Dingieshowe beach

SNH provides clear focus for Scotland’s coastal landscapes with LUC input

With input from LUC’s Landscape Planning team, new guidance to help professionals assess the potential impacts of future development on Scotland’s coastal landscapes has been published last week by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

With marine recreation and tourism expenditure in Scotland estimated at £3.7 billion per year, it is vital that development of Scotland’s internationally renowned coastal landscapes is carefully managed. This guidance sets out how to undertake a coastal character assessment, which is central to the planning and development process as it provides the baseline information against which landscape and visual impacts are assessed.

LUC was commissioned by SNH during a consultation period last year to undertake an assessment of the Orkney and North Caithness coast. The report provides a robust characterisation at both local and regional scales and it has been submitted for consideration at the 2017 Landscape Institute Awards.  Our experiences helped shape the final form of the SNH guidance and excerpts of our report have been included within the new document as an exemplar of coastal character assessment.

Scotland’s coastal waters are the basis for an expanding aquaculture industry and more recently for renewable energy installations. Together with the introduction of marine spatial planning, there is an increasing focus on coasts and seas. The guidance will support the establishment of Regional Marine Plans, one of the priorities in delivering the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.

The Guidance on Coastal Character Assessment is available on the SNH website.

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