mainstreaming the european landscape convention in uk planning
TRANSCRIPT
Mainstreaming the European Landscape Convention in UK Planning Policy and Practice
Prof Alister Scott BA PhD MRTPI
Outline
1. Boundaries of concern
2. Spatial Planning meets the ELC
3. An ELC Assessment Framework
4. UK Planning Policy responses
5. Development Plan responses
6. Planning Case Studies of ELC practice
7. Hooks for ELC mainstreaming
8. Concluding thoughts
Boundaries of Concern
Built Environment Natural Environment
UK Planning vs the ELC
Spatial Planning meets ELC • FROM traditional
notions of planning driven by land-use allocation and design emphasising control and restraint
• TO proactive, positive and holistic emphases involving multi-scalar and multi-sectoral perspectives
Spatial Planning: Plan-led
1. Democratic Principle
2. Subsidiarity Principle
3. Participation Principle
4. Integration Principle
5. Proportionality Principle
6. Precautionary Principle
United Nations 2008
A Plan-led system
• National Planning guidance informs (dictates) the shape of local plans which are the statutory document for all development decisions.
• “presumption in favour of the development plan unless material considerations dictate otherwise”
Planners Toolkit
• Regulatory • Incentive • Participative • Valuation• Futures
• Impact Assessments • Designations • Zoning • CIL/ Section 106 • Landscape character assessments • Ecosystem Service mapping • Subsidies • Capacity studies • Neighbourhood plans• Village design statements • Scenarios • Visioning
Framework for Assessment
Scotland and the ELC Roberts, Scott et al 2008
• Recognise landscape in law (biodiversity)
• Improve public engagement and awareness on landscape matters
• Better reflect people’s vision for their landscapes;
• Better integration of social, economic and environmental interests in landscape quality objectives.
• Recognise multi-functionality and benefits of Scottish landscape
• Take advantage of EU policies and programmes to help realise landscape objectives
UK Policy Responses
National UK Plans 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
ENG X X ? ? ? ? X X X ? X
WAL X X ? ? ? ? ? X ? ? X
SCO X ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? X
NPPF (NPPG) Principles
• No mention of ELC • Focus on designated landscapes • Focus on localism • “Empowering people to shape
their surroundings, with succinct local and neighbourhood plans”
• “take account of the different roles and character of different areas,.. protecting the Green Belts …. recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside”
‘Valued’ landscapes
Potential ‘material’ considerations
• Duty to Cooperate think of issues at landscape scales BUT has to go beyond housing numbers
• Viability BUT too developer driven and has to include limits to landscape change
Planning Principles
• Engagement and involvement, ensuring that everyone has the chance to obtain information, see how decisions are made and take part in decision making.
• Putting people and their quality of life now and in the future, at the centre of decision making
Relevant Strategies & Plans
• No mention of ELC in supporting strategies.
Valuing nature
National Planning Framework 3
• No explicit ELC references.
ELC Valuing the Environment
Valuing the Environment
(Scottish) Land Use Strategy
4.2 The European Landscape Convention defines landscapes as areas perceived by people and for many people their most direct connection to the land is through their local landscapes. All of our landscapes have to a greater or lesser extent been shaped by people over centuries, and this re‐shaping continues through land use today. Landscapes also contribute to our sense of identity and to our feeling of wellbeing.
NEWP
• No mention of the ELC
Statutory Development Plans 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
• City focussed
Relevant Plans and Policies
• No mention of ELC in evidence base to support policy development.
• Planners unaware of its existence and relevance.
Green Infrastructure
Historic Environment
N Devon &Torridge Local Plan
• Policy ST11: Enhancing Environmental Assets:
The quality of northern Devon’s natural environment will be protected and enhanced by: … (g) conserving and enhancing the robustness of northern Devon’s ecosystems and the range of ecosystem services they provide;” (North Devon and Torridge Local Plan, 2013: 54
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
England : Neighbourhood Plans 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Scotland: Dumfries and Galloway NSAs
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Results and outcomes
• Full landscape character for all 3 areas published
• Intensive consultation and engagement with stakeholders thru Advisory Groups
• 3 Management Strategies
• Delivery of projects involving local people
• Strategies as SPG in development plans
• Raised public awareness
• LEADER + exemplar sharing experience
• Post budget vulnerability?
Planning Decisions HS2
• “HS2 can be beautiful –not a blot on the landscape”
• Prof Kathryn Moore
HS2LVREINVENTING THE REGION
Policy and Decision Making: Scott 2011
‘Active’ public role
• Assessment
• Planning
• Management
Neighbourhood Plans England
(Reiss and Scott 2014)
Community buy outs Scotland
(McMorran and Scott 2014)
Hooks for Mainstreaming
• CPD and training
• Localism– Neighbourhood plans
– Land Reform Act
• Development plans– Landscape chapters/policies
– Green Infrastructure
• Landscape Officers
• Cultural Ecosystem Services
• EU Directives – SEA (landscape objectives)
– WFD
Concluding Thoughts
• The forgotten ELC
• Legal status of landscape
• Integration vs Silo
• Top down technocentricapproaches dominate
• Public(s) Engagement deficit
• Training and Awareness deficit in planners
• Learning from practice
