1.19 The North East is generally regarded as one of the UK’s most prosperous economies, yet faces a number of immediate challenges, if full advantage is to be taken of the area’s economic, social, environmental and cultural attributes.

1.20 The area also cannot ignore the long-term challenge set by global issues, such as rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the potential effects of climate change, and these issues influence the way in which immediate problems must be met.

1.21 These issues are clearly recognised in national planning policy guidelines, and the structure plan has an important role in determining how to approach them.

1.22 Within the North East, the influence of oil and gas exploration over the past 30 years has helped raise living standards, and income levels have consistently been above national averages. This has been accompanied by a high demand for land for a wide range of uses including housing, business and industry, shopping, leisure and recreation.

1.23 However, these developments have not spread benefits in equal measure to all parts of the North East, nor to all parts of the community, even in the more affluent areas. In certain localities, for example where there is a greater dependence on fishing and agriculture, the economic position is often much less vibrant and more fragile. The decline in fishing and farming incomes in 2000 and early 2001 have made the situation even more acute and these sectors will require major structural support.

1.24 There are also situations, in both urban and rural areas, where access to housing, employment and skills training is limited. Remoteness in parts of the area has left some communities overlooked in the provision of new services and facilities, while others have lost what they had. There is a real need for social inclusion both within urban areas and in less accessible rural communities.

1.25 Recent forecasts suggest there could be a fall in the number of North East jobs – about 16,000 by 2016 - if current trends continue. There are fluctuations in this figure, sometimes upwards, sometimes downwards, but the overall trend remains. This is due mainly to a decline in the North Sea oil and gas, manufacturing and primary sectors.

1.26 Economic development initiatives are being undertaken to take advantage of the qualities of the area as a place to live, work and do business. These initiatives also seek to capitalise on the skills which exist within communities, and will seek to enhance the perception of the North East as a competitive business location.

1.27 Predicted changes in population over the next 10 to 15 years also pose new challenges. Population is expected to fall by 3% between 1998 and 2016, a drop of more than 13,000. Different age groups will experience different trends, but the overall picture is of an ageing population.

1.28 There will, however, remain a high demand for housing as more single and two-person households are created. Recent forecasts indicate a need for about 18,000 houses by 2011, with roughly two-thirds of these needed within the Aberdeen Housing Market Area, which extends to a 30 kilometre (approx. 20 mile) arc around the city. Improved economic performance would increase these numbers.

1.29 It should be noted that the overall numbers and changing character of the profile of households now make impractical one possible response that was aired under the last structure plan, namely to concentrate development in a new settlement.

1.30 In summary, the long-term challenge is to set a sustainable framework as the area’s underlying local approach to global issues. Within this context the short to medium-term challenge is to hone the area’s economy to a new competitive edge, which will allow us to outperform the currently predicted economic trends and forecasts.

1.31 The remaining challenge over the period of this plan is to ensure that the continuing economic, community, environmental and communication needs of the area can be met in a way that is realistic, efficient, effective and fair to all.

[Back to Top]

1.32 The strategy consists of the core land use objectives derived from the plan’s vision and aims as they apply to the North East. A framework identifying the full set of relationships between aims and objectives is included in the Report of Survey’s Addendum. The core objectives are supported by more detailed locational objectives, which set the guidelines for allocating development on the ground. Table 1 (p15) and Figure 1 (p16) then relate the objectives to the geography of the North East. The main elements are also shown in an indicative form in the Key Diagram (see p66).

1.33 The most critical resources affected directly by the planning system are land, energy and fuel, our use of which dictates our effect on the rest of the community, economy and environment. The main thrust of the strategy is therefore to concentrate on reducing waste in these resources and ensuring that, where they are used, they are used to their maximum potential. Thus the core objectives are to focus future development on existing settlements, and to reduce both the need to travel and the environmental cost of travelling.

1.34 This leads in turn to the concept of "connecting communities". By this, we mean the integration of employment, housing and services in a hierarchy of settlements ranging in scale from Aberdeen down to the smallest settlement which has at least some services, in such a way that viable services are available in the most effective way to all.

1.35 It also means that the settlement hierarchy is defined by location in the development corridors which are related to the long-term planned expansion of an integrated transport network. In essence the resulting strategy focuses future development on the main settlements, although other proposals that support local communities will also be accommodated by opportunities identified in local plans.

