Evaluation of the Regional Land Use Framework Pilots

4. Extent to which the pilots met their requirements

Research Question: To what extent do the regional frameworks meet the requirements set out by the Scottish Government?

The Scottish Government's specification for the pilots included a list of ten requirements that each was expected to follow. Specifically the pilots were asked to produce a regional land use framework which:

• Reflects Scottish Government policies relevant to land use.
• Has regard to the ten Principles for Sustainable Land Use contained within the LUS and supports the delivery of its Objectives and Vision.
• Expresses regional/local policies relevant to land use.
• Contains sufficient detail to enable grant-funding decisions to be made (e.g. for SRDP funding).
• Considers all major land uses in the relevant area.
• Provides clarity for decision-makers on the opportunities and constraints within a given area.
• Has been prepared in partnership with all locally relevant land use sectors and has been consulted upon.
• Takes an ecosystems approach.
• Is a meaningful tool in guiding decisions about land management, land use change and funding.
• Can take account of changing circumstances and the cumulative impacts of land use change.

A summary response, explaining the extent to which each of these is considered as having been met, follows. Unless stated otherwise the responses are primarily based on the judgement of the evaluators, with this being based on a desk-based assessment of the core outputs from the pilots, namely the Land Use Change Issues and Opportunities report produced by Aberdeenshire, the Scottish Borders pilot Regional Land Use Framework and the GIS mapping products.

4.1 Findings from the pilot areas

4.1.1 Do the frameworks reflect Scottish Government policies relevant to land use?

Aberdeenshire

The Aberdeenshire pilot focused on what it described as five land use and environment themes namely:

• The low carbon economy.
• Sustainable food production.
• Sustainable water management.
• Halting biodiversity loss.
• Communities connected to the land.

Clear links were made between each theme and Scottish Government policy in these areas. The report and the GIS tool were presented as products that could be used by local/regional stakeholders to help frame debates concerning the implications of policy implementation and potential interactions between different policy objectives.

The report noted however that there were tensions between government policies^[15] relating to land use and that one future regional action should be to seek to reconcile and align these at the regional level.

Scottish Borders

As part of the development of the framework the pilot was required to map the policy drivers most relevant to the main ecosystem services within the SBC area. The framework document also makes reference to a wide range of Scottish Government policy relating to land management. This work highlights national policy to local decision makers and provides a mechanism for assessing the potential opportunities and constraints that might arise for a given objective.

It is important to note that the framework is not a strategy and did not look to set targets for the SBC area. Instead it is presented as a means of encouraging and better enabling readers to consider land use in a more holistic fashion with a view to helping:

'People make better long-term decisions about land use, at a time of rapid environmental, economic and social change.'^[16]

In summary, as set out in the specification provided by the Scottish Government the framework does not attempt to direct land use in the SBC area instead it highlights and draws attention to the multiple policy objectives of the Scottish Government in relation to land management, and in doing so reflects the significance of these to the reader.

4.1.2 Do the frameworks have regard to the ten Principles for Sustainable Land Use contained within the LUS and support the delivery of its Objectives and Vision?

A description of the ten Principles for Sustainable Land Use, and an assessment of how the Aberdeenshire issues report and the Scottish Borders framework document and their GIS tools match against these, are contained in the following tables.

Aberdeenshire

Table 2: Assessment of Aberdeenshire pilot outputs against the Principles for Sustainable Land Use

