and infrastructure, while maintaining a balance with the environment.
It says that:
- There is more scope for sensitively sited and well designed development to support rural development, diversification and regeneration
- Councils and other agencies should be more proactive in identifying opportunities for development in rural areas
- Rural diversification, recognising the differing economic ambitions of businesses, should be supported
- Developments should be well planned to maintain the character of the countryside, and appropriate to the location and circumstances of the area
Deputy Communities Minister Johann Lamont said: "This is our vision for how rural Scotland can grow and prosper through sustainable development.
"Around one in five people in Scotland lives in a rural community. These areas are a unique resource with significant long term potential.
"Our planning policies need to reflect changes in society and promote rural Scotland as a place where people choose to live and work. But there is enormous diversity in rural Scotland and councils need to be able to tailor solutions to local circumstances, because one size does not fit all.
"We are encouraging councils to identify new areas for managed growth to respond to the likely increased demand for new types of development. The changing economics of rural Scotland mean that councils should be responsive to diversification beyond traditional industries, like agriculture, to new enterprises.
"Councils should also be proactive in providing land for development appropriate to their local circumstances, creating the conditions for sustainable growth. For housing, new developments will need to meet local demand, be well designed and be sensitive to the character of the area.
"Taken together, our planning policies set out the vision for a confident and forward looking rural Scotland."
Minister for Environment and Rural Development Ross Finnie: "We are committed to developing a sustainable and prosperous rural economy.
"Diversification helps many farming families, for example, to increase their income and provide profitable new businesses and services which are valuable to the whole community. This policy will help to stimulate that entrepreneurial spirit while ensuring that rural areas retain their special character."
The Executive also published the following documents today:
- Planning Advice Note 73: Rural Diversification. This provides a definition of rural diversification which encompasses all new enterprises and activities in rural areas. It highlights how the planning system can support rural diversification and shows how issues of accessibility, infrastructure, scale and design can be overcome to the benefit of the economy, the environment, and rural communities.
- Planning Advice Note 72: Housing in the Countryside. This will help to create more good quality rural housing which respects the landscape. It sets out principles which need to be taken into account when designing new developments in the countryside, and guidance for planning authorities when preparing development plans.
- A research report which identifies the varying needs and opportunities of rural areas and provides planners and others with information to enable them to tailor the solutions that are needed for local circumstances.
Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 15: Planning for Rural Development updates and replaces the existing National Planning Policy Guideline 15: Rural Development which was published in 1999. SPP is available at www.scotland.gov.uk/planning
SPP15 was launched for consultation in January 2004, and was prepared in consultation with a core group of business, farming, environmental and planning authority interests and a wider sounding group of rural interests.
For the purposes of this policy, rural Scotland means the countryside and settlements of 3000 or less, although the guidance will have wider relevance as the links between rural areas, small towns and urban areas are also important.
This guidance supports the Executive's vision for rural areas - Rural Scotland - A New Approach, published in May 2000. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library2/doc15/rsna-00.asp
The Scottish Executive can provide grants to farming families wishing to establish new or expand existing diversified businesses through its Agricultural Business Development Scheme (ABDS) and the Farm Business Development Scheme (FBDS). Further details:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Agriculture/grants
PAN 72 is a revision of PAN 36 Siting and Design of New Housing in the Countryside.