The Scottish Office (Back)

TOWARDS A DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR RURAL SCOTLAND
 
SECTION 1 - OVERALL AIMS FOR RURAL SCOTLAND
Purpose of this paper
1. This paper sets out the overall aims which the new Government plans to follow in all its policies for rural Scotland, and the principles on which those policies will be based. It also outlines some of the key challenges we face in making this vision a reality, and invites views on what changes are needed in the structures and decision-making processes which affect rural Scotland to implement these new policies.
2. We intend to be a listening Government. Comments on the Government's approach as set out in this paper, particularly on the specific questions summarised at the end, are invited by the end of March 1998. Views will however be welcome at any time beyond this period. We have a long term vision, to bring about fundamental and enduring improvements to the life chances of those who live in rural areas. Our task over the next few years is to develop a coherent strategic framework for rural Scotland which will be of particular assistance to the Scottish Parliament in its formative years. The Scottish Parliament can have a vital and revitalising impact on rural Scotland.
3. Consultation will not however be a substitute for action. The Government in its first six months has already taken decisive action in key policy areas of crucial importance to those who live and work in rural Scotland: in particular, progress to establish the Scottish Parliament; the decision to introduce National Parks in Scotland based on the overall aim of sustainable development; and the setting up of the Land Reform Policy Group. In its Manifesto the Government made it clear that it is committed to sustaining vibrant local communities in rural and remote areas. It recognises that policies need to be adjusted to the special circumstances of rural Scotland so that they best meet the needs of people who live and work in rural areas.
Rural Scotland in context
4. There are many myths about rural Scotland and its communities. Far from reflecting traditional pastoral images of contented, static and self-contained communities, most of rural Scotland is characterised by inequalities in wealth, status and power, rapidly changing economic and social circumstances, and increasingly close integration into the wider national, and indeed international, economies and decision-making structures.
5. Policies for rural Scotland cannot be considered in isolation from trends and developments in the wider world. We live in an age of rapid changes in information technology and telecommunications. Across the world, barriers to trade and investment are being removed by deregulation, trade agreements, and improved communications. Many companies operate on a global scale, and are most likely to locate in countries where barriers to entry are low, and where the labour force is educated and flexible. People and ideas are increasingly the source of competitive advantage. All these changes have fundamental implications for rural Scotland and the ways in which Governments can devise policies. They bring challenges and opportunities for the people of rural Scotland.
6. A practical effect of these changes is that the old constraints of location which have hindered economic development in much of rural Scotland have been significantly reduced. People can keep in touch from anywhere in the world through the use of telephone, fax and modem. The Internet provides access to instantaneous information, and allows a business or town to advertise itself to a global audience. People can choose their bed and breakfast in Banchory or Biggar from the United States or Australia. On-line shopping over the Internet enables the individual to buy a specific compact disc or book from a specialist supplier. By setting up a website the manufacturer or craftsman working in a remote glen has access to a world market. Substantial investment by the telecommunications companies and by Highlands and Islands Enterprise means that rural areas of Scotland can benefit from these developments. Rural dwellers not only benefit from the attendant employment opportunities, but have access to greater choice, and the possibility of diversity of supply. In this respect, the rural dweller is no longer at such a disadvantage compared with his or her urban counterpart as in the past.
7. But the telecommunications revolution also brings with it the risk that fragile rural economies will be damaged if they do not adapt to the new circumstances. Easier access to markets works both ways. But while rural Scotland does not have the economies of scale which benefit larger urban areas, it does have many potential advantages with which to compete in the wider market. This reflects the fact that, alongside globalisation, there is also a powerful trend towards emphasising local distinctiveness. As the world economy grows, and wealth increases, people do not just want the mass-produced article made in some anonymous factory - they are prepared to pay more for a quality product with a known brand name, or for something which is locally produced in a quality environment and distinctively different. Rural Scotland has many potential advantages in this respect, and there are many Scottish products (eg Arran Foods and Baxters) which are already marketed in this way. Rather than exporting high quality primary products, we must increasingly look to adding value in the rural economy in a way which maintains and indeed enhances the quality of the final product.
