Scottish Government

REVIEW OF GREEN BELT POLICY IN SCOTLAND

CHAPTER FIVE CASE STUDIES

ABERDEEN AND ABERDEENSHIRE

Introduction

5.1 A case study of the Aberdeen City region is particularly timely because a comprehensive review of Green Belt policy and structure has been carried out recently, leading to a proposed radical reshaping. Although we focus mainly on this recent rethink, it is useful to provide some background.

Historical Perspective

5.2 A Green Belt Policy has been applied around Aberdeen for many years, in accordance with the three objectives set out in Circular 24/1985. The Aberdeen Green Belt Review 2001-2002 (AGBR) states that these objectives were last reviewed 15 years ago and, while they retain some relevance today, their origins are fairly outdated.

5.3 It was considered that, taken as a whole, AGBR would reduce the need for further boundary reviews and increase confidence in the role of Green Belt policy. In applying this policy local plans would be required to resolve the following:

• Protect landscape setting
• Reduce need to travel - avoid sporadic or isolated development
• Protect and enhance habitats and recreational resources
• Siting and design guidance to ensure quality and sustainable development

5.4 AGBR acknowledged that the Green Belt has prevented urban sprawl, which in turn has assisted the progressive regeneration of the few brownfield sites available in Aberdeen. But it is also probably true that some open space within Aberdeen has been lost to development which might otherwise have been located on greenfield sites. Aberdeen is a-typical of the rest of Scotland insofar as there are very few brownfield sites within the built up areas. Sites developed as brownfield sites often are covered in grass and trees. A focus on brownfield sites will continue but 'town cramming' should be avoided.

5.5 More sustainable patterns of development should focus on a new hierarchy based upon:

• Urban Brownfield - primary focus should be on previously developed land to take advantage of existing services and infrastructure;
• Urban Edge - if there is no room in the urban area development should focus on the urban edge, and should continue to be sustainable through relationship to transport corridors;
• Transport Corridors - sustainable corridors should be encouraged - implying that green wedges may be preferred to green belt; this model should not prevail unconditionally, and must be balanced against planning, landscape and coalescence
• New Settlements - may be needed if all development options above exhausted; should be located to avoid sensitive areas and if not located on or near to transport corridors, should be large enough to sustain their own services in order to avoid commuter dependence upon the City.

5.6 This scenario was worked up in order to replace the present model, because it effectively by default directs development onto brownfield sites following which it can and does leapfrog the Green Belt into surrounding countryside or more distant settlements, thereby increasing the extent of commuting and travel. There was therefore seen to be a need to look at the suitability of green belt policy in this emerging context. Government in any case requires that Green Belts must be critically assessed as part of the development plan review. The AGBR later proved to be a stepping stone to the present proposed policies.

Nature of Replacement Regime

5.7 AGBR concluded that it provided a robust means of identifying areas of development land and Strategic Reserve Land (SRL) while protecting the City's prime landscape, wildlife and recreational areas. Enough SRL was provided to cater for the years covered by North East Structure Plan (NEST) and well beyond, thereby avoiding the need for further reviews. This should provide greater public confidence in the effectiveness of the Green Belt.

5.8 North East Scotland Structure Plan (NEST) maintains the Green Belt in terms of general extent but adjustments are made to accommodate other policies such as Park and Ride and the Western Peripheral Route. Provision must also be made for appropriate indoor and outdoor sports facilities and for the area's informal recreational requirements through this plan period and for the longer term.

5.9 Local plans are required to confirm the concept of linked recreation areas, including links into the urban areas. Such corridors require protection from development and will require initiatives such as the provision and enhancement of pathways and cycle routes. Long term development land for possible developments beyond the lifetime of the plan (Strategic Reserve Land, SRL:) should be identified and safeguarded.

5.10 In Aberdeen in 2003 it should also be noted that the Local Plan then being considered (with its annexed ABGR) was abandoned by the City Council and a New Local Plan was commissioned.

Urban Form

5.11 The references in AGBR and NEST to the need to consider the ongoing relevance of 'belt' versus 'wedge', and a questioning of the application of a traditional Green Belt approach in terms of capacity to deal with leapfrogging and commuter issues, set the scene for a major boundary review, at the level of the New Local Plan, What is happening now, whilst more fundamental, nevertheless remains a review of Green Belt boundaries, because the concept of 'Belt' is maintained beyond the Western Peripheral Route. The inside edge of the 'Belt' has a more wedge-like appearance however and is considered appropriate in terms of the achievement of a more sustainable urban form.

5.12 There is a proposal to introduce a 'new enhanced Green Belt policy' to be called "Greenspace Network". The catalyst for this concept has been the confirmation that the Western Peripheral Road (WPR) will proceed. This is seen as changing the character of the countryside around Aberdeen. It also allows the consideration of growth over a longer term than that considered in the 2000/2001 Green Belt Review. This is considered necessary to avoid the short-term fixes which could negate longer term objectives.

