PLANNING ADVICE NOTE: PAN 73: RURAL DIVERSIFICATION
How Planning can Support Rural Diversification
14. Successful diversification means supporting existing businesses and traditional activities whilst embracing innovation, new activities and new business ideas. Affording people the opportunity to continue to work in rural areas helps them stay connected with their communities rather than become detached. Welcoming new people to our countryside helps maintain its vitality. Planning can respond positively to these demands of diversification and assist in ensuring that the vitality and vibrancy of our rural areas is maintained.
Helen Denerly, Sculptor, Strathdon
15. There are a number of ways in which planning can assist those in rural communities who want to start new businesses or develop their existing business. Planners can support rural diversification by:
- promoting diversification through development plans. Plans should contain positive policies that encourage rural diversification and are appropriate to the rural areas they apply to. They should also identify sites that offer a choice of size, location and environmental amenity, in order to meet the varying demands of businesses and allow them to be located in the most suitable and sustainable locations. Development plans should also reflect the aspirations of the communities in their area;
- giving sound and helpful advice. Planners should respond positively to proposals that promote diversification. As well as being able to give planning advice, planners are well placed to highlight other sources of advice and draw attention to schemes that can be of support. Identifying issues early and resolving any problems helps keep delays to a minimum. It is also important to be clear about real constraints, and negotiating between conflicting interests will often be necessary;
- encouraging sustainable diversification. Rural diversification can attract new people into declining communities and help local economies to grow. It can also reduce commuting, help to protect existing environmental and heritage assets, bring brownfield sites back into use and help to deliver environmental enhancements. Sustainable diversification may involve new housing. It is important for planners to consider the economic and social, as well as environmental, implications for sustainability;
- addressing issues of accessibility, infrastructure, scale and design. Infrastructure issues relating to access, public transport, water supply, drainage or ICT provision, are frequently to the fore in rural areas. Environmental sensitivities also need to be considered and there can be difficult issues about the design quality of new build or the re-use of old buildings. At the same time, diversification provides opportunities to promote good design, enhance the environment and rural landscape, release the potential of our heritage and realise community benefits and infrastructure improvements; and
- recognising individual circumstances. One size does not fit all and a flexible approach is often required to help businesses realise their opportunities. It is important to take into account the particular needs or special circumstances of a business and be realistic about the resources available to them.
Emtelle UK Ltd, Fibre-optic Research Centre, Hawick