Visual amenity and housing in the countryside—Scottish local planning authority approaches

In recent years, farming has lost some of its former pre-eminence in Britainʹs rural economy. At the same time, there have been increasing and often conflicting new demands on countryside resources. In such a situation, planning has been encouraged to adopt a more flexible approach to development. The challenge for planning today is to allow development and yet at the same time protect the visual amenity of the countryside. A recent study has examined how Scottish planning authorities have responded to this challenge in relation to housing in the countryside. The study found that there was some variation in approach to housing development in the countryside throughout Scotland. A number of authorities, especially those in remote rural areas, were prepared to adopt a relaxed approach to housing development. Nevertheless many authorities continue with a strong protectionist stance on the location and scale of housing in the countryside. Moreover, the emphasis currently being placed on attempts to influence the design of housing introduces a new dimension in local authoritiesʹ attempts to safeguard the visual amenity of the countryside.