8. Over recent decades, many of the broad aggregate indicators of economic and social development have shown that rural Scotland has performed relatively well compared with urban Scotland. For example, the population of rural Scotland is increasing, and unemployment has tended to be rather lower than that in urban areas. But this general picture masks problems at a more local level. First, there is wide variation between the economic health of different areas of rural Scotland, with continuing depopulation in some areas and pockets of real disadvantage. Second, rural people are more likely than those in towns to be working in seasonal, insecure and poor quality jobs, paying low wages. Third, average indicators are less meaningful in rural areas because of the greater tendency for high and low income families to live in the same communities. The substantial deprivation which exists in rural Scotland is not as obvious as in our large urban areas because it tends not to be geographically concentrated. Fourth, the provision and quality of many basic services to rural areas are handicapped by high costs. Non-existent or poor public transport means many rural people have no option but to own a car, even when their income is low. Local services may be some distance away, adding to their plight. Home-working and "telecottaging" may intensify social isolation. The Government is determined to tackle these problems by reducing inequalities of wealth and power, and widening opportunities to everyone in rural Scotland. Policy in rural Scotland, like our approach in other areas, will be based on our determination to be a Government working actively in the interests of the many and not the few.
Overall policy aims
9. The overall aim of all our policies for rural Scotland is to foster and enable the sustainable development of rural communities. Sustainable development is the over-arching theme at the heart of all our policies, and both words are important: sustainable in the sense that proper regard must be had to the longer term consequences of development, for example in relation to the environment; and development because we wish to see human social and economic advances, leading to further opportunities and a higher quality of life for rural people.
10. Sustainable development depends on taking an integrated approach to each of three main policy objectives: economic, social and environmental. We want to secure more job opportunities and greater prosperity for rural Scotland. We want to improve the quality of services and enable local communities to retain population and expand social and cultural facilities. And we want to safeguard, and where possible to enhance, the natural heritage and environment of rural Scotland. These three facets of sustainable development - economic, social and environmental - are equally important. We must have regard to all three when taking decisions on any issue affecting rural Scotland, maximising social and economic benefits from environmental investments, as well as maximising environmental benefits from economic and social investments.
11. In applying the overall aim of sustainable development to the rural context, we wish to learn from the experience of the previous Government. Some of the ideas on which previous policies were based, for example partnership, were good ones, and we are happy to endorse them. But this is a Labour Government, with a fundamentally different approach on many issues, and a determination to put effective policies into practice to secure real and lasting changes for rural people.
12. The Government believe that rural development should be driven by the priorities of local people to a much larger extent than in the past. Rural communities should be able to shape their own future and take part in the decisions that affect the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being of their area. The key to achieving sustainable development in all three of its facets - economic, social and environmental - is to put local people in the position of subjects of their own development rather than objects of development. Development is something that individuals and groups do. It is not something done to them.
13. Real sustainable development cannot therefore be a top down or prescriptive process carried out by Government. On the contrary, it is a major challenge facing local people and local communities, which to be effective should be based on a local analysis of local needs. The objective is for individuals and groups to take more responsibility for their own development, overcoming the corrosive psychological effect of decades of lack of control and the promotion of negative self-images. A grass-roots, bottom-up approach to sustainable rural development is likely to be a relatively slow process - there are no instant solutions - but it is a more durable approach because it has its roots firmly planted in rural communities themselves.
14. No single solution is appropriate across the whole of rural Scotland, and it is vital that local people are able to tackle their own particular circumstances, developing solutions which meet their needs. Local leadership and local enterprise, perhaps assisted by development agents, sometimes called "animateurs", will have a crucial role to play in this process. This is a challenging approach. The Government believes that increased responsibility will follow the devolution of power to local communities, and that greater involvement will bring about a wider acceptance that the future of rural areas lies in the hands of those who live there.
Putting Sustainable Development into Practice
15. The Government has already made a bold start in advancing its overall policy aims. As a major part of its commitment to sustainable development, the Secretary of State announced on 15 September that National Parks would be established in Scotland, starting with Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. We believe National Parks are the right way forward for Scotland. They will close a major gap in the current system of natural heritage designations, to improve the management of a small number of relatively large areas of outstanding natural heritage importance. A key objective will be to take an integrated approach to economic, social and environmental needs in these areas, taking full account of the interests of those who live and work in the areas.
16. National Parks in Scotland will be tailored to the particular requirements of Scotland, rather than introducing a model from outside. Moreover, the arrangements for individual National Parks will reflect local circumstances - the problems facing Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, for example, are different from those in the Cairngorms. The Government has asked SNH to consult on which areas should be designated National Parks, how they should be run, and what powers should be available. The Scottish Parliament will address these issues in detail and ensure the passing of legislation appropriate to Scottish circumstances. The key point is that we have taken decisive action to move the debate on National Parks into a positive arena. For the new arrangements sustainability will be the decisive criterion. We have no interest in creating living museums. On the contrary, we are determined to achieve local social and economic development in tandem with conservation.
