Seòmar agus comataidhean

The answer to S5W-30141 refers to the determination of planning applications.

Scottish Planning Policy (SPP, 2014) sets out policies which reflect Scottish Ministers’ priorities for the operation of the planning system and is a material consideration in the determination of planning applications. Paragraph 34 states that:

“Where a plan is under review, it may be appropriate in some circumstances to consider whether granting planning permission would prejudice the emerging plan. Such circumstances are only likely to apply where the development proposed is so substantial, or its cumulative effect would be so significant, that to grant permission would undermine the plan-making process by pre-determining decisions about the scale, location or phasing of new developments that are central to the emerging plan. Prematurity will be more relevant as a consideration the closer the plan is to adoption or approval.”

Scottish Planning Policy (2014) sets out development considerations in and around designated sites, which all planning authorities and National Parks need to take into account in their development plans and decision making on planning applications.

National Parks are designated under the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 and have four aims; to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area; promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area; promote understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the area by the public; and to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities. Planning policy is clear that these aims should be pursued collectively, but that where is a conflict between them, then greater weight must be given to the first aim.

Planning authorities are required to consider any valid application submitted to them.

Under planning legislation, applications are determined in accordance with the development plan for the area unless material planning considerations justify a departure from it.

It is for the planning authority to identify relevant material planning considerations on a case-by-case basis, and what weight to attach to each material consideration in determining the application.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28451 on 25 June 2020. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

In both the private and public sectors the supply of PPE is primarily the responsibility of social care providers themselves, including care homes. However, when these private supply chains failed we set up from the 19th of March provision to make PPE supplies available from our national NHS stock.

To make sure that we could get the right PPE to the right people, we created direct distribution routes, including local PPE hubs for social care providers, which covers care homes. That was and continues to be a remarkable logistical achievement by the people who are involved. This is supporting the whole social care sector including care homes, with their PPE needs where their normal supply routes fail. Through these routes collectively, over 65 million items of PPE have been distributed to over 1,000 locations across Scotland for social care to date.

At present, the PPE top ups through the Hubs are being provided free of charge to all social care providers, including care homes which have consumed the majority of the over 65 million items of PPE distributed to date.

Across areas of Scotland, land use and river catchment/basin management are intrinsically linked. The river basin management plan for the Scotland river basin district: 2015–2027 highlights the importance of this relationship and the potential risks.

The Scottish Government understands that the condition of the water environment can be threatened by wider scale changes including shifts in land uses or practices that may increase diffuse pollution risks.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering improved and enduring benefits to Scotland’s natural environment. This is a commitment that has been re-iterated in the first outcome of The Environment Strategy for Scotland: vision and outcomes document which was published in February of this year.

Scotland’s first Land Use Strategy brought forward two land use pilots to test collaborative land scape scale actions. These pilots demonstrated that through the collaborative optimisation of land use there is potential to generate multiple benefits across a range of priorities at both regional and national levels.

As a result the Scottish Government included a commitment to establish Regional Land Use Partnerships in the current Getting the Best from Our Land – A Land Use Strategy for Scotland 2016 - 2021.

This commitment was then re-iterated in the 2019 – 2020 Programme for Government and as a first step the Scottish Government has asked the Scottish Land Commission to prepare advice on the establishment of these Partnerships. Their advice is expected in the autumn of this year and as such the Scottish Government does not think it prudent to pre-empt this and will take time to analyse and digest this advice before discussing possible next steps.

As per a duty placed upon Scottish Ministers through the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 the Scottish Government shall publish its first annual progress report on the current Land Use Strategy 2016 - 2021 this summer.

This report will demonstrate the progress made by the Scottish Government on the nine policies and five proposals that feature within the current Land Use Strategy 2016 - 2021. The third iteration of Scotland’s Land Use Strategy is due for publication by 31 March 2021 and preparations for its development are currently underway.

As per a duty placed upon Scottish Minister through the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 the Scottish Government shall publish its first annual progress report on the current Land Use Strategy this summer. This report will demonstrate the progress made by the Scottish Government on the nine policies and five proposals that feature within the current Land Use Strategy 2016-2021.

Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry remains Scotland’s largest source of carbon sequestration and commitments made within the Land Use Strategy 2016-2021 continue to contribute to this. This carbon store will be vital as Scotland moves towards being a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions nation by 2045.

With regards to biodiversity, Scotland has and continues to address biodiversity loss through our biodiversity strategy and is on track to achieve seven out of the twenty targets agreed by the international community in 2010, which compares favourably with the global average of 4 out of 20, and is progressing towards meeting the remaining twelve targets.

However, despite our efforts, global, UK and Scottish reports published in 2019 showed ongoing declines in biodiversity and we have acknowledged that more still needs to be done both domestically and internationally. The Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform (ECCLR) wrote to the ECCLR committee in December 2019 about our plans in this area.

The Land Use Strategy 2016 – 2020 is an over-arching document encompassing all aspects of land use in Scotland.

It is designed to help deliver on our vision for all land use in Scotland - A Scotland where we fully recognise, understand and value the importance of our land resources, and where our plans and decisions about land use will deliver improved and enduring benefits, enhancing the wellbeing of our nation. Agriculture is by far the largest land use sector in Scotland and as such will be a fundamental in the development of Scotland’s third Land Use Strategy.