Meeting of the Parliament 11 January 2023
The commitments that the Government has made on dualling of the A9 and the A96 remain. Considerable work is being undertaken to ensure that we can deliver on those commitments.
It was always our intention to ensure that climate and nature were front and centre in our planning system, and we understand what that means for future developments across Scotland. NPF4 does not shy away from the hard decisions that we will have to make about our future, but it enables different opportunities to be realised that will transform our economy and society, such as the redevelopment of renewable energy technologies. NPF4 will support the sustainable growth of the renewables sector while continuing to protect our most valued natural assets and cultural heritage.
I welcome the comment from Scottish Renewables that recognises the revised draft NPF4 as
“one of the most supportive planning regimes for renewable energy in Europe.”
However, that does not mean any development in any place. Wind energy is not being supported in national parks and national scenic areas. Drawing on consultation responses, we have, as was touched on earlier, included a more explicit policy position on wild land, subject to an impact assessment and appropriate mitigation, management measures and monitoring. That also recognises that wild land areas are partly included in national scenic areas and national parks. Wider NPF4 policies also include protections for peatland, nature conservation sites and protected historical assets.
Another key objective of NPF4 is to help people live well locally in the future, by embedding the principles of local living and 20-minute neighbourhoods into how we design and create places and communities. I note some stakeholders’ concerns that that approach might result in the entrenchment of inequalities in neighbourhoods, but is that not what the current system—as well as much wider social and economic change over time—has inadvertently resulted in, particularly in many urban areas?
Our fresh approach to spatial planning will allow us to create places that have improved access to the facilities and amenities that people require in their daily lives and which support thriving, sustainable, healthy communities and protect and enhance our environment. The aim is to create more balanced, diverse communities and neighbourhoods.
However, I acknowledge the need for clarity on how the local living and 20-minute neighbourhoods approaches can be applied in rural settings. Scotland’s geography and population sparsity demand that the application of the template differs according to the unique circumstances, opportunities and aspirations of individual places.