Highland Council welcomes Regional Land Use Partnership pilots in Highlands and the Cairngorms
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Highland Council has welcomed news that the region is to host two Scottish Government pilot projects to work out the future use of land, as guided by people locally.
Highland and the Cairngorms are each to be given support to to test approaches to partnership governance that best suit the local situation and priorities. This will help inform future decisions on wider establishment of partnerships, throughout Scotland.
The Scottish Government will enable Regional Land Use Partnerships to help develop Scotland’s approach to land use in support of its green recovery and transition to net-zero.
It is hoped the partnerships will help national and local government, communities, land owners and stakeholders work together to find ways to optimise land use in a fair and inclusive way - meeting local and national objectives and supporting the journey to net zero.
They will be piloted in: Cairngorms National Park, Highland Council, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the North East Region (Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City Councils) and South of Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders Councils).
Environment, climate change and land reform secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “Scotland’s commitment to tackling the twin crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss is unwavering. Our journey to net zero will be transformational and touch every aspect of our lives. Our approach to land use will be vital to achieving our objectives.
“Given Scotland’s unique and diverse natural environment, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to land use, and it is right that we use and empower local knowledge and expertise to guide our journey. It is also important to recognise that land use development is not just a rural matter – it is something that concerns every corner of the country, which is why I am pleased that urban areas will also be included in the pilot scheme.
“It is critical that we ensure a just transition to net zero, one that leaves no-one behind. These Partnerships will take a collaborative and inclusive approach to supporting decision-making, making sure they meet local priorities while supporting our national endeavour to end Scotland’s contribution to climate change.”
The Highland Council’s chairwoman of economy and infrastructure committee and the chair of climate change working group, Councillor Trish Robertson welcomed the news, she said: “We are very pleased that the Scottish Government has recognised the scale of the size of the Highland area – approximately the size of Belgium – and allocated two of the five pilot partnerships within the Highland Council area.
"We are delighted that The Highland Council area is to become a Regional Land Use Partnership pilot area and also the Cairngorms National Park. We look forward to working with the Scottish Government to fully understand the scope of the pilot as a means for moving Highland towards an exemplar Carbon Action region in partnership with our communities.”
