Planning Guidance consultation
What is this consultation for?
This is the consultation page for three separate pieces of Draft Non-Statutory Supplementary Planning Guidance on the topics of: Trees and Development Design; Peatland and Carbon-Rich Soils; and Gardens and Designed Landscapes.
The documents are Non-Statutory and therefore provide an advisory role, supplementing the relevant policies in East Ayrshire's Adopted Local Development Plan 2 (LDP2), which include but are not limited to:
Trees and Development Design - Policy NE8: Trees, Woodland, Forestry and Hedgerows
Peatland and Carbon-Rich Soils - Policy NE11: Soils
Gardens and Designed Landscapes - Policy HE4: Gardens and Designed Landscapes
Where can I find the draft documents?
The documents can be found on this page under 'View the Non-Statutory Guidance'.
How do I respond to the consultation?
This consultation was open from 21st February to 21st March - it is now closed to responses.
The Council is reviewing the consultation responses received and amending the Non-Statutory Guidance as required.
What's in the guidance? - Trees and Development Design
Trees are an essential part of our environment; they increase biodiversity, provide screening, provide shade, and contribute to the aesthetic quality of developments. Trees also play an important role in increasing resilience to climate change by storing carbon, reducing flooding and improving air quality.
The Draft Trees and Development Design non-statutory planning guidance has been prepared to set out the Council’s expectations relating to trees and to guide developers on their planning applications. As planning authority East Ayrshire Council has a statutory duty under the Town and Country Planning Act to ensure that where possible, planning permissions make adequate provision for the preservation of existing or planting of new trees. The correct assessment of trees is therefore vital, and planning plays an important role.
What's in the guidance? - Peatland & Carbon-Rich Soils
Peatlands are areas of land containing peat which act as carbon sinks and also support a variety of habitats and species that are important for biodiversity. In East Ayrshire, around 22% of total land cover is classed as peatland. The largest areas of peatland are concentrated in uplands / moorlands and forests, generally found around the eastern boundary of the local authority area.
The Draft Peatland and Carbon-Rich Soils non-statutory planning guidance aims to support and provide more detail on the policies of LDP2 that seek to preserve and enhance peatland and carbon-rich soils. These policies have been written in recognition of the benefits of carbon-rich soils and peatland areas, and the importance of minimising the adverse impacts from development on these soils, including by the release of CO2 into the atmosphere.
What's in the guidance? - Gardens & Designed Landscapes
Gardens and Designed Landscapes have intrinsic value as part of the historic environment and also play a role in providing local opportunities for recreation, education, employment and tourism. Some of the sites in East Ayrshire have been recognised as being of national importance, and are therefore included in Historic Environment Scotland (HES)’s Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes (‘Inventory’ sites); ‘Non-Inventory’ sites are those which are not on the list maintained by HES, but have nevertheless been identified by the Council as having local importance.
The Gardens and Designed Landscapes non-statutory planning guidance provides information on all of the Inventory and Non-Inventory Gardens and Designed Landscapes in East Ayrshire. The document is designed to be used for reference, rather than read cover-to-cover. Each site has a profile describing its location, the quality of its features, its historical significance and its key landscape components.
