Planning Practice & Research

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National planning guidelines: A strategic

opportunity wasting away?

Jeremy Rowan‐Robinson & Greg Lloyd

To cite this article: Jeremy Rowan‐Robinson & Greg Lloyd (1991) National planning guidelines:
A strategic opportunity wasting away?, Planning Practice & Research, 6:3, 16-19, DOI:
10.1080/02697459108722820

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Published online: 26 Apr 2007.

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National Planning Guidelines:
A Strategic Opportunity Wasting Away?

by Jeremy Rowan-Robinson and Greg Lloyd

Introduction established arrangement for the provision of strategic planning

In a recent discussion paper, the Town and Country
Planning Association (1990, page 3) set out an impressive
case for the adoption of strategic planning in principle and
practice. It argued that "land use planning and environmental
planning on the strategic scale is essential in any nation that
requires efficient, equitable and sustainable development of its
quality of life". Strategic planning, continued the discussion
paper, "is concerned with understanding and guiding change
at the level of cities, city regions, and regions. It attempts to
integrate that understanding and planning over a range of
important issues". The plea for a strategic perspective on
land-use planning matters is not new nor is it confined to those
in the public sector. The Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors (1986), for example, representing a segment of the
property development industry, has also criticised the present
land-use planning system because it provides virtually no
national guidance and very little regional guidance within which
more detailed local planning policies can be framed and
implemented. Some commentators have suggested that
strategic planning is an essential component of an effective
land-use planning system (Bruton and Nicholson, 1985).
Strategic planning is concerned with establishing an
institutional process or broad policy context which sets out a
frame of reference for lower level planning activities (Diamond,
1979). A central aspect of any strategic planning framework
would be the administrative arrangement deployed to secure
such a strategic perspective over land-use change and land
development. Caution must be exercised in this respect,
however, as the planner's role must concern itself not just with
the production of strategic plans but with the management of
change. In other words, strategic policy formulation should be
linked to implementation (Bruton and Nicholson, 1987).
The TCPA discussion paper suggested that a key point in
this context is the "obligation central government has to
provide guidance at the national level" (page 10). This
obligation has been recognised in Scotland where there is an
guidance. This is achieved by means of National Planning
Guidelines which are produced by the Scottish Development
Department (SDD), now the Scottish Office Environment
Department.
National Planning Guidelines are unique to Scotland and
attracted critical acclaim from the Nuffield Committee of Inquiry
into the town and country planning system. In the context of a
recognised need for central government to produce concise
and consistent statements of national policy where national
interests are at stake in questions of land use and
development, the Nuffield Committee stated that "we have
been impressed by the example from Scotland of the National
Planning Guidelines and we recommend their use, suitably
adapted, in both England and Wales" (1986, page 162).
In this paper we examine the nature of the National Planning
Guidelines in Scotland and explore the possibility of the policy
instrument forming a basis for a more general strategic
planning framework in England and Wales.
The nature of National Planning
Guidelines in Scotland
National Planning Guidelines contribute to the process of
strategic planning in Scotland by providing a policy framework
or some broad frame of reference which gives a structure or
certainty to the implementation of lower level planning
activities. The National Planning Guidelines were intended
to provide "a set of guidelines on those aspects of land use
which should be examined for Scotland as a whole" (HMSO,
1973). As is evident from table 1, however, National Planning
Guidelines are selective rather than holistic. They are issued
where a prognosis for change in the use of a land resource
indicates that there is a client requirement from local
authorities and developers for guidance.

Table 1. National Planning Guidelines in Scotland (source: Scottish Development Department).

1. North Sea Oil and Gas: Coastal Planning Guidelines (1974)

2. National Planning Guidelines for Aggregates Working (1977)
3. National Planning Guidelines: Priorities for Development Planning (1981)
land for housing
land for large industry
land for petrochemical development
rural planning priorities
national scenic areas
nature conservation
forestry
4. National Planning Guidelines: Skiing Developments (1984)
5. National Planning Guidelines: High Technology, Individual High Amenity Sites (1985)
6. National Planning Guidelines: Location of Major Retail Development (1986)
7. National Planning Guidelines: Agricultural Land (1987)