1.36 Within this context of integration and connecting communities, it is the needs of economic location and potential that tend to drive what else is possible. The core strategic objective in this case is to develop a stronger competitive edge for the area’s overall economy, based on its natural strengths and the growth sectors of sustainable business. At the same time it is also essential to continue to support the economy of all the area’s local communities as far as possible.

1.37 The promotion, protection and enhancement of the natural, built and cultural environment is also a critical and integral element of the strategy, not least for its contribution to the attractiveness and prosperity of the area.

1.38 All aspects of the environment are important. However, the global issues of sustainability mean that we must recognise priorities even here, in favour of those resources which impact at global level and over the longest timescale. Thus the most precious environmental resources are air, water and climate, followed by soil and biodiversity, then cultural resources, and finally the visual landscape.

1.39 Good connections with the rest of Europe and the availability of transport in the North East, both for goods and people, affect our prosperity, our environment and ultimately the whole quality of our lives. A common thread throughout the structure plan is the contribution that transportation planning can make towards achieving sustainable development and a healthy economy.

1.40 In doing so, the plan provides for patterns of land use that reduce the need to travel and promote the use of environmental-friendly forms of transport, such as walking, cycling, buses and rail. The strategy also seeks to encourage telecommunications and sustainable freight transportation, including the transfer of freight from road to rail. This in turn will contribute towards road safety and the general improvement of the environment.

1.41 In considering these issues the structure plan acknowledges that the transport needs of rural Aberdeenshire are different from those of the Aberdeenshire settlements or Aberdeen.

1.42 Aberdeen is recognised as a city of international significance, as Europe’s oil capital, and as a key gateway to the area. It has an important international airport and heliport, a major rail terminal and a vibrant working harbour. The city drives the regional economy and will continue to accommodate significant levels of new development, particularly for business and industry, retailing, housing, healthcare, leisure, cultural and community services. Some settlements on the edge of Aberdeen will have a special role in helping to accommodate this.

1.43 Aberdeen’s city centre makes a particularly significant contribution to the social, cultural, economic and environmental well-being of the North East. This plan supports a view that there is scope for this role to be enhanced to strengthen the city’s role as a regional centre. Opportunities for major retail, commercial leisure and entertainment uses still remain to be exploited and these should be given preference over sites outwith the city centre.

1.44 All the main Aberdeenshire settlements are located at important positions on the transport network. Those in prime positions on the network have been identified as key centres. Their main role is as centres of the rural industries and in providing sites and premises for new business to grow, but they will also be promoted to provide a focus for many of the same activities as in Aberdeen. They provide the driving force of the economy outwith Aberdeen.

1.45 A number of other major centres have been identified along the lines of the transport network, whose role is to act in a similar way though for a more localised area. They have a special role in providing opportunities for small-scale and start-up businesses. Their town centres also have an important role in providing access to facilities.

1.46 The economic health of the countryside remains one of the keys to a sustainable economy for the whole area in the future. Its major role is to foster both those industries which are based on local resources and also new opportunities which arise.

1.47 However, the corollary to the need to focus development on the main settlements is that housing should not generally be dispersed across the remaining countryside. This is to ensure not only that housing is located close to where most jobs and services are (to limit the need for travel, to help maintain the viability of the remaining rural services, and to minimise unnecessary costs in providing public services), but also to maintain as much as possible of the natural resources of the countryside.

1.48 The intention is to give a general welcome to economic initiatives in the countryside, in particular providing opportunities for small-scale and start-up businesses, but to steer new small-scale housing development to those villages that retain viable services, or to where housing is associated specifically with places of work. In this way we have the best chance of securing balanced and inclusive communities.

1.49 The uplands and coast include areas, such as the Cairngorms, Bennachie and the Sands of Forvie, to which the people of the North East have great emotional attachment. Important for nature conservation, landscape, recreation and tourism, and in some cases of international importance, these areas are key features in establishing and preserving the unique identity of the whole North East, and require special protection. However, such a diverse environment requires varied planning approaches for different circumstances.

1.50 For instance, countryside areas have policies applied which respect local circumstances and support communities within them. In special areas such as the Cairngorms, a different approach is being promoted by the Scottish Executive. The Cairngorms, which lie within four different structure plan areas, have been proposed as a World Heritage Site, and National Park status may also be granted to the area in 2003.

