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INVESTING IN QUALITY Improving the Design of New Housing in the Scottish Countryside |
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| Foreword
This consultation document is one of a series of follow-up actions foreshadowed in our Discussion Paper "Towards a Development Strategy for Rural Scotland" published last October. The Discussion Paper emphasised the overarching aim of fostering and enabling the sustainable development of rural communities. Many of the rural areas most in need of economic and social development are, of course, places where the countryside is particularly valuable and sensitive. Scotland's natural heritage is one of its most important assets. It includes landscapes of international renown which attract visitors from throughout the world. Environmental protection has a key part to play in conservation and enhancing those assets and in helping local communities to derive economic and social benefits from them. Housing is the main source of new building in rural Scotland and it is the issue of the quality of design of these new houses which is addressed in this fresh consultation. Quality in design is important. Good design helps not only to define a country but is important economically. The Government expect the Scottish Parliament also to think the same. We all know those European countries which have established a high reputation in design and it tends to permeate not only their built environments but also a wide range of their products. The design and fit of new housing in the countryside is one of the aspects of new development which strikes people most as they travel about the country. We want to emphasise, however, that we do not equate good design in new rural housing with expensive housing. Moderately priced and indeed low cost houses can also look well and fit in happily in their landscapes. This is one of the major themes raised in the consultation paper and is at the heart of our concern about balancing the environmental, social and economic dimension in future rural development. We hope you find the paper interesting and thought-provoking and we would welcome your views on the issues it raises.
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