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TOWARDS A DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR RURAL SCOTLAND |
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| Foreword |
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TOWARDS A DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR RURAL SCOTLAND |
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| Foreword |
| Rural areas form a substantial part of Scotland - 90% measured by land area and one third in population terms - and rural development is one of my top priorities. |
| We have been elected with a Manifesto commitment to sustain vibrant local communities in rural and remote areas. We recognise that those who live and work in rural areas have special needs. We also recognise that the countryside is a great natural asset, a part of our heritage which calls for careful stewardship. We need to balance this with the needs of the people who live and work there. |
I want to
see a rural policy which:
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| I am keen to listen to your views as to how we can achieve this. I want to develop policies with the people who live in rural Scotland, for the people who live in rural Scotland. We believe in being people-centred, listening to what local people want. |
| We made it clear in our Manifesto that sustainable development would be at the heart of all our policies. This is particularly true of rural development, and the key message in this paper is that all our policies will recognise the environmental, economic and social dimensions to life. These dimensions are inter-related, and we need an integrated approach, aimed at delivering sustainable development in rural Scotland. People live and work in rural areas, but they cannot do so in a museum-like time warp. There must be ways of integrating the economic, social and environmental, the desire to live 21st Century lives with maintaining Scotland's beauty. |
| We have already taken decisive action. In September I announced our commitment to the establishment of a National Park for Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. We have also said that National Parks may be appropriate for a small number of other areas in Scotland, where we are looking for a sustainable approach which balances the requirements of economic and social development with those of conservation. Our announcement has already moved the debate on National Parks into a positive arena. |
| Our proposals for a Scottish Parliament are by now well-known, and good progress is being made. A Scottish Parliament will empower the Scottish people, including those living in rural Scotland. We will be fully engaged in proposals for reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and of the European Structural Funds. |
| This consultation raises specific issues which are of particular importance for rural Scotland. I look forward to seeing your views in response. |
| DONALD DEWAR |