1.51 A key element of the structure plan’s approach to the integration of land use and transportation is the emphasis on public transport, accessibility and the concentration of development along public and freight transport "corridors". In doing this, the plan complements the local transport strategies.

1.52 The plan also requires a wide range of transportation measures, including the development of strategic park-and-ride schemes, traffic and parking management, and increased freight-to-rail connections. Another measure, central to the delivery of many of these essential elements of the overall strategy, is the implementation of a western peripheral route around Aberdeen.

1.53 Together this road and the related measures will enhance the performance of the North East economy by improving accessibility into and around the city, and to the remainder of the North East. As such, they will be of benefit to existing businesses and to new employment land locations, and should lead to environmental benefits for communities throughout the North East and Aberdeen in particular. There will be less congestion, noise and pollution, easier movement of public transport, cyclists and walkers, and they should help in meeting targets for air quality.

1.54 The strategy is to maintain a choice of development locations while creating a better balance between housing, jobs, open space and access to services generally. The strategy takes advantage of infrastructure capacity where it exists and contributes to the vitality and viability of communities.

1.55 In providing the choice of locations, the plan seeks to promote a marketable supply of employment and effective housing land, with settlements having the potential to accommodate development at an appropriate scale. Opportunities exist throughout the North East, with sites already allocated by previous plans along with some new allocations being identified for most of the main settlements.

1.56 Further land will also be required to meet longer term requirements, and this plan outlines how these needs will be met. The additional land will be identified in accord with the strategic area roles and functions set out in Table 1.

1.57 The structure plan also requires the choice of use (that is - employment, housing, open space or services) for any particular location to be made on the basis of its value to the community as a whole, while giving special attention to opportunities to regenerate less-favoured areas.

1.58 Energy efficiency and environment-friendly considerations will help to determine the sustainability of location choice, while the density of development will need to consider what is already in the surrounding area and the proximity to services and the transport corridors. Avoiding major hazards, such as oil pipelines, has always been a planning requirement, but the relatively recent growth of concern about the problems of flooding are also fully reflected in the strategy.

1.59 To create a more sustainable way of life, there will be a stronger emphasis in future on regenerating existing sites within the urban fabric, rather than bringing forward peripheral greenfield or even rural brownfield sites, which are often less accessible by public transport and less well connected with necessary services. This will be particularly important in Aberdeen where most of the appropriate brownfield opportunities exist. Preferred sites will cater for a mixture of uses, with opportunities for the creation of urban villages within the existing built-up area being encouraged.

1.60 Not all brownfield sites will be suitable for housing. In some cases the introduction of a new or mix of new uses may be more appropriate, while in others it may be better to retain the original use. This will depend on the considerations in paragraphs 1.54 to 1.58 above.

1.61 However, it is expected that a high proportion of the Aberdeen area’s future housing requirement, offering a choice of housing types, can be accommodated on such sites along with a range of new employment opportunities, particularly in the service sector. The delivery of these elements will require all parties in the development process to work in partnership in order to generate creative solutions to achieve the goals of the strategy. Sites will be required to be well connected with the public transport network and offer good access by a range of different modes of transport to services and facilities.

1.62 There will also be occasions when it is appropriate to use greenfield land, or countryside, for development. Sometimes this may be a desirable and necessary option, if town cramming is to be avoided, or if the proposal is essential to the economy of the area. Greenfield development will sometimes also help in providing choice in locations for investment.

1.63 In these situations, locations that offer good accessibility to all sectors of the community and integrate with environmental and social objectives will be chosen. For instance, the plan allows land for business and industry within Aberdeen, but recognises this cannot always be accommodated within the existing urban fabric.

1.64 This plan supports a strong Green Belt policy around the city of Aberdeen but the Green Belt’s boundaries are to be reviewed in local plans to ensure sufficient development land is identified. The intention of the review will be:

1.65 Taken together, the various elements of the strategy described above will provide firm support for the development of a sustainable community encompassing the whole North East, which would improve social inclusion, respect the environment and help connect individual communities.

1.66 The strategy promotes different types of action in different parts of the North East and will require communities, developers and other groups and organisations to participate positively in the process. There is a major role to be played by local plans in translating the structure plan strategy and policies into the identification of specific sites on the ground, and together they will provide a framework within which individuals and businesses can make investment decisions with confidence.