SPP3 procedural guidance: Local authorities to adopt a more integrated approach to preparation of housing need and market assessments, local housing strategies and development plans. Monitor housing market areas and review assessment of housing requirements. Undertake annual housing land audit and monitor available housing supply and delivery. Use of developer contributions and collaborative working. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Promotes human health | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | + | Secondary effects | Emphasis on more structured and integrated approach to linking planning and housing analysis and policy should help to deliver an appropriate supply of housing and help to target housing provision in appropriate areas. Secondary effects for social inclusion. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | + | Secondary effects | As above - improved procedures should help to deliver a more integrated approach to developing sustainable settlements. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Maintains air quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Ensure the planning system helps to deliver the aspirational target of 35,000 new houses annually - requiring significantly more land for housing than has been the case in recent years. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | - | Cumulative effects at a national scale. Potentially direct effects, in the medium term increasing in the long term as brownfield sites become more scarce | Potential for adverse effects on biodiversity arising from an increase in housing supply, recognising the scale of annual completions represents around 1% of the existing housing stock. Increased pressure on greenfield sites likely to result in loss of some semi natural habitats, and fragmentation of networks leading to pressure on some species. Assumption that effects can be mitigated to an extent by controls for protected sites and species that are already in place. |
Promotes human health | +/- | Primary and secondary effects | Possible positive or negative effects on health and general wellbeing, depending on impacts on environmental resources, appropriate choice of sites, and overall increase in availability of quality housing stock. |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | + | | Will contribute positively to objectives for reducing social exclusion, community regeneration and affordable housing. Criteria on housing land supply reflects key driver of the policy. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | +/-? | | Effects may be positive or negative, depending on local level implementation. Important that planning system links overall levels of supply with more qualitative measures of environmental capacity. Need for overall increase in housing to be linked with requirements for infrastructure improvements - particularly in terms of water and drainage. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | - | | Domestic sector makes a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Important to build in emphasis on energy efficiency, green design and microrenewables in order to ensure growth in households does not contradict wider commitments to reducing emissions. |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | - | Potentially direct effects, in the medium term, increasing in the long term as brownfield sites become more scarce | Increased levels of development overall are likely to add to existing problems of diffuse pollution as a result of urban development. Potential for increased flood risk for properties, requiring mitigation through appropriate identification of sites and long term planning. Mitigation within development plans required to steer land allocations away from sensitive water bodies. Important to ensure appropriate links with water supplies, drainage and sewage treatment capacity and infrastructure. |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | - | Direct effects in the medium term, increasing in the long term as brownfield sites become scarce | Increased housing development is likely to result in soil sealing. This in turn could generate secondary effects for the water environment and biodiversity. |
Maintains air quality | -/+? | | Potential for positive or negative effects on air quality, depending on location of development proposals. Scope to reduce levels of unsustainable travel by promoting development in areas which are accessible by public transport. |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | +/- | Short term benefits | Wider emphasis within SPP may help to prioritise redevelopment of brownfield sites, contributing to the need to reduce vacant and derelict land. Possible benefits of an increased supply overall for rural areas - requires further consideration in relation to rural specific policy (see below). Possible issues arising in terms of increased requirements for waste management facilities, opportunities for recycling construction materials and pressure on mineral resources. |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | - | Cumulative effects | Increased land requirement could result in loss of or damage to archaeological remains. Wider effects on historic townscapes and the setting of listed buildings requiring appropriate mitigation through the planning system. |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | - | Cumulative effects | Substantial increase in land allocations for housing could exacerbate existing landscape problems, including loss of distinctiveness and character as a result of homogenous design of housing. Mitigation required within development plans and development management, in terms of choice of location, siting, design and landscape enhancement measures. |
Consider the achievement of high quality housing throughout the planning process in relation to locational and landscape context, connection, and regard for local identity. Annex D provides policy framework to guide consideration of factors influencing the design of new development, including use of SUDs, provision of open space, waste management, and other detailed design considerations. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | + | Secondary effects in the medium to long term. | Landscape enhancement and mitigation and SUDs have the potential to contribute to biodiversity objectives, if appropriately designed. |