LUS Principle	Assessment of the Aberdeenshire Issues and Options Paper Report and GIS tool
a) Opportunities for land use to deliver multiple benefits should be encouraged.	The report explores how changes in land use might deliver multiple benefits. When considering future actions it proposes that a more integrated and multi-functional approach to land management be explored within the area. The GIS tool enables users to explore how such benefits might best be attained.
b) Regulation should continue to protect essential public interests whilst placing as light a burden on businesses as is consistent with achieving its purpose. Incentives should be efficient and cost-effective.	The report does not address the issue of regulation, but suggests that a regional/local plan might have a role in influencing the use of public subsidy[17].
c) Where land is highly suitable for a primary use (for example food production, flood management, water catchment management and carbon storage) this value should be recognised in decision-making.	The report encourages a multi-functional approach to land management, but recognises that it is often appropriate to identify and prioritise specific forms of land use function. For example woodland expansion was identified as a regional priority. The GIS tool allows users to prioritise through the use of an adjustable weighting function.
d) Land use decisions should be informed by an understanding of the functioning of the ecosystems which they affect in order to maintain the benefits of the ecosystem services which they provide.	The report advocates that the Aberdeenshire region explore a more integrated approach to land use planning and management that takes better account of ecosystem services[18]. This is enabled via the GIS tool.
e) Landscape change should be managed positively and sympathetically, considering the implications of change at a scale appropriate to the landscape in question, given that all Scotland's landscapes are important to our sense of identity and to our individual and social wellbeing.	The report notes that there are a number of drivers of landscape change and that some level of change is inevitable. It suggests that such change should be guided to maximise economic and social benefit. In relation to woodland expansion, a priority issue for the pilot, it notes the potential for conflict between woodland and agricultural interests and highlights the role that the prototype GIS tool might play in helping to manage these.
f) Land-use decisions should be informed by an understanding of the opportunities and threats brought about by the changing climate. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with land use should be reduced and land should continue to contribute to delivering climate change adaptation and mitigation objectives.	The report contains several messages relating to the climate change agenda. In particular it advocates that 'Land based business in Aberdeenshire should plan more fully for climate change, considering options for both mitigation and adaptation'[19]. The GIS tool allows the user to explore how land use might change under a medium prediction for climate change.
g) Where land has ceased to fulfil a useful function because it is derelict or vacant, this represents a significant loss of economic potential and amenity for the community concerned. It should be a priority to examine options for restoring all such land to economically, socially or environmentally productive uses.	The report notes that the development of housing and infrastructure is a strong driver of land use change in Aberdeenshire[20]. The issue of derelict land was not considered within the framework.
h) Outdoor recreation opportunities and public access to land should be encouraged, along with the provision of accessible green space close to where people live, given their importance for health and well-being.	A key message of the report is that recreational access (in the wider landscape) has the potential to generate multiple benefits for society and this formed one of the key themes of the project. A presumption in favour of access to publicly funded woodland was one suggestion[21]. The GIS tool automatically awards a higher positive weighting for the provision of recreational access to woodland.
i) People should have opportunities to contribute to debates and decisions about land use and management decisions which affect their lives and their future.	The report advocates the adoption of a more inclusive approach to rural land use management[22], potentially via regional land use fora involving communities and other key stakeholders[23]. The GIS tool could be used to help to facilitate debate on these issues for example through demonstrating the impact of different scenarios on issues such as landscape etc.
j) Opportunities to broaden our understanding of the links between land use and daily living should be encouraged.	The report makes reference to the potential benefits of securing greater understanding (within the general public) of land use[24] and notes that the pilot explored this matter. It is not though explicitly encouraged in the document. The GIS tool could be used as a mechanism for communicating the potential impacts of landscape change.

The Issues and Opportunities report did not describe the LUS objectives or vision but noted the role of the pilot in embedding the LUS.

Scottish Borders

Table 3: Assessment of the Scottish Borders pilot outputs against the Principles for Sustainable Land Use

