Planning Committee
29 June 2010
Agenda Item No. 9
Supplementary Planning and Customer Guidance on New
Housing in the Countryside
Report by: Keith Winter, Head of Development Services
Wards Affected: All
Purpose
To present a draft copy of the Supplementary Planning and Customer Guidance on New
Housing in the Countryside to Committee for approval and to gain authority to publish for
consultation.
This Planning Customer Guideline is part of a range of such guidelines promoting quality
development in the built environment whilst taking forward the Council’s commitment to
sustainable development.
Recommendation
That the Committee:
1. Agrees that the Draft Supplementary Planning and Customer Guidance in
Appendix A be published for consultation and presented to Area Committees for
comment;
2. Remits the Head of Development Services to report back to this Committee
after the consultation is concluded in early 2011, with a report on
representations received and with recommendations on the responses to those
representations including, if necessary, changes to the document;
3. Notes that pending consultation on the document and reporting back to
Committee, the Head of Development Services will apply the document in
considering planning applications;
4. Notes that the document will be made available for consultation online at the
Council’s website and that printed copies will also be available at Council
libraries.
Resource Implications
Development Services will be required to commit staff time and resources to produce and
consult on the Supplementary Planning and Customer Guidance. Costs will be met from
the existing Development Services’ revenue budget.
Legal & Risk Implications
There are not considered to be any legal or risk implications.
Policy & Impact Assessment
The document provides additional advice and guidance on core policy E16 in the Mid Fife,
Dunfermline & West and the St Andrews & East Fife Local Plans.
Consultation
A preliminary, internal consultation with nominated Team Leaders and Lead Officers within
Development Services has already taken place. Discussion has also taken place with
Orkney Council to learn from their experience in this policy area and a review of other
councils’ policies for this topic has been carried out.
Should Committee agree to publish the Supplementary Planning and Customer Guidance
for consultation, it is intended to provide further public consultation during autumn 2010,
including consultation with the following bodies:
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Community Councils
Fife Council – Transportation Services
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
Historic Scotland
The Council’s online development planning consultation portal also provides an
opportunity to consult with developers, consultants and other external bodies. Registered
users will be notified of the consultation and further information will be made available
through the monthly Fife Development Plan Update e-bulletin
1.0 Background
1.1 Fife Council’s current supplementary guidance on New Housing in the Countryside
(2007) was originally published in 2000. This document provides guidance based
upon policies associated with many of the now out of date Local Plans. The new
policies brought forward by the Mid Fife, Dunfermline & West, and St Andrews & East
Fife Local Plans have introduced a different and wider ranging policy criteria
associated with housing development in the countryside. These include small scale
development within building clusters, the redevelopment of environmentally degraded
sites and the development of modest numbers of affordable housing units.
1.2 Planning Officers’ experiences of dealing with development proposals based on these
policies have identified a number of concerns which are outlined in section 2.0. It was
therefore considered that an updated guidance document was required to be produced
to provide clarity on these policies.
1.3 In developing the supplementary planning guidance, national planning policy and
advice, was reviewed along with policies and guidance documents produced by other
Scottish Planning Authorities. Discussion was also held with colleagues in Orkney
Council (who had previously won an award from the Scottish Executive for their
approach to providing rural housing) for collaboration and to provide learning
opportunities.
1.4 The background document, attached as Appendix B of this report, has been included
to illustrate the initial research and consultation work that took place as part of the
preparation of the draft supplementary planning and customer guidance.
2.0 Issues and Options
2.1 Experience of dealing with development proposals based on existing policies has
identified concerns principally relating to the misinterpretation of the policies by those
involved in the planning process, and an inconsistency in approach.
2.2 The review undertaken of the Housing in the Countryside policy identified updating the
current Supplementary Planning and Customer Guidance document as a key
requirement in order to provide clarity on the policy. In addition, as a result of changes
introduced as part of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006, the new Local
Development Plans (LDPs) will be more concise, map based documents whilst
detailed policy guidance should be included in the supplementary guidance, which will
hold greater weight than before. It is intended that the supplementary guidance will
continue to apply as this Council moves from old style local plans to the LDP system.
2.3 The updated guidelines are considered to have the following benefits:
 assisting Planning Officers in guiding developers towards more sustainable and
appropriate housing locations in the countryside;
 providing clarification to the public and developers when discussing planning
applications and Local Plan policies;
 providing greater consistency in terms of decisions made on planning applications;
and,
 ensuring that developers are aware of the information that will need to be submitted
as part of a planning application.
2.4 The guidelines outline what is and what is not appropriate in relation to each part of the
Housing in the Countryside Policy and provide examples of good and bad practice.
The guidelines address national and local plan policy and guidance, what the planning
authority looks for and what the applicant should consider as part of their proposal;
they also provides details of other potential environmental and legal issues and
concerns which may arise as part of a planning application.
2.5 The guidance also provides links to other guidance documents, including House
Extensions and Garages (2007) and Affordable Housing (2005) and to advice from
outside bodies such as Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
2.6 It is anticipated that a 4 week period of public consultation will take place in autumn
2010 subject to capacity in local plan preparation. The results of the consultation
process will be reported back to Planning Committee early in 2011 by which time the
process may be informed by some local plan examination findings. The intention
thereafter is for the formal adoption of the document as Supplementary Planning
Guidance.
3.0 Conclusions
3.1 The Supplementary Planning and Customer Guidance is prepared in line with Scottish
Planning Policy (SPP), which requires Planning Authorities to ensure all new
developments contribute to the sustainability agenda and actively encourages
improved standards in design and build quality of all new development.
3.2 The Draft Supplementary Planning and Customer Guidance document on New
Housing in the Countryside will assist in the assessment and delivery of local and
major developments; help to achieve an improved design/build quality; and provide
Development Services with a tool to guide developers and the public towards more
sustainable housing locations by providing clear advice. The publication version of the
guideline will include illustrations and images, and will apply the Council’s graphic
house style.
3.3 The outcome of the consultation process will be reported back to the November
meeting of this Committee and will inform future policy for Local Development Plans.
List of Appendices
 Appendix A – Supplementary Planning and Customer Guidance on New Housing in
the Countryside;
 Appendix B – Policy assessment paper.
Background Papers
The following papers were relied on in the preparation of this report in terms of the
Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1973:

Finalised St Andrews & East Fife Local Plan, 2009, Fife Council

Draft Mid Fife Local Plan, 2008, Fife Council

Draft Dunfermline & West Fife Local Plan, 2010, Fife Council

Fife Council Planning Policy Guidelines on New Housing in the Countryside,
2007

Scottish Planning Policy (SPP), 2010, Scottish Government

Planning etc. (Scotland) Act, 2006, Scottish Government
Report Contact
Samantha Stone, Planner, Town House, Kirkcaldy
Telephone: 08451 55 55 55 + 471 805
Email – Samantha.stone@fife.gov.uk