Promotes human health | + | Long term benefits | Increased levels of physical activity should be achieved through the provision of good quality open space close to where people live. Quality housing supply should help to reduce health inequalities. |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | + | Long term benefits | Likely to provide benefits in relation to social inclusion, particularly by delivering networks of open space close to where people live. SUDS proposals may require community involvement to avoid barriers based on misconceptions about their functionality and to reduce concerns about safety of open water bodies. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | ++ | Long term benefits | Emphasis on linking housing with 'green infrastructure'. Likely to be compatible with broad objectives for delivering more sustainable settlement patterns, through improved environmental quality and networks of green space. Positive impacts could become more significant if consideration of climate change adaptation in relation to factors such as flood risk and migratory habitat networks was also built in. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | + | Long term cumulative benefits | Positive effects, providing that advice on good design takes into account energy efficiency. |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | + | Cumulative effects at a catchment wide scale, if strategic drainage capacity and solutions are delivered through development plans | Limited benefits arising from use of SUDS to mitigate potentially adverse effects from diffuse pollution. |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | + | Secondary effects | Generally compatible with soil objectives, providing that landscape enhancement proposals take into account soil stability. Design of SUDS and open space allocations should limit area of soil sealing. |
Maintains air quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated. Implicit reference to SPP10 builds in capacity for sustainable waste management as integral part of quality developments. |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | + | | Positive effects on the overall quality of townscapes as a result of an emphasis on high quality developments. |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | ++ | Cumulative effects | Good quality design should support the quality of the landscape setting of settlements, particularly where developments are in the urban fringe. Specific aim of this part of the SPP is to ensure that new housing areas avoid conflicting with landscape character, and contribute to enhancing it wherever possible. Emphasis on both landscaping to structure development areas and maintaining local distinctiveness through good design. |
Build energy efficiency into new developments and use resources efficiently. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated, beyond potential minor secondary effects arising from wider improvements to air quality. |
Promotes human health | + | | Possible benefits from health as a result of energy efficiency measures such as improved insulation. |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | + | Secondary effects | Important to ensure that this complements delivery of affordable housing in order to maximise benefits for fuel poverty, and contribute to social inclusion. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | ++ | Potentially significant cumulative effects, given proposed increase in housebuilding levels. | Specific aim of this component of the SPP. Could go further in explaining how this could be achieved, drawing from best practice and technological innovation, links with sourcing energy from microrenewables etc. |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Maintains air quality | + | | Benefits for air quality as a result of potential reduction in emissions from the energy sector |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | + | | General commitment to efficient use of resources is supported by implicit references to sectoral SPPs. This should support protection of mineral resources, and contribute to waste targets by increased emphasis on recycling or reuse of materials. Opportunities for local energy from waste proposals could be promoted as part of waste management strategies. |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated. |
Provide guidance on HMO accommodation in development plans - consider purpose built resources. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated. |
Promotes human health | + | Secondary effects | General benefits for community health and well being arising from improved planning of HMO accommodation. |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | ++ | Short to medium term effects may be achieved, depending on pace of planning delivery and resulting developments. | Likely to provide benefits for some communities, by ensuring a more proactive approach to planning HMO accommodation, thereby reducing adverse environmental effects such as noise, and allowing for appropriate delivery of supporting infrastructure ( e.g. waste management facilities). Benefits for social inclusion in some cases, and may improve access to affordable housing options. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | + | | Underlying objective of this part of the SPP - to ensure that settlements are planned in an integrated way, linking with infrastructure and capacity. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | + | Long term secondary effects | Potential benefits in terms of encouraging higher density living, thereby reducing resource use and potentially increasing |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | + | Secondary effects | Option to increase density of housing through proactively planned HMOs may reduce pressure for development on previously undeveloped land, thereby reducing pressure on soil resources. |