LUS Principle	Assessment of Scottish Borders Framework and GIS Tool
a) Opportunities for land use to deliver multiple benefits should be encouraged.	The SBC framework makes clear reference to the potential role of the framework in securing multiple benefits and encourages its use in local decision-making. The GIS tool enables users to explore how such benefits might best be attained.
b) Regulation should continue to protect essential public interests whilst placing as light a burden on businesses as is consistent with achieving its purpose. Incentives should be efficient and cost-effective.	The framework acknowledges the role of subsidy and regulation, but encourages a bottom up, voluntary and consensual, rather than top-down approach to land management.
c) Where land is highly suitable for a primary use (for example food production, flood management, water catchment management and carbon storage) this value should be recognised in decision-making.	The framework (and associated GIS) tool aims to assist users to consider the functionality of the wider landscape, a key aim is the promotion of multi-functionality however it recognises the need to identify and prioritise specific forms of service function when circumstances dictate (e.g. flood mitigation). The GIS tool weights data layers thereby identifying high value primary land uses.
d) Land use decisions should be informed by an understanding of the functioning of the ecosystems which they affect in order to maintain the benefits of the ecosystem services which they provide.	A core aim of the framework and the GIS tool is to promote recognition of the multi-faceted nature of land management and to better enable users to account for ecosystem services when making land use decisions. This is a foundation of the interaction and multiple benefit maps and opportunity maps, and maps presented for consultation as part of the final framework.
e) Landscape change should be managed positively and sympathetically, considering the implications of change at a scale appropriate to the landscape in question, given that all Scotland's landscapes are important to our sense of identity and to our individual and social wellbeing.	The framework notes a number of drivers for landscape change, but emphasises the opportunities and benefits for securing multiple benefits from the land and the need to avoid the dominance of any one form of land use at the expense of such benefits. The framework recognises the need for decision making to occur at different scales as appropriate to the issue being addressed - the GIS tool helps enable this.
f) Land-use decisions should be informed by an understanding of the opportunities and threats brought about by the changing climate. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with land use should be reduced and land should continue to contribute to delivering climate change adaptation and mitigation objectives.	The role of climate change as a driver of change is repeatedly referenced within the framework. The document emphasises the threats, but also the opportunities that mitigation activity might generate for land managers, for example flood mitigation and carbon sequestration. The framework and accompanying GIS tool allow for the identification of opportunities and threats and provide a mechanism for targeting interventions to maximise impact.
g) Where land has ceased to fulfil a useful function because it is derelict or vacant, this represents a significant loss of economic potential and amenity for the community concerned. It should be a priority to examine options for restoring all such land to economically, socially or environmentally productive uses.	The framework notes the issue of development land but makes no reference to the use of derelict or vacant land. Development was not regarded as a major issue within the SBC area and one that is, in any event, dealt with through the statutory planning process and therefore outwith the remit of the pilot[26].
h) Outdoor recreation opportunities and public access to land should be encouraged, along with the provision of accessible green space close to where people live, given their importance for health and well-being.	The framework recognises the importance of outdoor recreation and the role of greenspace in delivering well being, and encourages consideration of how best this might be integrated with other forms of land use. The GIS tool provides a mechanism for enabling this.
i) People should have opportunities to contribute to debates and decisions about land use and management decisions which affect their lives and their future.	The framework is intended for use by a wide range of stakeholders including individuals and communities and is intended to better enable constructive debate between multiple stakeholders. The GIS tool could be used to help to facilitate debate on these issues for example through demonstrating the impact of different scenarios on issues such as landscape etc.
j) Opportunities to broaden our understanding of the links between land use and daily living should be encouraged.	The framework includes a recommended potential (there is no commitment to deliver) action to promote a better awareness of people's relationship with the land[26]. The GIS tool could be used as a mechanism for communicating the potential impacts of landscape change

The framework document described the LUS vision and strategy and noted the role of the framework as a mechanism for enabling the realisation of the LUS at the local level.

4.1.3 Do the frameworks express regional / local policies relevant to land use?

Aberdeenshire

The report was not intended to set strategic policy or strategy for Aberdeenshire. It makes some reference to relevant policies (principally planning documents), but the report does not advocate their adoption. Stakeholders involved in the stage 3 evaluation workshop noted that the pilot had aimed to avoid being prescriptive and emphasised that the tool was designed as an aid to decision-making.

Scottish Borders

In the stage 3 evaluation workshops both stakeholders and members of the project management team noted that in comparison to urban areas there was a relative absence of local/regional land use policy. Local/regional policy interrelationships were considered within the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). this identified a need to consider woodland strategy and this had been done. Issues covered by statutory planning, such as housing and renewables, were largely excluded on the basis that these were covered as statutory issues and as such their inclusion in the framework might generate confusion in the minds of stakeholders and consultees. Overall the framework was considered to be a mechanism to reconcile public policy rather than to express it, and the framework does not attempt to set strategic policy or strategy for the SBC area.

4.1.4 Do the frameworks contain sufficient detail to enable grant funding decisions to be made (e.g. for SRDP funding)?

Aberdeenshire

The pilot reported that the GIS tool does not operate at a sufficiently high resolution to allow for detailed site based targeting such as might be required for many grant aided schemes (e.g. SRDP). It does however allow for broad scale targeting and the report suggests that this would be useful for targeting areas for woodland expansion^[27]. In most instances however use of the tool would need to be supplemented by more detailed site-specific investigations.

Scottish Borders

The Tweed Forum (in the final project management team workshop) expressed the view that the maps developed by the pilots were more sophisticated that those used by the SRDP and could therefore be used to inform grant decision-making. Participants in the final stakeholder workshop were less sure with some suggesting that further development was required and others stating that until it had been trialed it was difficult to offer a view.

4.1.5 Do the frameworks consider all major land uses in the relevant area?

Aberdeenshire

The report considers a wide range of rural land use issues. Stakeholder participants in the stage 3 evaluation workshop however noted that they felt that upland issues had been insufficiently addressed.