PPR6(3) 16
 The themes which have helped to shape the Scottish their own right a valuable cumulative appendix of significant
guidelines are: the acceptance of a clear role for national land resources in Scotland. Not all the summary sheets,
physical land-use planning; the need for information about the however, (for example, water resources) have been followed
resource base; the importance of linkages with other agencies by national planning guidelines. The land-use summary sheets
both at the national and local level; the selective approach (as will be followed by a specific National Planning Guideline
opposed to a comprehensive approach) to issues which where there is a perceived client requirement.
require guidance at the national level; the potential, not only In Scotland, National Planning Guidelines are intended to
for anticipating conflict, but for pointing up opportunities for occupy a zone midway between circulars (which should be
development; and the need for any national statement to followed) and advice (which need not be). In other words, the
define areas or subjects requiring further work together with an guidelines can be departed from with good reason. Although
indication of priorities. some of the National Planning Guidelines confer a
Most of the National Planning Guidelines identify land considerable measure of discretion on planning authorities (for
resources having national significance to be safeguarded example, as regards the location of major retail developments),
from or for development. Examples include the guidelines many do not and there is some evidence that planning
concerned with prime agricultural land; nature conservation authorities do not fully recognise the subtlety of this
sites; national scenic areas; preferred conservation zones on distinction. The sanctions for failure to give them sufficient
the coast; sites for large industry; sites for petrochemical weight are much the same as for circulars (including
developments; primary areas for ski development; and development plan amendments and overturning refusals of
individual high-amenity sites for high-technology development. planning permission).
Some of the guidelines simply indicate development The National Planning Guidelines are not blueprints.
planning priorities where land-use conflicts are anticipated The contribution of the guidelines has been subject to
involving the national interest. They are not concerned with monitoring the review in the light of changing circumstances
land resources having national significance. Instead, they (Rowan-Robinson et al, 1987). This has been more effective
indicate development planning priorities where particular land- with some than with others. The National Planning Guidelines
use conflicts are anticipated. Intervention is considered on agricultural land, for example, were amended twice over the
necessary in such cases because of a defined national years to meet changing circumstances in the use of land for
interest. The national planning guidelines falling into this agricultural production (Lloyd et al, 1989). Amendments were
category are: land for housing; rural planning priorities; and also effected to the guidelines concerned with land to be made
the location of major retail development. The national planning available for the location of major retail development.
guidelines on the location of major retail development provide Similarly, the National Planning Guidelines on sites for large
the best example of a defined national interest. industry were updated to reflect progress with land allocation.
The coastal National Planning Guidelines and the National
Planning Guidelines on high technology development,
Land-use priorities? however, would seem to be overdue for review in light of the
changed circumstances that now prevail.
National Planning Guidelines are based on a reasonably
rigorous assessment of the significance in national terms of the
land resource. They also identify a prognosis for change which Implementation
is presented in an accompanying series of land-use summary
sheets (as shown in table 2). The summary sheets report the An important feature of the way in which the national
current state and character of the land resource in question, Planning Guidelines have contributed to the fulfilment of
define its national significance, review past changes and likely national planning policy in Scotland has been the emphasis
future demand, and address the implications for planning. The on implementation. The National Planning Guidelines are
series of land-use summary sheets have developed to form in reflected in structure plan policies and proposals, and the
Secretary of State, through the structure plan approval
Table 2. Land-use summary sheets (source: Scottish process, ensures that this is so. The influence of the
Development Department). guidelines on local plan policies and proposals, however, is
less easy to discern. It appears, however, that quite often, the
No.1 Agriculture Revised 1987 influence is conveyed or filtered more indirectly through the
No.2 Forestry Revised 1981 structure plans. Furthermore, some of the National Planning
No.3 Nature Conservation Revised 1981 Guidelines have been reflected in alternative forms of lower
No.4 Landscape Resources Revised 1981 order planning document, for example, the local management
No.5 Land for Industry 1976 plans prepared for skiing development in the Scottish
No.6 Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals 1977 Highlands. These were necessary in order to secure the
No.7 Electricity 1976 effective translation of the strategic guidance into practical land
No.8 Aggregate Working 1977 management and control on specific sites (Elliot et al, 1988).
No.9 Water Supply 1978 In another context, local authorities have employed
No. 10 River Condition 1978 development briefs in order to facilitate the availability of land
No.11 Population Revised 1981 for high-technoiogy sites. There is no doubt from this
experience that the National Planning Guidelines require
No. 12 Housing 1981
translation at the lower level to secure implementation.
No.13 Recreation and Tourism Revised 1981
No. 14 Characteristics of Rural Communities 1981 The influence of the National Planning Guidelines on the
No.15 Groundwater 1985 development control process is also less easy to discern. As
No.16 High Technology Industry 1985 the guidelines are concerned with land resources having
No.17 Retailing 1986 national significance or with land-use issues in which there is a
national interest, proposals for development which bear on the