17. The advent of a Scottish Parliament by the year 2000 will bring unprecedented opportunities for a more integrated approach to achieve sustainable development for rural Scotland, as for other parts for Scotland. It therefore represents a vital part of the context within which the Government's policies for rural Scotland must be developed over the next few years. The electoral arrangements for the new Parliament, involving an important element of proportional representation, will guarantee that the rural voice is heard loud and clear.
18. We have already taken early action to fulfil the Manifesto pledge to establish, with the consent of the people of Scotland, a Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom. The White Paper proposals for devolution were published on 24 July, Under the terms of the White Paper, the great majority of central Government services will be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. Some of the devolved areas of responsibility, such as agriculture, fishing and forestry, or the environment, are of obvious rural concern, but the relevance of devolution to rural areas goes broader than this. In housing, education, health, transport, economic development and many other sectors in which rural Scotland has distinct needs, decisions will be made in Scotland. These proposals were strongly endorsed in the referendum of 11 September, and a Bill to implement the proposals will be introduced to Parliament in a few weeks time.
19. The new Parliament will be a fundamental part of the most radical overhaul of the UK Constitution this century. The aim is to make Government more open, accessible and accountable to the people it serves by devolving power as close as practicable to the local level. The guiding principle is to trust people to make the right decisions on their own behalf. The Government wants not only to devolve power from London to Edinburgh, but from The Scottish Office to local authorities, and from local government to local communities. Giving local people more control over the resources that affect development will thereby encourage local enterprise and entrepreneurship. In turn, this will build self-confidence and help to remove the dependency culture which can be a barrier to securing development.
20. If we want our policies to succeed in fostering sustainable development, it is essential that we are able to measure what progress is being made towards the overall aim, and its three component objectives: economic, social and environmental. Only then will it be possible to judge how effective the policies are, and to consider making changes where necessary to improve their effectiveness.
21. The National Rural Partnership, which brings together representatives of Government, its agencies, local authorities, and from the private and voluntary sectors concerned with rural Scotland, has already started identifying economic, social and environmental objectives for rural Scotland, and indicators which will enable us to judge whether these objectives are being met. The Government has asked the National Rural Partnership to develop this work, and to publish a report next year which will serve as a benchmark against which to evaluate future progress towards the sustainable development of rural Scotland.
22. In taking forward policies, a balance will often of course have to be struck between environmental, economic and social considerations. Such trade-offs are frequently best made at a local level, where local people are more likely to have greater knowledge of the particular circumstances than those at the centre. But there also needs to be a clear framework within which local decisions are taken, and there is a need for national guidance on policy issues which transcend local boundaries, and also for the dissemination of good practice so that people are able to learn from the experience of others. To take just one example, it is heartening to note that there are many good examples in the small burghs and villages scattered across rural Scotland where development has been handled sensitively, with old (and sometimes derelict) buildings being restored and put to new use, and where new buildings respect local traditions and character. The Government will be issuing a discussion paper early next year on rural housing design with the aim of stimulating a greater awareness of the importance of good design, and the opportunities which exist for developing distinctive local styles and the greater use of local materials.
23. In many contexts, environmental and economic and social considerations go hand in hand. For example, the Government is keen that full advantage is taken of the tourism opportunities offered by Scotland's natural heritage, while ensuring that tourism pressure does not have an adverse effect on the environment. The Tourism and the Environment Task Force aims to promote awareness and understanding of the interactions between tourism and the natural and built environment; develop a planned approach to tourism development which addresses tourism and environmental issues in an integrated way; market Scotland as a tourism destination based on the sustainable use of the natural and built environment; and promote the adoption of environmentally sensitive practices. There are already many examples of how nature reserves or other conservation initiatives can bring considerably economic and social benefits to local communities. The National Rural Partnership will also be publishing advice on new ideas in wildlife tourism early in 1998.
24. The planning system has a key role to play in promoting sustainable development. It is one of the mechanisms available to communities to identify and promote future development opportunities whilst conserving the natural and built heritage. Development plans in particular provide a basis for integrating policies and proposals which support sustainable development. They also provide the context which enables the public and private sectors to work together towards agreed strategic land use objectives.
25. A review of current development plans reveals that all twelve structure plans and more than half of local plans have considered issues relating to rural development. Structure plans and local plans have covered such things as settlement pattern, provision of rural services, conservation of natural heritage interests, tourism, and providing for affordable housing. The Government will publish in Summer 1998 a National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) on rural development. This will set out a policy context for rural businesses, and also provide guidance for planning authorities to promote initiatives relating to tourism, environmental enhancement, the need for quality in new development and the re-use of redundant buildings.