Planning Circular 2/2004: strategic environmental assessment for development planning

Scottish Planning Series
PLANNING CIRCULAR 2 2004

Strategic Environmental Assessment for Development Planning; the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004

July 2004

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Contents

PLANNING SERIES:

• Scottish Planning Policies (SPPs) provide statements of Scottish Executive policy on nationally important land use and other planning matters, supported where appropriate by a locational framework.
• Circulars, which also provide statements of Scottish Executive policy, contain guidance on policy implementation through legislative or procedural change.
• Planning Advice Notes (PANs) provide advice on good practice and other relevant information.

Statements of Scottish Executive policy contained in SPPs and Circulars may be material considerations to be taken into account in development plan preparation and development control.

Existing National Planning Policy Guidelines (NPPGs) have continued relevance to decision making, until such time as they are replaced by a SPP. The term SPP should be interpreted as including NPPGs.

Statements of Scottish Executive location-specific planning policy, for example the West Edinburgh Planning Framework, have the same status in decision making as SPPs.

This Circular summarises the Scottish Ministers' understanding of the general effect of the relevant primary or secondary legislation although the summaries do not carry statutory authority in themselves and legal advice should always be taken in case of doubt.