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introduction
1. Agriculture is the most extensive rural land use in Scotland, with over 75% of the land used for agricultural production. Farm buildings are therefore a frequent, and in some cases a conspicuous, element in the landscape. In addition, forests and woodlands cover another 14% of the land area. The White Paper "This Common Inheritance" (published in September 1990) sets out the Government's broad objectives for protecting the environment, including the need to integrate environmental and economic activity in rural areas. One measure designed to help bring this about was the introduction of changes in the system of planning control over agricultural and forestry buildings.
2. These changes have now been incorporated in Parts 6 and 7 of Schedule 1 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 (known as the 'Permitted Development Order') which came into operation in March 1992. They reduce permitted development rights and also bring into operation a system of prior notification of farm and forestry buildings not subject to planning control. SOEnD Circular 5/1992 details the procedures which give local authorities power to exercise control over the siting, design and external appearance of these buildings.
3. This Planning Advice Note provides supplementary advice on the siting and design of new farm and forestry buildings. The main objective is to indicate how development, through the application of appropriate siting and design criteria, can be reconciled with environmental and landscape considerations to achieve a high standard of design throughout the countryside and not just in designated areas of high environmental quality. More specifically, the advice note deals with the matters which local authorities should take into account when considering building proposals which are submitted to them under the notification system. The advice will also be relevant to those undertaking such developments.
4. Although this advice note covers both farm and forestry developments, buildings associated with forestry have not given rise to the same public concern. This is because forestry buildings are relatively few in number, and generally located within woodland areas. The advice is therefore primarily directed at the siting and design of farm buildings, but the general principles also apply to forestry related buildings.
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