NATIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK FOR SCOTLAND 2EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

WEALTHIER AND FAIRER

GREENER

SMARTER

HEALTHIER

SAFERANDSTRONGER

INTRODUCTIONTheNational Planning Framework (NPF) is the strategy for the long-termdevelopmentof Scotland's towns, cities and countryside. It is concernedwith howwewant Scotlandto develop over the next 20 to 25 years andwhere things need to happen tomake thatpossible. TheNPF identifies key strategic infrastructure needs to ensure that eachpartof the country can develop to its full potential. It guides Scotland’s development to2030, setting out strategic development priorities to support the ScottishGovernment’s central purpose – sustainable economic growth.

It takes forward the spatial aspects of theGovernment Economic Strategy, highlightingthe importance of place and identifying priorities for investment to enable each partof the country to play to its strengths in building a Scotland that iswealthier and fairer,smarter, stronger and greener, healthier, safer and stronger. It provides the strategicspatial policy context for decisions and actions by the Government and its agencies.Planning authorities are required to take the Framework into account when preparingdevelopment plans and it is amaterial consideration in the determination of planningapplications.

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DEVELOPMENT STRATEGYThe key aims of the strategy for Scotland’s spatial development to 2030 are:

• to contribute to a wealthier and fairer Scotland by supporting sustainableeconomic growth and improved competitiveness and connectivity;

• to promote a greener Scotland by contributing to the achievement of climatechange targets and protecting and enhancing the quality of natural and builtenvironments;

• to help build safer, stronger and healthier communities, by promoting improvedopportunities and a better quality of life; and

• to contribute to a smarter Scotland by supporting the development of theknowledge economy.

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NATIONAL DEVELOPMENTSIn support of the strategy for Scotland’s spatial development, legislation providesfor the NPF to be used to designate certain projects as national developments.Designation in the Framework is the mechanism for establishing the need for thesedevelopments in Scotland’s national interest. The following projects have beenidentified as national developments:

• Replacement Forth Crossing;

• West of Scotland strategic rail enhancements;

• High-speed rail link to London;

• Strategic airport enhancements;

• Grangemouth Freight Hub;

• Additional container freight capacity on the Forth;

• Port developments on Loch Ryan;

• Scapa Flow Container Transhipment Facility;

• New power station and transhipment hub at Hunterston;

• New non-nuclear baseload capacity at other existing power station sites;

• Electricity grid reinforcements;

• Central Scotland Green Network;

• Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Scheme; and

• 2014 Commonwealth Games facilities.

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SUSTAINABLE GROWTHHigher sustainable economic growth is the key priority, and the Government isdetermined that growth should benefit the whole of society and should not come atthe expense of our environment.

The Government wants Scotland to be the best place in Europe to do business. Thismeans a Scotland that is well connected economically, physically, digitally andintellectually to the rest of the world.

If our cities are to be competitive places attracting high value jobs and creativepeople, they must be well connected and able to offer distinctive, high qualityenvironments and a first class quality of life. Successful cities need to be supported bystrong regions well connected to urban facilities. We need an approach to cityregion development which promotes economic growth, environmental quality,connectivity, regional and local distinctiveness and the efficient and sustainable useof resources. Development patterns must be robust in relation to long-term climatechange.

Key locations which have been identified as offering substantial strategic growthpotential are the ClydeWaterfront andClydeGateway,West Edinburgh, the EdinburghWaterfront, the Upper Forth, the Dundee Waterfront, the Inverness to Nairn Corridorand the Pentland Firth. The economic success of these areas depends on good linksto the rest of Scotland and thewider world. It is therefore essential that investment innewor improved infrastructure reflects economic development priorities and the needto support sustainable growth.

The Government is committed to reducing regional disparities. This will involvetargeted investment in connectivity and environmental quality to ensure that eachpartof Scotland is well placed to participate successfully in the modern economy. A moreeven spread of economic activity will help to relieve pressures in high growth areassuch as Edinburgh, provide additional opportunities in areas such as Ayrshire,Inverclyde, West Dunbartonshire and Dundee, and improve the overall efficiency ofthe Scottish economy. Communities undergoing regeneration should enjoy goodaccess to the opportunities created in strategic growth areas.

Realising the potential of people and places is at the heart of the ScottishGovernment’s approach to regeneration. Successful regeneration demands acombination of economic development, housing and environmental investment,better public services, improvedworkforce skills, support for community involvement,a commitment to environmental quality and good design, and respect for localidentity and the historic features which contribute to it.

