
Planning authorities and landscape
Each and every planning authority across Scotland has a pivotal role in protecting and enhancing our landscapes.
Each and every planning authority across Scotland has a pivotal role in protecting and enhancing our landscapes.
Planning authorities are uniquely placed to put national and local landscape policy into practice within Scotland’s communities. In doing so, they both:
These are often thought of as competing priorities. But high quality environments – landscapes and townscapes – are vital to our health and to Scotland’s economy. Find out more about landscapes, health and economy.
Under the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967, all public bodies have a duty to further the conservation of biodiversity, natural beauty and amenity.
Planning authorities must consider how landscapes in their area should be safeguarded and enhanced through plans, policies and projects. Developers are responsible for putting these into practice.
The planning system guides decisions on the location, siting and design of new development and proactively plans for change. As such, it has a strong influence on the nature of landscape change.
Planning authorities play a vital role in sustaining high quality landscapes, which:
Actions to achieve these outcomes can take many forms.
Planning authorities should recognise the importance of high quality and attractive environments when developing strategies for:
Below are some more specific ways in which planning authorities can carry out their landscape role.
Landscape character is the distinct and recognisable pattern of elements that occurs consistently in a specific type of landscape.
Planning authorities should:
Planning authorities should:
Planning authorities should:
We aim to help planning authorities increase their expertise and ability to carry out their landscape duties, by:
Get in touch to discuss your authority’s skills and capacity building needs.
Get in touch if you have questions.