Supplementary Guidance - Housing in the Countryside

Purpose and Scope of Guidance

The  Adopted Housing in the Countryside Supplementary Guidance (2020) (PDF) [1MB] sets out in detail how the Council will implement Local Development Plan Policy 19: Housing in the Countryside and will be used in the assessment of planning applications.

The objective of the policy and guidance is to strike a balance between the need to protect the landscape whilst still encouraging appropriate rural housing developments. This means guiding new houses to places which support existing communities and services and minimise the need to travel, encouraging the reuse of traditional rural buildings, and ensuring that the siting and design of all new houses will not adversely impact on the landscape or on the character of the countryside.

The Guidance was approved by the Council's Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on the 29 January 2020 and submitted to Scottish Ministers for consideration on 3 February 2020. Following the necessary adoption procedures, the Council have now formally adopted the Supplementary Guidance.

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

As part of the process we have to consult SNH, SEPA and Historic Environment Scotland on whether the plan, programme or strategy is likely to raise issues of significant environmental impact.

We sent our  Screening Report (PDF) [464KB] to the consultation authorities to determine whether the supplementary guidance is likely to have significant effects on the environment on 28 November 2018.  You can also view the responses from the consultation authorities:

• Screening Response - Historic Environment Scotland (PDF) [67KB]
• Screening Response - Scottish Natural Heritage (PDF) [154KB]
• Screening Response - Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (PDF) [60KB]

Having consulted the three consultation authorities, and having considered the criteria set out in the Act, the Council considered that the Housing in the Countryside Supplementary Guidance is unlikely to have significant environmental effects and has therefore decided that SEA is not required. You can also view the  Screening Determination (PDF) [618KB] .