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SUSTAINABLE PLACESCreating attractive, healthy, accessible and sustainable places canmake an importantcontribution to meeting regional housing and economic needs and improving thequality of the environment. Planning authorities will need to develop strategies formore sustainable patterns of development which take account of climate changepredictions. We need to develop a range of models of sustainable development toreflect Scotland’s geographical diversity. There remains a pressing need for theplanning system to help deliver growth in the long term supply of new homesthroughout both urban and rural Scotland to respond to long term housing pressuresand to improve the affordability, stability and fairness of Scotland’s housing system.

In the Central Belt there is an opportunity to build on initiatives such as the Ayrshireand Glasgow and Clyde Valley Green Networks, the Central Scotland Forest, theMillennium Canal Link, the Falkirk Helix and the Edinburgh and Lothians greenspaceand forest habitat networks to create a Central Scotland Green Network capable ofdelivering a step change in the quality of the environment for the benefit of people,landscape and nature.

A well planned increase in woodland cover can substantially enhance the landscapesetting of our towns and cities, bringing vacant and derelict land back into beneficialuse, improve biodiversity and amenity and help to absorb Carbon Dioxide (CO2).Improvements can also bemade to networks of other habitats, includingwetlands, tocounter fragmentation and assist speciesmigration, adaptation to climate change andbiodiversity enhancement. The creation of national ecological networks could provideopportunities to achieve thiswhilst improving the environment for local communities.The development of footpath and cycleway networks and other facilities andattractions will contribute to a more sustainable transport network and expand therange of recreational opportunities close of major centres of population helping toencourage active travel and healthier lifestyles.

Infrastructure

The competitiveness of places depends on adequate investment in infrastructure.Improvements in transport infrastructure are needed to strengthen international links,tackle congestion, reduce journey times between our cities and support our ruralcommunities. Parts of our electricity transmission network need to be strengthened ifweare to realise thepotential of our renewable energy resources. New installations areneeded for the more effective management and recycling of waste. Water capacityshould generally not now be a constraint on development, however continuedprioritised investment in replacement and upgrading of water infrastructure isrequired.

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Climate change has significant implications for flood risk, water catchment area wideapproaches to flood risk management can provide long term solutions and integrateecological and greenspace networks. Scotland is one of Europe’s leaders inbroadband availability, however the planning ofmajor new infrastructure should takeaccount of opportunities to extend the digital communications network.

Transport

Scotland needs an effective national transport infrastructure which will facilitatesustainable economic growth. The Scottish Government is strongly committed topromoting a shift to more sustainable modes of transport. However, good air linksremain vital for international connectivity and competitiveness. In promotingenhancements at our airports, the Scottish Government is placing emphasis onmeasures which improve surface access by public transport.

Cross border road and rail links are of prime economic importance and congestion andlackof infrastructure outwith Scotland canhave anadverse impact on access to Europeandother parts of theUK. BringingDundee, Aberdeen, Inverness andNewcastle closerto the Central Belt can do a lot to strengthen economic relationships between the cityregions. Reducing journey times between Aberdeen and Inverness will help us tocapitalise on synergies in the North-East and Highland economies.

Current transport infrastructure commitments include the implementation of theAirdrie-Bathgate and Borders rail link projects, new surface rail links serving Glasgowand Edinburgh Airports, continuing improvements to Edinburgh Waverley Station,removing the bottleneck at theRaith junction on theM74, completion of themotorwaynetwork by delivering the M74 extension and upgrading of the A8 and A80 tomotorway standard east of Glasgow and construction of the Aberdeen WesternPeripheral Route. The Government is also committed to expediting the replacementForth crossing and electrification of themain rail line betweenEdinburgh andGlasgow.

Ports make a vital contribution to the economy and are modernising to meet thegrowth in world trade. A growing proportion of freight is containerised and thenumber of containers handled by Scottish ports is expected to increase in the longterm. On the East Coast, the Firth of Forth is a key strategic freight gateway and thereis potential for the further expansion of port capacity, including container freightfacilities. The international trend is towards larger container vessels and few existingEuropean ports offer the channel and berth necessary to accommodate the largestcontainer ships. The sheltered deep water locations at Hunterston and Scapa Flowrepresent substantial opportunities for developing new transhipment and gatewayfacilities linked to world shipping routes.

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TheChallenges inmoving towardsmore sustainable formsof travel are to create urbanenvironments which facilitate walking and cycling, to ensure that new residentialdevelopment is well related to existing public transport networks anddesigned to accommodate the extension of public transport services, to concentratebusiness and retail activity at locationswhichminimise reliance on the private car, andto promote water-based distribution of freight. The renewal of existing urban areascan help to counter the trend towards long distance commuting.

