Green Belts

Scottish Planning Policy No. 21 : Green Belts

What is it ?

Scottish Planning Policies are government policies which planning authorities are expected to follow. The new SPP 21 on Green Belts was released by the Minister in April 2006. It took immediate effect.

What are the main points of SPP 21?

• Avoid unmanaged, unplanned urban expansion
• Strengthen and enhance the role of green belts (GB's)
• Strong presumption against inappropriate development in GB's
• 20 year duration of GB boundaries, after review
• Development plans prepared by local authorities will define the scale and nature of land use change, allowing for a 20 year duration of GBs, but . . .
• Authorities should produce a “master plan” as supplementary planning guidance and that would be a material consideration in determining applications.
• Re-use of derelict / vacant urban land
• Direct growth to the most appropriate locations
• Encourage access to open space around towns
• Conserve historic environment.

The above list oversimplifies a complex issue.

What are the views of HGBG?

A draft of SPP 21 went out to consultation in 2005 and HGBG made a detailed submission. The full text of the HGBG response may be found in “Submission draft SPP21 GB.pdf”

Generally we supported the draft, but we felt that some aspects needed emphasis, that important aspects should be added and that procedures prior to the 20-year consolidation of Green Belts might result in excessive loss of Green Belt and the very urban sprawl and ribbon development which the SPP was designed to prevent.

Now that the SPP 21 has been finalised, we have the following observations.

• HGBG gives broad support to the main thrust of SPP 21 and welcomes its recognition of the long-term importance of Green Belts.
• HGBG supports the SPP’s requirement for a 20-year period of Greater certainty for Green Belts.
• However, HGBG feels that the period before consolidation of Green Belt boundaries will be critical and that there should be a rigorous review at that time, with the Scottish Executive having the final say.
  What has emerged is less satisfactory. Para. 18 of SPP 21 states that authorities should produce a “master plan” as supplementary planning guidance and that would be a material consideration in determining applications.
• SPP 21 gives as appropriate uses of Green Belt land (para. 22) as agricultural, woodlands, horticulture and recreational uses compatible with agriculture or a natural setting. We support these.
• A valuable feature of Green Belts is that they serve a multiplicity of purposes, but the SPP’s section on purposes is too limited.
• We feel that clearer definitions of key terms are needed. We supported the definition of “Green Belt” provided by the Scottish Green Belts Alliance. We consider that a distinction between public “involvement” and “consultation” is needed.
• Green Belt circumstances are different in different parts of Scotland. in particular, there is population growth in the east but decrease in the west, giving contrasting Green Belt issues. The SPP touches on diversity of circumstances but not sufficiently.
• Although comments in the draft SPP which, in our view, discouraged the creation of new Green Belts have been modified, there could have been greater encouragement to create new Green Belts.
  • Green Belt at town fringes is the most sensitive. We feel that the SPP does not sufficiently address the issue of growth elsewhere.
  • HGBG considers that ribbon development should be avoided.
  • Green Belts are countryside and they serve countryside purposes as well as urban purposes and that should be made explicit. However, SPP 21 seems to us to retain an urban bias.

It remains to be seen whether the system envisaged does indeed give long-term stability to Green Belts.

Other websites

Scottish Executive, Publications - SPP21

Scottish Executive, Publications - Analysis of Consultation Responces

Scottish Green Belts Alliance - Description of SPP21

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