| Chapter 5 Conclusions and Issues
82 The Government have made clear their commitment to sustain
vibrant rural communities. They recognise the enormous changes and challenges facing rural
areas in the face of globalisation of the world economy but alongside that there is a
powerful trend emphasising local distinctiveness and that is welcome. They want to
encourage more local decision-making and believe that rural development should be driven
by the priorities of local people to a much greater extent than in the past.
83 The Government want to see new rural development well placed in
its environment. It is intended to publish this summer a National Planning Policy
Guideline on Rural Development which will cover a wide range of aspects including the role
of development plans, business, tourism, and the need for quality generally in new
development.
84 Visitors have a high expectation about what rural Scotland should
look like. New housing is the major form of development there and it is often prominent.
Consequently, its siting and design are important in terms of the impression people have
of the country. If handled well it can indicate care, durability, sensitivity and could
have wide beneficial implications for tourism, inward investment and local entrepreneurial
spirit.
85 The review carried out in this paper has covered a wide canvas.
It is a complex subject area and it has been decided to concentrate on a small number of
key themes in formulating specific questions to be put to the public. It is hoped that
views will be provided by a wide range of individuals and organisations.
- The overall impression is that the quality of design of new housing in the Scottish
countryside is improving only slowly and at the margins. There is some new build of all
sorts, expensive, modestly priced, standard and individualistic, which is excellent and
stands as a model for influence and inspiration, but overall the picture is of
suburbanisation, conformity and lack of local distinctiveness. This is the feel the
Government have for the position looking across the country as a whole but is it a fair
and accurate one? If it is, does it need attention?
Many local plans contain paragraphs, sections, supplementary guidance, providing policy
and advice about what might and might not be acceptable in terms of the siting and design
of new houses in the local plan area or, indeed, across the whole planning authority area.
Some people argue that the material is too prescriptive, constraining and retrograde.
Others say that the only way to achieve wide and lasting improvement to design in the
short run is to try to change taste and standards by being prescriptive; perhaps even more
so than is intended anywhere now, and to draw unashamedly, and straightforwardly, on the
local tradition. Views are invited on whether the scope of current local policy and advice
is too narrow or too wide? How could plans be more focused to raise standards? Should
Government be considering reviewing and recasting its own advice?
The Government want local communities to become more involved in local development
issues. Local plans are prepared after wide consultation with opportunities for objection
to be made and independent hearings to be held. But how could local people be encouraged
to take a more proactive and informed interest in aspects of siting and design? Might
community councils play a bigger role? Are the informal pamphlets on the design of rural
houses produced by some planning authorities proving to be a useful reference for both the
public and developers? Could the experience in England of preparing Countryside Design
Summaries and Village Design Statements have anything to offer in Scotland? What else
might be done?
If Government decided to underline further the importance of quality design in rural
Scotland how best should it be tackled? The forthcoming NPPG on Rural Development will
address quality issues. Statements made there will be very important but should or could
the Government consider other steps? For example, should SNH have an enhanced role in
assessing quality in design, particularly in special landscapes such as National Scenic
Areas? Should Government take the initiative and try to rationalise and focus more the
number of awards for quality in development to make them better known and enhance their
status? Should Scottish Homes be aiming to support exemplar developments in terms of value
for money combined with design excellence in special landscapes? Is there a positive role
that could be played by the private sector in bringing forward new forms of layout and
design that incorporate both the rural tradition and the aspirations of the public in
terms, for example, of modern internal space standards? Could a working party with
representations from the public and private sectors be an appropriate way forward?
Value for money is important. The Government do not think that better quality in design
has to mean more expensive houses. There are many examples of sensitively designed timber
frame kit houses. Timber frame construction has proved to be competitive and has been the
dominant technique used in the recent past and, for many reasons, this is likely to
continue. The Government have it in mind to undertake a wide-ranging study of timber frame
construction in rural areas. Among other things it might examine the use, potential use
and design implications of working with more home-grown timber, the extent to which the
design of timber frame houses has been and could be tuned to fit with local environments,
and the degree of consumer satisfaction with the product. Opinions are invited on the
proper range and scope of such a study keeping in mind the implications for policy.
It is likely that there will be more proposals to build ecologically-sound houses in the
years ahead. Some of the designs might be unexpected and unusual. Comments are invited on
what Government might best do to inform local authorities about the types of house
proposals which could come forward and the most sensible attitude to adopt towards them.
We would like to have your views on those and other related issues
you think are important.
These should be sent by the end of July 1998 to:-
Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department
Countryside and Natural Heritage Unit
Room 028
Pentland House
47 Robb's Loan
EDINBURGH
EH14 1TY
Tel: 0131 244 6476
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