Energy

In addition to the target of generating 50% of electricity from renewable sources by2020, the ScottishGovernment is committed toworking towards deriving 20%of totalenergy use from renewable sources by 2020. The Government is also committed toestablishing Scotland as a leading location for the development of renewable energytechnology and an energy exporter over the long term. It is encouraging a mix ofrenewable energy technologies, with growing contributions fromoffshorewind,waveand tidal energy, along with greater use of biomass.

The Crown Estate has identified theMoray Firth and a zone to the east of the Firths ofTay and Forth as locations with potential for the development of offshore wind farms.The north and west coast offer a number of locations with very substantial potentialfor harnessing the energy of tidal streams.

Given the variable output of some renewable sources of energy, large baseloadpowerstations will have a role to play in maintaining the stability of electricity supply forsome time ahead. While important elements of Scotland’s existing baseloadgenerating capacity are scheduled to close over the next 10 years, steps are beingtaken to extend the lives of existing power stations and develop new ones.

The pattern of the existing electricity transmission grid reflects the relationship ofexisting power stations to settlement. New capacity for the generation of electricityfrom renewable sources is being developed across Scotland, much of it in remotercoastal and upland areas, and the electricity generated requires to be transmitted tocentres of population. The capacity of parts of the system needs to be increased tofacilitate this transmission.

Waste

The development of necessary waste management infrastructure is a Governmentpriority. There is currently capacity to divert 1 million tonnes of municipal waste fromlandfill. This needs to be increased to 1.5million tonnes by 2010, over 2million tonnesby 2013 and 2.5 million tonnes by 2020. Additional capacity is also required to treatcommercial and industrial waste. The planning system has a crucial role to play inensuring that installations are delivered in time to allowwastemanagement targets tobe met.

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SPATIAL PERSPECTIVESCentral Belt

Edinburgh and Glasgow are Scotland’s principal centres of business and culture andare key international gateways. The two cities are working together to make CentralScotland a globally important centre of economic activity. To achieve this they need tobe linked by a fast, efficient, high quality transport systemwhich is well connected totheir surrounding regions andworldmarkets. The townsof Central Scotlandneedgoodpublic transport links to provide access to jobs inGlasgowandEdinburgh and tomakethem attractive locations for business investment and residential development.

• The scale of the opportunities in the Clyde Corridor makes it a nationalregeneration priority, with the Clyde Gateway and Clyde Waterfront being themain foci in the medium term.

• Realising the potential of West Edinburgh as an internationally competitivebusiness location is a key priority.

• The Edinburgh Waterfront is one of the largest urban regeneration projects inEurope, with the development sites constituting a major part of Edinburgh’shousing land supply.

• There is a need to accommodate substantial growth in the number of householdsin the Edinburgh city region and the Upper Forth area over the next 25 years.

• Effective coordination of initiatives to create a Central Scotland Green Networkoffers the opportunity to achieve a significant improvement in environmentalquality, woodland cover and recreational opportunities,making Central Scotlandmore attractive for residents, visitors and investors.

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East Coast

The East Coast corridor between Aberdeen and Newcastle offers opportunities todevelop knowledge economy links based on the expertise associatedwith the energyand offshore industries and the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, St Andrews,Edinburgh and Newcastle. The Forth Replacement Crossing at Queensferry is a vitalstrategic link and the Scottish Government is taking forward its replacement as apriority. Measures to strengthen the East Coast corridor will be taken forward in thestrategic development plans for the Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh city regions.

• The primary aim for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire is to grow and diversify theeconomy, making sure the region has enough people, homes, jobs and facilitiesto maintain and improve its quality of life.

• A Dundee Northern Relief Road is needed to reduce conflict between strategicand local traffic and improve the reliability of journey times between Aberdeenand the Central Belt.

• The strategy for the Dundee city region is to promote regeneration,neighbourhood renewal and further improvements to the quality of urban livingwithin the city boundary.

• The Forth Replacement Crossing includes the provision of a dedicatedmulti-modal corridor between Fife and Edinburgh giving priority to publictransport.

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Highlands and Islands

Significant population growth is planned in the Highlands and Islands, and theprovision of development infrastructure is an important issue where substantialincreases in population and households are projected. Inverness can develop its roleas the Highland capital, broaden its economic base, improve its connections to othercities and attract a range of high quality jobs.

• The A96 corridor between Inverness and Nairn is themain focus of growth in theInner Moray Firth.

• Substantial reinforcements of the electricity transmission system are neededto realise the potential of renewable energy resources, including newinterconnectors for the islands and upgrades to address capacity constraints.

• The sheltered deepwater of Scapa Flow is amajor strategic asset and proposalsfor a container transhipment terminal are being developed.