Maintains air quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | + | Secondary effects | General aim of achieving more efficient use of land - likely to be compatible with brownfield site use and sustainable waste management. Less relevant to rural criteria. Scope to consider waste management and facilities implications of HMOs. |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | + | | Potential benefits in terms of avoiding inappropriate reuse or redesign of historic buildings which may or may not be listed. |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated. |
Provide housing that better meets community needs - Plan for the creation of mixed communities, in terms of tenure, land use and density of development. Tenure should be indiscernible from design, quality or appearance of housing. Identify opportunities for mixed use proposals on appropriate sites but emphasise creation of high quality living environments. Consider the design of housing which is adaptable to meet differing household needs over time, including flexible living space, storage capacity and access to appropriate outdoor space. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated. Possible minor secondary positive effects arising from emphasis on outdoor space and quality living environments. |
Promotes human health | ++ | Long term benefits | Should make significant positive contribution to health by improving access to high quality housing, quality living environments and providing outdoor space which can be used for increased levels of physical activity. Particular benefits if improvements are focused on areas where social and health exclusion are currently highest. |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | ++ | Long term benefits | Likely to contribute to reducing social exclusion and community regeneration. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | ++ | | Fundamental aim of this part of the policy. Positive effects could be increased where development plans build long term capacity to adapt to climate change into proposals. More flexible design should reduce demand for newly sourced materials and make better use of housing stock. Likely to be aligned with infrastructure availability. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | + | Secondary effects | Potential benefits arising from reduced need to travel as a result of mixed use and higher densities in some areas. |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | + | | Potential to reduce requirements for greenfield land. |
| Maintains air quality | + | | Mixed use developments should help to reduce the need to travel, thereby contributing to air quality including in AQMAs where transport emissions are the key source of pollution. |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | + | | Likely to support aims of making best use of derelict and vacant land. Should provide additional need for facilities for sustainable waste management as an integral part of mixed use proposals. |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | + | Secondary effects | Positive effects on the overall quality of townscapes as a result of an emphasis on high quality developments. |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | + | Secondary effects | Good quality design should support the quality of the landscape setting of settlements, particularly where developments are in the urban fringe. |
Development plans to identify how affordable housing needs can be met where needs arise, including the use of percentage targets or allocation of sites specifically for affordable housing where appropriate. Use of Supplementary Planning Guidance on how affordable housing is expected to be delivered in that area. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated. |
Promotes human health | + | Secondary effects | Secondary effects on health and community well being as a result of improved access to affordable quality housing. |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | ++ | Long term benefits will be secured providing demand is regularly reviewed (see procedural recommendations within SPP3) | Affordable housing is the underlying driver of this part of the SPP. Mechanisms including targets, guidance and even land allocations likely to deliver on broader policy aspirations. Secondary benefits in relation to social inclusion and community regeneration. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | +/-? | | Emphasis on meeting affordable housing needs within the local area should support sustainable settlement patterns - conversely, an emphasis on achieving delivery of affordable housing within the local area may be less viable in some areas, putting pressure on existing patterns of expansion and undermining need for more sustainable approaches. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated. Important that intention to meet needs locally correlates with water and drainage infrastructure availability. |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Maintains air quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Make provision for long term strategic housing requirements covering 20 years in development plans and identify sufficient appropriate land to deliver housing requirements as part of a long term sustainable settlement strategy that takes capacity into account. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | + | Long term secondary effects | Long term perspective should take environmental capacity into account, thereby allowing for current and future ecological sensitivity to be understood and reflected within land allocations. |
