Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
has been abolished and new Local Development Plans (LDPs) have to be prepared
by all local authorities for the whole of their areas. These have to take account of
the National Planning Framework and have regard to regional and local transport
strategies. In the four city regions of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen LDPs
also have to be consistent with the Strategic Development Plan prepared for these
areas and adopt its 'vision' as the basis of their strategy.
The form and content of the Scottish plans represent something of a half-way
house between their English and Welsh equivalents. Planning authorities are required
to prepare and keep under review
one or more
plans for their area. These may be
prepared for different purposes and hence overlap in spatial terms. However, regardless
of how many plans cover an authority's area they must all be reviewed every five years
(Scottish Executive 2007b).
The Act requires authorities to publish a
monitoring statement
identifying changes
in the main characteristics of the area since preparation of the previous plan and the
impact of this plan. Outside SDP areas LDPs must contain a
vision statement
indicating
how development of the area could and should occur. Each LDP then has to contain
a
spatial strategy
(which is defined in traditional terms as a detailed statement of the
authority's policies and proposals for the development and use of land) and an
Action
Programme
setting out how the authority proposes to implement the plan. Beyond
these requirements authorities have discretion on the number and type of plans,
details of their form and content and arrangements for public engagement. However
each plan has to follow a set procedure of a
Main Issues Report
accompanied by SEA
and the opportunity for the public to comment on this and on a subsequent
Proposed
or Modified Plan
.
Scottish authorities may also issue Supplementary Guidance with more limited
public involvement but, unlike in England and Wales, such guidance will form part of
the statutory development plan. The intention is that this enhanced status will enable
much material in former structure and local plans to be retained in this form, enabling
the new plans to focus on the spatial strategy and on the key policies and proposals.
19.7 Sustainable Community Strategies
The planning reforms introduced throughout Great Britain place increased emphasis
on local authorities using plan-making as one of their tools to deliver overall local
strategies for economic, social and environmental sustainability. The following
(English) example is typical:
The planning system has been substantially reformed to embed community
responsive policy-making at its heart and deliver sustainable development as a
new statutory obligation ….
The Government intends that spatial planning objectives for local areas, as
set out in the LDF, should be fully aligned not only with national and regional
plans, but also with the shared local priorities set out in Sustainable Community
Strategies (SCS) where these are consistent with national and regional policy.
(DCLG 2007h Annex 2)
Community strategies are a planning mechanism introduced by the New Labour
Government as part of its programme of local authority reform. Under the Local
Government Act 2000 all local authorities in England and Wales are required to
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