• Targeted support will continue to be needed in areas such as north Sutherlandand someof the islandswhich are still experiencingdecline, and in parts ofMorayand Caithness where more jobs need to be created.

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Ayrshire and the South-West

This area functions as an important western gateway for Scotland and the aim is tobuild on the success of Prestwick Airport, strengthen key ports and strategic transportcorridors between Ireland and the Continent and realise the potential of deep waterassets at Hunterston. There is also a need to improve road and rail links to securebetter integration with the Central Belt.

• The challenge in Ayrshire is tomaintain population to support services aswell asproviding access to new job opportunities by creating competitive businessenvironments and locations.

• Action is needed to improve environmental quality in the former mining areas ofEast Ayrshire and to promote regeneration and economic diversification in smalltowns.

• Strengthening the role of Dumfries as themain regional centre and transport hubwill benefit the whole of the SouthWest. Proximity to Ireland and Cumbria offerssubstantial business opportunities for the area.

• New port development on Loch Ryan will provide a modern internationalgateway between Scotland and Ireland, offering increased freight capacity,reduced journey times and new opportunities for tourism.

South of Scotland

The South of Scotland is strategically well placed on the major road and rail routesbetween Scotland and England. Opportunities lie in economic diversification andstrengthening the knowledge economy, building on the rich environment and culturalheritage of the area, adding value to the primary assets including the large potentialfor renewable energy development, quality produce and design skills associatedwiththe textiles and electronics industries.

• The planned improvement of transport links to the Borders will create newdevelopment opportunities and allow the area to accommodate some of thehousehold growth projected in the South East of Scotland.

• The towns and villages of the South of Scotland play a key role in the economy,culture and quality of life in the region. Market Towns Investment Programmesare being developed to ensure that the towns of the Borders and Dumfries andGalloway are attractive, competitive places.

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STRATEGY MAPSThe following two maps set out the main elements of the NPF strategy. TheStrategy Map identifies Scotland’s Cities, International Gateways and the deepwater opportunities. It highlights the key economic development corridors andstrategic transport routes which will be important in supporting Scotland’sdevelopment to 2030. It identifies the potential extent of the Central ScotlandGreen Network and promotes economic diversification and environmentalstewardship in rural areas. The map identifies the great potential for marineenergy development around our coasts and highlights the Government’saspiration for a sub-sea electricity transmission network. Areas for co-ordinatedaction are identified in 6 locations. The National Designations Map identifiesthe national developments as well as internationally and nationally importantdesignations.

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STRATEGY

City

International gateway

Deep water opportunity

Marine energy potential

Central Scotland Green Network

Key economic corridor

Strategic transport route

Potential subsea energy network

Areas for c0-ordinated action

Economic diversification and

environmental stewardship

NATIONAL DESIGNATIONS

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World Heritage Site

Natural Heritage Designation

National Park

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National Developments

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Replacement Forth Crossing;

West of Scotland strategic rail enhancements;

High-speed rail link to London;

Strategic Airport Enhancements;

Grangemouth Freight Hub;

Additional Container Freight Capacity on the Forth;

Port developments on Loch Ryan;

Scapa Flow Container Transhipment Facility;

New Power Station and Transhipment Hub at Hunterston;

New non-nuclear Baseload Capacity at other

Existing Power Station Sites;

Electricity Grid Reinforcements;

Central Scotland Green Network;

Metropolitan Glasgow Strategic Drainage Scheme;

2014 Commonwealth Games facilities.

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MAKING IT HAPPENThe National Planning Framework is supported by an on-line Action Programmesetting out how and by whom the strategy elements and national developments willbe implemented.

ENQUIRIESScotland’s second National Planning Framework and accompanying documents canbe found on the Scottish Government’s website.

Enquiries about the NPF should be directed to:

The National Planning Framework TeamScottish Government Directorate for the Built EnvironmentArea 2-H, Victoria QuayEdinburghEH6 6QQTel: 08457 741 741 or 0131 244 7610E-mail: NPFTeam@scotland.gsi.gov.ukWebsite: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/National-Planning-Policy/themes/npf

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© Crown copyright 2009

All maps are © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved Scottish Government 100020540 2009

ISBN: 978-0-7559-8091-8

Produced for the Scottish Government by RR Donnelley B61102 06/09

Published by the Scottish Government June 2009

Further copies of this document are available, on request, in audio andlarge print formats and in community languages, please contact:

0131 244 3258

w w w . s c o t l a n d . g o v . u k

The National Plannning Framework Team,

Scottish Government Directorate for the Built Environment,

Area 2H, Victoria Quay,

Edinburgh

EH6 6QQ

Tel: 08457 741 741 or 0131 244 7610

Email: NPFTeam@scotland.gsi.gov.uk