Promotes human health | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | + | Long term effects | Generally positive effects as a result of more effective and sustainable settlement growth planned over the long term providing more scope to deliver on affordable housing needs and community regeneration priorities. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | ++ | Long term significant effects | Primary driver of this policy. Likely to ensure housing allocations are better linked with infrastructure availability and planned investment over the long term. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | + | Secondary effects | General emphasis on sustainable settlement strategies should reflect the need to ensure that housing land allocations are linked with public transport to reduce emissions from road transport users. |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | + | Long term secondary effects | As with biodiversity, long term perspective should provide scope for settlement patterns to be defined on the basis of long term water capacity and quality issues. Important that long term perspective builds in recognition of flood risk, particularly in terms of potential future increasing risk arising from climate change. |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Maintains air quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | + | Secondary long term effects | Long term perspective should help to ensure reuse of brownfield sites is prioritised. Long term perspective also likely to be generally compatible with rural development criteria, given the relatively slow pace of change involved in most cases. |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | + | | Likely to lead to better planned long term settlement expansion which in turn should be more compatible with landscape character and local distinctiveness. |
Approach to site selection - focus on brownfield sites, then greenfield, but also guided by a range of capacity and sustainability interests. Promote the efficient use of land and buildings to make use of existing infrastructure - use urban capacity studies to achieve this, and consider use of brownfield targets. Development patterns should seek to reduce demand for travel and reliance on the private car - preference to locations which are accessible by a range of means of transport - brown or greenfield. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | +/- | Secondary effects | Potentially mixed effects depending on sites selected. Urban capacity studies should take ecological sensitivity into account. Choice of brown or greenfield sites should be informed by an assessment of their relative value for biodiversity. Greenfield site development may not always generate most negative effects on biodiversity, given value of some brownfield sites as part of urban green networks, special characteristics of some contaminated land etc. |
Promotes human health | + | | Possible health benefits arising from reduced use of the car in favour of more active forms of transport - walking and cycling. |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | + | | Benefits of better planned approach to settlements that considers their function and capacity on a holistic basis. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | ++ | Benefits in the long term | Emphasis on a flexible approach to brown or green field development reflects the need to deliver on broader aspects of sustainability - overall settlement patterns and infrastructure availability. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | ++ | Secondary effects | Emphasis on achieving sustainable settlement patterns should include commitments to reducing need to travel by road, thereby contributing to wider commitment to reducing transport emissions. Efficient use of land and buildings should reduce waste and associated emissions. |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | + | Secondary effects | Potential benefits where capacity studies and emphasis on achieving sustainable development patterns corresponds with water and drainage capacity, flood risk, and ecological vulnerability. |
Protects of enhances the quality of soils | +/- | Secondary effects | Potential benefits where capacity studies and emphasis on achieving sustainable development patterns corresponds with soil capacity and remediation of derelict land. Could also, however, result in development of greenfield land, thereby increasing soil sealing. |
Maintains air quality | + | | Emphasis on flexibility to achieve sustainable development could complement air quality objectives by helping to achieve sustainable development patterns that better link with public transport networks. |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | +/- | | Effects in relation to reuse of brownfield land may be mixed as a result of acknowledgement that this may not necessarily constitute the most sustainable option when considered from a more holistic perspective. |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | + | Secondary effects | Potential benefits where capacity studies and emphasis on achieving sustainable development patterns corresponds with cultural heritage sensitivities. |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | + | | Potential benefits where capacity studies and emphasis on achieving sustainable development patterns includes consideration of landscape capacity. |
Development plans should specify the scale and location of new settlements where they are considered an appropriate part of a settlement strategy. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | - | Potential short to long term effects, with synergistic effects when considered alongside possible impacts on other environmental resources such as water and soil. | Potential for new settlements to lead to uptake of greenfield land for housing, leading to loss of semi natural habitats, and possible ecological damage or fragmentation. Sensitivity of sites and species should form a key consideration when identifying potential location and scale of such development. |
