Concerns that national planning policy is ‘Central Scotland-based’ and doesn't protect the countryside

East Lothian Council leader Councillor Norman Hampshire said that the proposed new Scottish Government National Planning Framework was seen as too Central Scotland-based by councils.

And he called for stronger protections for rural communities, as planning officers branded the approach to countryside in the national plan ‘weak’.

A report on the council’s response to the draft plan (NPF4) welcomed its approach to the former Cockenzie Power Station site owned by the council, and the new town of Blindwells, as key areas for employment and housing growth.

However, it said: "The maps also indicate that the southern part of East Lothian is in the ‘Southern Sustainability’ Action Area.

“The proposals in this area are much weaker and our response calls for a stronger policy on the rural economy.”

'Huge loophole'

Councillor Jeremy Findlay said that he was concerned the proposals allowed a “huge loophole for developers to build houses on prime agricultural land”.

He said: “This is something we want to be trying to protect and hopefully the Government will pay attention to our response.”

The report to a virtual meeting of the council earlier today (Tuesday) pointed to some areas of concern raised by planners.

They said that while they supported the principle of the 20-minute neighbourhood promoted as part of national planning, it needed “greater clarity” on its role in rural areas.

Planners said that more needed to be done to give “an assurance that the concept will not be used to justify otherwise inappropriate development.”

They also requested changes to the Rural Areas Policy proposed in the national plan, asking the Government to “remove some of the criteria that would open smaller settlements to speculative housing development”.

Echoed by others

Mr Hampshire said that concerns raised by East Lothian Council, which would be sent to the Scottish Government as part of its consultation, were echoed by other local authority leaders.

He said: “At a COSLA meeting on Friday, concerns were raised by council leaders across Scotland, who feel the new national plan is a Central Scotland-based plan rather than a national plan.

“There are huge differences between East Lothian, Edinburgh, West Lothian and Midlothian. We need to make sure it delivers what we need and what is relevant to East Lothian.

“Our policy has protected our countryside well and hopefully it will not be in conflict with the new national plan when it is finalised. I am not confident that will be the situation going forward.”

Local authorities are currently being consulted on the NPF4 draft.

Planners raised concern about a lack of acknowledgement of East Lothian’s rural economy.

Referring to the plans’s reference to ‘reimagining of the urban fringe’, they responded: “In East Lothian, the urban fringe is largely active and productive agricultural land.

'Opportunity to develop in smaller communities'

“While some areas across the Central Belt may need reimagining, the East Lothian rural areas do not and the terminology in this section may be interpreted by the development industry as an opportunity to develop in smaller communities due to their proximity to Edinburgh.

“East Lothian is a pressured rural area. The phrasing needs to be changed to reflect that there are different challenges in rural areas close to the Central Belt cities.

“The need to maintain the identity of East Lothian’s rural communities and the surrounding high-quality countryside should be referenced.”

The council’s response was approved by elected members and will be submitted to the Scottish Government.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The draft National Planning Framework recognises the great value of Scotland’s natural and cultural assets and its distinctive places, and has been the subject of extensive engagement and a detailed public consultation since last November, in parallel with Scottish Parliament scrutiny.

“We are pleased with the wide interest shown from across society and will carefully consider the broad range of views shared with us before finalising NPF4 for Scottish Parliament approval.”