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guidelines do not arise on a day-to-day basis. The National
Planning Guidelines safeguarding prime agricultural land are
something of an exception in this respect, although the impact
of the guidelines on skiing development and on the allocation
of land for single-use high-technology development has also
been apparent.
Agency integration
A distinctive feature of the National Planning Guidelines is
that the policy instrument enjoys a considerable measure of
acceptability by those involved in the land-development
process in Scotland. The preparation of the National
Planning Guidelines has involved planning authorities in
signalling their requirements, in assisting in their formulation,
and in carrying them through in practice. This involvement,
however, has been relatively unsystematic in practice and has
varied between individual guidelines. The scale on which the
planning system operates in Scotland has been an important
contributory factor in this context. The process of drafting the
guidelines was made easier, perhaps only made possible, by
the ease of formal and informal contact with those likely to be
affected. The process of preparing the National Planning
Guidelines has also involved other agencies with some remit
regarding the use and development of the land resource, for
example, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for
Scotland, the Scottish Deveiopment Agency, and the Nature
Conservancy Council.
Conclusions
Within the land-use planning system, the National Planning
Guidelines, as we indicate above, have been intended to
contribute to the strategic planning framework in Scotland.
Strategic planning is concerned with establishing a framework
or some broad frame of reference which gives guidance to
lower level activities. Our research has suggested that the
National Planning Guidelines have made a reaonably positive
contribution to strategic planning. We may make two
observations in this respect.
First, it has been observed that strategic planning "should
be capable of assuming a variety of forms so that an
appropriate match between context and method can be
achieved" (Diamond, 1979). The National Planning
Guidelines are distinctive, not only in their approach, but in
most cases in their format. Most of them are concerned with
identifying land resources of national significance which
require to be safeguarded from development or for
development because of a prognosis for change. However,
within this general format, there are variations in pattern
reflecting the particular land resource in question.
A second distinctive feature of the National Planning
Guidelines is the importance attached to implementation.
The importance of linking strategic planning to
implementation has already been stressed. The National
Planning Guidelines are seen as the first stage in the overall
management of change. The importance of following through
in development plans, in other lower order statements and in
development control is emphasised. The guidelines on high-
technology development illustrate this best of all where the
process of site identification was followed by site feasibility
testing, planning clearance, site acquisition, and marketing.
A similar approach was adopted with the guidelines on sites for
large industry.
18
Finally, there is the question of whether the National
Planning Guidelines offer some potential for enhancing the
process of strategic planning in England and Wales. There
are, of course, a number of key differences in England (and, to
a lesser extent, Wales), on the one hand, and Scotland, on the
other, in terms of the structure of government, the nature of
central-local relations, the level and distribution of population,
and the economic and political climate. These have to be
borne in mind when considering a role for National Planning
Guidelines in the overall process of strategic planning. The
need for a more coherent and explicit process of strategic
planning in England and Wales has to some extent been
satisfied by the Planning Policy Guidance Notes, Mineral
Planning Guidance Notes, and, in particular, the Regional
Planning Guidance Notes. The last, however, would appear to
have some similarity with the Scottish National Planning
Guidelines. The Regional Planning Guidance Notes focus
on a defined geographic area; their concern is with key issues
relating to land use where there is a prognosis for change;
they provide a framework for lower order policies and
decisions; and they emerge as much from the bottom-up as
from the top-down. There are quite close parallels here with
the National Planning Guidelines concerned with development
planning priorities, although the Regional Planning Guidance
Notes fulfil a more holistic role.
It is in the identification of land resources having national
significance that the National Planning Guidelines differ from
Regional Planning Guidance Notes in terms of the strategic
planning process. Although the designation of land resources
of national or regional significance to be safeguarded from, and
to a much lesser extent for, development does occur south of
the border, it is not based on a systematic assessment of the
resources and of the prognosis for change, nor does it occur on
anything like the same scale. This is particularly the case as
regards the safeguarding of land resources for development.
The Town and Country Planning Association acknowledged
the contribution of the Planning Policy Guidance Notes and
Regional Planning Guidance Notes to the establishing of a
strategic planning process. Nonetheless, we think the Scottish
National Planning Guidelines have something to offer the
strategic planning process too.
Jeremy Rowan-Robinson and Greg Lloyd are both from the
Department of Land Economy, University of Aberdeen.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the financial support of the
Nuffield Foundation in enabling us to conduct the research
study of the contribution of National Planning Guidelines to the
implementation of national planning policy in Scotland. We
would also like to thank an anonymous referee for constructive
and encouraging comments.
References
Bruton M, Nicholson D, 1985, "Strategic land use planning and
the British development plan system" Town Planning
Review Vol. 56, No. 1, pp 21 - 4 1
Bruton M, Nicholson D, 1987, Local Planning in Practice
(Hutchinson, London)
Diamond D, 1979, "The uses of strategic planning: the
example of the National Planning Guidelines in Scotland"
Town Planning Review Vol. 50, No. 1, pp 1 8 - 2 5
Elliot R E, Lloyd M G, Rowan-Robinson J, 1988, "Land use
policy for skiing in Scotland" Land Use Policy Vol. 5, No. 2,
pp 232-244
HMSO, 1973, Land Resource Use in Scotland: The
Government's Observations on the Report of the Select
Committee on Scottish Affairs Cmnd 5248
Lloyd M G, Rowan-Robinson J, Dawson J, 1989, "Policy
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Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, 1986, A Strategy for
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and the Land: Strategic Planning for the Future TCPA,
London, July

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