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Introduction
The planning system already provides for new development that can be well located, well designed and takes account of the needs and aspirations of local communities in the context of wider global challenges. The Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative ( SSCI) goes further by encouraging inspirational developments which will serve as exemplars of the highest quality development that can be achieved at the beginning of the 21st Century.
There is no simple definition of a "sustainable community". Spatial planning, architecture, design and building standards play a significant role in shaping buildings and places in ways which also take account of and mitigate the effects of climate change. There are some obvious characteristics of sustainability including very low carbon footprints, low impact/natural building materials and on-site renewables. Others are less visible. A comprehensive approach is necessary, enabling the design and creation of "places" which have identity and which have benefits for the wider area, the existing community, the people who will live and work there and the environment. Homogenous, single-use housing areas that are not well related to the patterns of development around them and which encourage consumption of energy and resources and unhealthy and insular lifestyles should be relegated to the past.
The SSCI is one of the ways in which the Scottish Government is influencing and shaping future development which should be, not only environmentally, but also economically and socially sustainable. The SSCI encourages the creation of a number of very low or zero carbon communities and provides a platform to stimulate a rise in environmental and design quality standards within new developments and to showcase the architectural and design skills that exist in Scotland. The aim is to create places that will be inherently sustainable as a result of their enduring appeal.
The Scottish Government is not seeking to be prescriptive about the scale of development which could be proposed under the SSCI. It is recognised that across Scotland there is scope for new sustainable communities to take a variety of forms. A relatively small scale proposal in a remote rural location which is well connected to and supports existing communities in the local area, whilst being sustainable in itself may also help neighbouring places to become more sustainable. Appropriate development which supports the future of small towns may also be part of this Initiative. A large scale new build or regeneration project within a city could be promoted as a new sustainable neighbourhood, again influencing sustainability in surrounding areas. There may also be opportunity or need for the creation of a wholly new sustainable settlement in certain parts of the country. The scale of a proposed development relative to its setting and location will be an important part of the consideration of the sustainability of all proposals and will determine the variety and mix of land uses required.
Successful proposals will benefit from support in progressing developments through regulatory processes and assistance with masterplanning, and innovative community engagement. One of the key requirements of the Initiative is that proposals are developed in partnership - the public and private sector both need to be signed up to enable the delivery of these new communities, which in some cases will be over the long term. This coupled with the themes of planning modernisation in relation to early engagement with communities, planning authorities making their requirements clear from the outset, and developers providing all necessary information to enable a decision to be reached should secure a clear route through the planning system without Government involvement. Direct financial assistance from the Scottish Government towards SSCI proposals will not generally be available.
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