5.13 Thus the first of four scenarios for change, 'Incremental Expansion'- the development of the easiest sites at the time - is seen as unacceptable. Scenario 2, 'High Density Urban' is considered to place too great emphasis upon limited brownfield sites though they will continue to play an important role. Scenario 3 involves creating a development corridor along the WPR but this option is not seen as greenspace or wildlife-friendly though it would have the advantage of helping fund the WPR.

5.14 Scenario 4, Greenspace Network and Development Fingers is the preferred scenario in providing a series of green wedges with new communities between them. The green wedges would be based upon some of Aberdeen's prime assets, including river valleys and wildlife sites, while the development corridors would be based upon sustainable transport routes into the City.

5.15 In a paper presented to committee on 29 January 2004 entitled ' Green Spaces-New Places Strategy' the concept is further elaborated. The Local Plan is seen as important in delivering a sustainable strategy for a City which over the last 30 years has 'become more vibrant and cosmopolitan' and a 'premier centre for business, education, retailing, leisure and culture with a wealth of listed buildings, conservation areas and other cultural and artistic assets'.

The vision

5.16 At the heart of the Local Plan, through the Green Spaces -New Places Strategy, will be a Greenspace Network with new communities based around transport corridors. The intention is to provide a greater level of protection and long-term certainty and enhancement, and to ensure that new communities benefit from new development through planning gain.

5.17 The new Local Plan will be shaped by a number of recent emerging influences which are addressed in order to give the Green Spaces - New Places wider context:

• Western Peripheral Route: influential change through the announcement by the Scottish Executive on the WPR - start in 2007 and completion by 2010.
• Building Better Cities: securing of £11.4million through the City Growth Fund as part of the national programme based on recognition of the importance of Scotland's cities for the future of the country.
• Community Regeneration : integration of service delivery through the Community Plan for Aberdeen
• Population Trends: recognition that the ageing of the City's population structure must be reversed if the City's prospects are to be maximised.
• National Policy Initiatives: statutory framework planning and supporting guidance and advice.

5.18 Housing Imbalance gives rise to the following specific problems:

• Leakage of families and skills to surrounding areas
• Need to provide housing opportunities close to City to reduce commuting
• Need to avoid town cramming
• Housebuilders' concern regarding lack of development opportunities
• Make best use of existing infrastructure
• Address issue of affordable housing.

5.19 The Green Belt does not necessarily have to be a 'belt' but should cover the most important areas - the intention is to use the policy to shape Aberdeen into a series of green fingers and wedges with new communities within. The fingers would also be connected by a series of orbital 'greenways' around Aberdeen to create the Greenspace Network.

Figure 5.1

5.20 The Greenspace Network covers those parts of Aberdeen's countryside that are considered the most intrinsically valuable from an ecological, landscape and recreational viewpoint. It will be an "Overlay Policy", literally riding above the local plan's Green Belt policy. Green Belt policy will be expressed in its usual ' presumption against development' phraseology (i.e. negative) with very few exemptions contemplated. All the areas 'shaded light green' on the map will be green belt. Any change to green belt boundaries would still have to be done through a local plan process, with all the attendant justification required. Greenspace Network policy will overlay parts of the green belt with the proactive (i.e. positive) policies about tree planting, landscape enhancement, management, access work, core paths, stiles, signs, etc. In addition the Greenspace Network can overlay other policy designations such as urban greenspace. This allows it to cover corridors and links from the countryside around Aberdeen to the heart of the City.

5.21 The possibility that this scenario might be perceived as a two tier approach, with a strong first tier (Greenspace Network) and a 'soft' second tier (light green) has been recognised. However this has had to be weighed against the need to secure real permanence for the more valuable parts of the green belt where limited resources will be directed to achieve enhancement - the protection of these areas will exert a major influence on urban form through the wedge configuration within the WPR. This pattern of urban growth will be reflected in the local plan and any changes to the boundaries of the green belt (light green) will be made through local plan reviews. Non-conforming development pressures will be resisted through argument based upon this overall approach.

5.22 Planning gain, based on the value created by adjacent developments, will be directed to these areas to subsidise landscape improvements.

5.23 Development fingers will be developed along the A96, A944, and A93 at Newhills, Maidencraig and Deeside. In the period up to 2010 green field allocations are proposed at Murcar, Kingswells, Deeside and City South to provide approximately 3600 homes on brownfield sites and 2100 homes on green field sites. Further substantial allocations are recommended for the period beyond 2010.

Comment

5.24 Aberdeen is a prosperous, growing city-region which has operated a traditional Green Belt policy but has become increasingly aware of its dysfunctional aspects, particularly from the viewpoints of sustainable development and quality of life. The opportunity of development plan reviews and the catalyst of a new peripheral road have led to a radical rethink of the role and function of the Green Belt, now seen as a Greenspace Network integral to an emerging urban form. This emphasises fingers of green and transport corridor-oriented development, and can be argued to be an exemplar of contemporary notions of preferred urban form. It is interesting to note that, within the development plan review cycle, the most radical steps in rethinking seem to be associated more with the Local than with the Structure Plan level of the system. Also noteworthy is the emphasis on quality of greenspace itself, from landscape, ecological and recreational perspectives, in influencing the new allocations.