East Lothian Local Development Plan 2018 Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance - Special Landscape Areas

Overview

East Lothian Council, at its meeting on 29th May 2018, approved the East Lothian Local Development Plan 2018 (ELLDP 2018) for adoption. The Council has now submitted the ELLDP 2018 to Scottish Ministers stating our intention to adopt the plan for the area. The ELLDP 2018 comprises a development strategy for the future development of East Lothian to 2024 and beyond, a detailed policy framework for guiding development, and proposals maps. It sets out where new development should and should not occur, including new housing, education, economic and retail development, new transport links, and other infrastructure.

Your views are sought on the content of the Special Landscape Areas Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance, part of a range of documents that would support the East Lothian Local Development Plan 2018 (ELLDP 2018) (see relevant document links below). The boundaries of the Special Landscape Areas are set in the ELLDP 2018.

This Supplementary Planning Guidance has been produced to give guidance on how the distinctiveness and sense of place of all of East Lothian's varied landscapes can be maintained and improved. The Guidance contains

• Landscape Character Areas: these are areas which have a consistent landscape character; each with a similarity of landform, vegetation and built elements. All parts of East Lothian are within one of its 19 Landscape Character Areas. These are described in Appendix 1 of the Guidance, along with management guidance.
• Special Landscape Areas: these replace Areas of Great Landscape Value as the local landscape designation. They were selected to recognise and protect particularly valued landscapes and landscape features. A Statement of Importance for each area is shown in Appendix 2 of the Guidance.

The Guidance will be a material consideration in planning decisions. All landscapes are important, and East Lothian Council will continue to carefully assess proposals for all areas of the countryside, coast and urban natural spaces.

Comments can be made by completing the online survey (see below).  Alternatively, you can submit comments via email to: ldp@eastlothian.gov.uk, or by post to: Policy and Strategy Team, East Lothian Council, Brewery Park, Haddington EH41 3HA. 

Comments made via email or post must be received at the office of the Planning Authority by no later than 5pm on Friday 17th August 2018.

Should you have any issues or need clarification on the process and/or how to submit a representation to the proposed Special Landscape Areas SPG, please contact the Policy and Strategy Team on 01620 827216 before making a submission.

Why your views matter

We are seeking your views on the Special Landscape Areas Draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG). The Council will take your views into account prior to finalising the guidance.

What happens next

The Council will consider your comments prior to the adoption of the Special Landscape Areas SPG.