The focus of the GIS companion tool was restricted to the issue of native broadleaved woodland expansion, although it included a consideration of other land uses in order to enable consideration of interactions between woodland and other land use types.

Scottish Borders

The SBC framework also considered a wide range of land use issues, but largely excluded consideration of development and renewables on the basis that including issues subject to statutory control in the framework might generate confusion in the minds of stakeholders and consultees.

4.1.6 Do the frameworks provide clarity for decision-makers on the opportunities and constraints within a given area?

Aberdeenshire

The Issues and Opportunities report provides decision-makers with a high level overview of some key land use issues within the Aberdeenshire area. The accompanying GIS tool enables users to explore constraints and opportunities within the pilot area, but only in relation to native broadleaf woodland. In the final evaluation workshop the pilot project management team noted that the GIS tool might have a role in illustrating the interconnectedness of land use issues, for example to communities. Participants in the final stakeholder evaluation workshop were unclear about the potential of the tool.

Scottish Borders

The framework document clearly communicates the fact that one of its key functions is to assist decision makers to consider the wider implications of land use change. The companion GIS tool is the mechanism through which this can be undertaken.

Whilst the pilot has provided the tools to allow decision-makers to consider opportunities and constraints, stakeholder participants in the final evaluation workshop noted that whilst these had potential it was not possible to be sure whether they provided sufficient clarity for decision-makers, as this would only become clear once the tool has been applied.

4.1.7 Have the frameworks been prepared in partnership with all locally relevant land use sectors and have they been consulted upon?

Aberdeenshire

As described in 3.1 the pilot involved stakeholders from a range of land use sectors. Groups identified as missing (during the stage 3 evaluation workshop) included representatives from the recreation and health sectors.

The Issues and Opportunities report was informed by comments from stakeholders, but was not subject to wider public consultation. The GIS tool was made available for testing by external users via a series of workshops run in the winter of 2014/15.

Scottish Borders

As described in 3.1 the framework was developed through an extensive programme of evaluation and consultation involving a wide range of stakeholders. Whilst efforts were made to engage with all locally relevant land use sectors some groups were reported as being under represented, most notably the tourism / recreation, business and renewables sectors. The framework was subject to public consultation.

4.1.8 Do the frameworks take an ecosystems approach?

In order to review the pilot process and main outputs against this requirement, reference has been made to the Scottish Government's 'Information Note on Applying an Ecosystems Approach' (March 2011) ^[28]. This states that an ecosystems approach can be summarised in three main principles.

a) Consider natural systems - by using knowledge of interactions in nature and how ecosystems function.

b) Take account of the services that ecosystems provide - including those that underpin social and economic well-being, such as flood and climate regulation, resources for food, fibre or fuel, or for recreation, culture and quality of life.

c) Involve people - those who benefit from the ecosystem services and those managing them need to be involved in decisions that affect them. Their knowledge will often be central to success. Public participation should go beyond consultation to become real involvement in decision-making.

Aberdeenshire

The Issues and Opportunities report takes account of natural systems and the range of services they provide within Aberdeenshire including food, timber, climate regulation, water, biodiversity, recreation and quality of life, and emphasises the need to pursue an integrated approach with a view to securing the optimal delivery of benefits. The development of the pilot, and the final products (including the report) were informed by stakeholder engagement and by public participation. The issue of stakeholder engagement in the pilots is dealt with at some length in section 3.1 where it is reported that the pilot was subject to stakeholder criticism for not involving stakeholders sufficiently early in the development process. It is suggested that in this regard the pilot's approach to engagement fell short of that expected of an ecosystem approach.

Scottish Borders

The framework considers natural systems and the interactions between between different ecosystem functions. Users are encouraged and enabled (via the GIS tool) to take account of a range of ecosystem services. A wide range of stakeholders were involved in the development of the framework and it is designed with the intention of better enabling multi-stakeholder approaches to land use decision making. As such it is considered that the framework is consistent with the principles of the ecosystems approach.

4.1.9 Are the frameworks a meaningful tool in guiding decisions about land management, land use change and funding?

Aberdeenshire

Stakeholders were asked (stage 3 evaluation workshop) whether or not they felt the pilot outputs, and in particular the GIS tool, offered a meaningful mechanism for guiding land use decisions. Workshop participants were cautious about offering a view on this matter, when pressed they expressed some uncertainty about whether the tool would actually be used once the pilot had finished.

