Spatial Planning & Land Use

Decisions about spatial planning and land govern how Scotland’s cities, towns and countryside will develop in the future

Climate change impacts must be considered as part of these processes in order to ensure that the landscapes and infrastructure that we rely upon is able to be resilient and adaptable to future changes in climate.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of considering climate change as an integral part of spatial planning and land use processes. Climate change considerations are integrated within Scotland’s National Planning Framework (NPF2) and are an integral mechanism within the Strategic Environmental Assessments that form part of all major spatial planning and land use decisions.   

Some of the key challenges and opportunities faced by the spatial planning and land use sector are outlined below:

Key Impacts

• Climate projections indicate that Scotland will experience increased rainfall over winter months; this rainfall is also projected to fall with greater intensity resulting in increased vulnerability to flooding. Increasing areas of land will become vulnerable to flooding.
• Increases in rainfall intensity will result in the need for changes and improvements in fresh and waste water infrastructure; this may involve restrictions on the type of developments that can be accommodated within specific areas and will have significant financial implications.
• Measures such as flood defences, coastal defences and enhanced drainage systems will be required in order to reduce the risk posed by flooding. The implementation of these measures will require significant financial investments placing pressure on both public and private sector expenditure.
• Increased frequency of extreme weather events is likely to result in increased soil erosion and land instability resulting in increased instances of landslides and accelerated coastal erosion both of which have significant land use implications.
• Competition for land is likely to grow as changes in climate make increasing areas of land less suitable for development. Pressure may also increase on prime agricultural land as the availability of international food supplies change in response to changing climates.
• Climate change is projected to severely impact already vulnerable international communities; this may result in increased numbers of migrants arriving in Scotland with significant impacts for population growth and demand for housing and food.
• Changes in climate are likely to increase the vulnerability of key cultural assets, such as the Skara Brae UNESCO world heritage site and many historical buildings.

Key Opportunities

• Developing habitat networks as part of land use planning will provide greater resilience to climate change, providing species with opportunities to migrate and encouraging greater biodiversity.

What’s happening?

Scottish Government, working together with local authorities and organisations such as Scottish Natural Heritage, is working to ensure that climate change adaptation is considered as part of all spatial planning and land use processes. Climate change has been integrated into all key policy frameworks and the need for further research and innovation in planning processes has been identified as key to ensuring that Scotland adapts well to the challenges posed by the impacts of climate change. The information below outlines some of the key policy drivers and practical action taking place within the sector:

Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework

The Spatial Planning and Land Use sector action plan within Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework provides an overview of how the sector will continue to address climate change adaptation requirements. The sector action plan will be developed on an ongoing basis through consultation with key stakeholders and information provided by ongoing research and policy implementation. 

National Planning Framework

Climate change is identified as a key area within Scotland’s National Planning Framework (NPF2). The framework stipulates that climate change impacts should be considered as part of the overall strategic development of both Strategic Plans and Local Development Plans.

Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA)

Strategic Environmental Assessments are a method of considering and broadly evaluating the likely impact of a public plan, programme or strategy on the environment. Climate change considerations should form a, cross cutting part of all strategic environmental assessments.

Land Use Strategy

The Scottish Land Use Strategy, a requirement of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, sets out  Scottish Ministers’ objectives in relation to sustainable land use. The Land Use Strategy was published in March 2011; more information is available from the Scottish Government website.

Adaptation options

• Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) manage surface water in a sustainable manner to help reduce flooding and have a critical role to play in increasing the resilience of urban environments to increased rainfall quantities and intensities. Visit the SEPA website for more information about SUDS.
• Thorough planning processes including appropriate Strategic Environmental Assessments should enable spatial planning and land use that will minimise the threats presented by climate change as well as maximising the opportunities.
• The creation of habitat networks has been identified by both the forestry commission and Scottish Natural Heritage as a key mechanism for increasing the resilience and enhancing the adaptive capacity of landscapes.

More Information

Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework: Spatial Planning and Land Use Sector Action Plan

Scottish Government National Planning Framework web pages

Scottish Environment Proteciton Agency planning portal