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CITY REGION BOUNDARIES STUDY
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
1.1 The "Review of Strategic Planning" consultation paper was published in June 2001. It recognised the need for improvements to strategic planning in Scotland and proposed changes to modernise and streamline the planning system. In particular, it suggested that a two-tier system of development planning was not necessary for all areas, with two-tiers only being needed for strategic issues likely to cross local authority boundaries.
1.2 The document also suggested that the higher tier of plan should only be produced for Scotland's four largest cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee, and their hinterlands. For these cities and their surrounding area of influence, the City Regions, the document proposed that local authorities should work in partnership to produce a strategic development plan for the area.
1.3 Consultation responses for the Review of Strategic Planning were analysed by consultant Geoff Peart, and published in February 2002. The Scottish Ministers announced the conclusions and next steps in June 2002.
1.4 In parallel with the Review of Strategic Planning, a Review of Scotland's Cities started in 2001, and is scheduled for conclusion in 2002. This review examines the current prospects for the economic, environmental and social development of the cities; and will identify Scottish Executive policies that will improve those prospects, taking account of the interactions between the cities, their surrounding areas and the rest of Scotland. The Cities Review will consider issues of territorial management across a range of policy issues, acknowledging the variable functional boundaries of city regions.
RESEARCH AIMS
1.5 This research aims to identify local authorities which could work together in partnership for the four cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen. It does not aim to define specific boundaries for City Regions but seeks to identify broad areas of influence.
1.6 Primarily, strategic planning is concerned with housing, employment, retail and transport. The main aims of the research are therefore to:
- Identify the area of influence of the four cities using data covering housing market areas, transport links, travel to work and retail catchments; and
- Identify the local authorities which could participate in joint working on strategic planning for each city region.
APPROACH TO THE WORK
1.7 The project has included a survey of local authorities and Structure Plan teams, data assembly, analysis and mapping. This report describes the results of the surveys and mapping of functional boundaries covering: housing market areas, strategic transport links and corridors, travel to work areas, and retail catchments.
1.8 Since it is envisaged that local authorities would, if necessary, define boundaries for city regions as part of their joint working, no precise boundaries have been defined. However, it is recognised that the practical planning framework must reflect existing administrative structures. Much of the analysis has therefore been undertaken at a Council level. It is recognised that at this very course geographical level many important interdependencies will not be identified, and some local cross boundary issues may appear to affect larger areas. Nevertheless, the approach does ensure that each Council's stake in the functioning of the major cities is defined seeking to match decision making roles with the responsibility for the implications of the decisions.
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