Promotes human health | + | | No significant effects, beyond a general contribution to health and wellbeing provided by new settlements that build in scope for walking and cycling. |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | + | Secondary effects | Should indirectly contribute to criteria that promote delivery of affordable housing and social inclusion. Green networks should be built into new settlements to contribute to improved living environments. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | + | | Providing that new settlements deliver a more sustainable pattern of development, these criteria are likely to be supported. Important that future vulnerability of location to climate change is taken into account when planning development and associated infrastructure ( e.g. flood risk, requirements for drainage and water abstraction etc.) |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | ? | Long term benefits, potentially preceded by negative effects as a result of increased travel distance | Difficult to determine whether or not this might increase transport requirements, thereby increasing emissions. Potential for integrated settlement planning to deliver long term benefits by linking new housing with community facilities, employment etc, providing that mixed use is achieved. At the same time, a new freestanding settlement may generate additional travel as a result of reliance on jobs, education, retail and health facilities provided in existing settlements. Effects will be largely dependent on location and in particular public transport accessibility. |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | -? | | Potential for adverse effects arising from large scale development of greenfield sites - increased soil sealing, diffuse pollution, flood risk etc. Effects will be largely dependent on scale and location - important to avoid areas which are currently vulnerable to this type of development. Important that choice of location takes into account water infrastructure and flood risk over long term. |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | - | | Potential for adverse effects arising from large scale development of greenfield sites - increased soil sealing |
| Maintains air quality | -/+ | | Potential for new settlements to generate further transport movements, depending on level of service provision, location and accessibility by public transport. Could increase or reduce pressure on some AQMAs by diverting or reducing congestion. |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | -/+? | Secondary effects on aspirations for rural development, depending on location | A new settlement may not support the criterion relating to brownfield redevelopment. Potentially positive effects on rural development related objectives, depending on location and relationship of new settlement with wider area. Scope for new settlement to support rural service provision, including public transport links and waste management capacity, if appropriately located and planned. Sustainable waste management infrastructure requirements should be incorporated into new settlement planning. |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | - | | Potential for adverse effects arising from large scale development of greenfield sites - loss of, or damage to archaeological remains |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | +/-? | | May result in positive or negative on existing landscape character, depending on location chosen. Development within a well planned new settlement could reduce pressure on some vulnerable landscapes, including those on the fringe of settlements |
Harness demand for rural housing to provide wider community benefits. Meet needs in or around existing settlements, conversions or limited new housing in groups. Local authorities should set out policy to guide rural housing development. |
SEA Objectives | Summary | Characterisation of effects | Comments |
Protects or enhances biodiversity, flora or fauna | +/- | Secondary effects | A plan-led approach to housing in rural areas should reduce pressure on habitats and species. Potential for some adverse effects arising from more relaxed policy in other areas requiring appropriate local level responses. |
Promotes human health | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Safeguards or enhances the living environments of people or communities | + | Potential long term effects | Scope for further links with affordable housing, where it has a specifically rural dimension. Emphasis on linking housing with wider community benefits should be beneficial. Will help to maintain focus on community regeneration areas in and around larger settlements. |
Promotes the development of a sustainable settlement pattern and physical infrastructure | + | Secondary negative effects | Generally compatible as a result of an emphasis on linking new housing with existing building groups or settlements and on harnessing their benefits for wider rural regeneration by promoting sustainable development at a broader level. Important to link with rural infrastructure capacity. |
Reduces energy consumption and / or CO2 emissions | 0 | | Neutral effects anticipated - unlikely that policy would either lead to an increase or a decrease in emissions from the transport or energy sectors. More innovative thinking on sustainable rural development patterns could be used to provide more benefits. |
Reduces water pollution or enhances water quality | + | | As with biodiversity, assumption that generally constrained approach would limit pressure on water resources. Need to link with rural water infrastructure capacity enhancement in some areas. |
Protects or enhances the quality of soils | + | | As above |
Maintains air quality | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Encourages efficient use of land and resources | 0 | | No significant effects anticipated |
Safeguards or enhances the built environment | + | Long term benefits as a result of emphasis on conversions, where appropriately undertaken | As with other local environmental resources, assumption that general plan-led approach would limit pressure on cultural heritage resources. Careful attention to the townscape impacts of settlement or building group expansions, and rural conversions required through the development planning process. |
Respects and protects the character, diversity and special qualities of Scotland's landscapes. | +/- | | As previous - plan-led approach should minimise pressure on landscape character. Possibility of development outwith settlements in remote areas could conflict with protection of landscape character. |