Scottish Borders

Stakeholders in the stage 3 evaluation workshop noted that it was unclear as yet whether the framework, and more particularly the GIS tool, comprised a meaningful tool for guiding land use decisions. It was suggested that the GIS tool may need further development, but that ultimately it would be difficult to determine until the GIS tool had been applied in earnest.

4.1.10 Can the frameworks take account of changing circumstances and the cumulative impacts of land use change?

Aberdeenshire

The GIS tool allows users to consider land use change in relation to woodland expansion. It is limited to woodland expansion, but the prototype tool allowed users to change ecosystem parameters and observe the theoretical effects on woodland cover. The tool is not readily updateable.

Scottish Borders

The GIS element of the framework presents maps demonstrating interactions and opportunities and has been designed to enable users to consider and plan for the implications of land use change, including cumulative change. The tool has been designed to allow for updating.

4.2 Summary

The written products from both pilots take account of Scottish Government policy with this having been assured through a policy mapping exercise undertaken as part of a Strategic Environmental Assessment process (a requirement of the Scottish Government).

A desk based assessment of the Aberdeenshire issues report and the SBC framework found that the key messages, theoretical approach and recommendations contained within both documents were consistent with eight of the ten LUS Principles for Sustainable Land Use. Areas where they were not were Principle b - regulation-this was not an issue addressed by the pilots and the use of derelict land (Principle g) - both pilots noted that this issue was covered by existing statutory plans and had therefore elected not to consider it.

The pilots looked to take a wide range of local / regional land use policy into account, but some issues were deliberately excluded. This included issues addressed via the statutory planning regime (e.g. development and renewables). Pilots saw the inclusion of these issues as duplication. In addition the Aberdeenshire pilot made a decision not to include coastal issues and to restrict consideration of upland sporting land use issues - to help avoid over complicating the project.

When responding to questions concerning the relationship between their outputs and policy, e.g. whether they felt that their work 'expressed government policy' both pilots were careful to note that their approach had focused on developing decision support tools as opposed to developing local / regional strategy. In short they developed products that can be used to help guide the translation of policy into practice, but which do not attempt to direct local / regional activity.

Both pilots expressed the view that the GIS tools offered the potential to guide grant funding. In the final evaluation workshop, staff from the Tweed Forum felt that the SBC GIS tool provided a more sophisticated set of maps than those currently used by SRDP and advocated the use of the tool in guiding grant funding. Stakeholder participants (in the final evaluation workshop) were more cautious as were participants in the Aberdeenshire workshops. The pilots noted that the tools did not allow for detailed field scale planning, but that they could be used at a broader landscape scale, for example in relation to large scale woodland expansion. The potential role of the SBC tool is currently being assessed.

Another area of uncertainty relates to the extent to which the outputs from the pilots provide clarity for decision makers on the opportunities and constraints within a given area. Stakeholders involved in stage 3 evaluation workshops (both pilots) also noted that it was unclear as to whether the pilot outputs, and in particular the GIS tool, offered a meaningful mechanism for guiding land use decisions. It is suggested that the practical value of the GIS tools will only become clear as and when the tools are applied. Given that the Aberdeenshire GIS tool focuses on woodland expansion it is clear that this will restrict the scope for its future application.

As described in Section 3.1, both pilots looked to involve a range of stakeholders. In the case of the Scottish Borders framework this included a public consultation. The Aberdeenshire Issues and Opportunities report was not formally consulted on, although stakeholders were provided with an opportunity to comment.

Overall, in terms of the approach required by the Scottish Government, both pilots were found to have operated, and delivered their outputs, in a manner broadly consistent with the requirements of the Scottish Government.

Both pilots looked to follow an ecosystem approach and for the most part their approach accorded with that advocated in the Scottish Government's Information Note on Applying an Ecosystems Approach. It is however questionable whether the approach to stakeholder engagement taken by the Aberdeenshire pilot allowed sufficient involvement in the development of the project and its outputs as would be expected under the ecosystem approach.

Both pilots produced a written document complemented by a GIS decision support tool. The GIS tools allow for consideration of land use change (although the Aberdeenshire tool only allows for consideration of change in relation to woodland expansion). In the final evaluation workshops stakeholders (from both pilots) noted that they felt that these outputs were of value, but were uncertain about whether or not they provided a meaningful mechanism for guiding future land use decision making, suggesting that this could only really be determined through practical application.