LDP Evidence Report Blue / Green Infrastructure

This survey has now closed, 

The finalised Topic paper and  the results of the consultation can be seen under the Topic Paper banner

This questionnaire focuses on questions associated with the Blue and Green Infrastructure Topic Paper.

This topic paper is structured in response to National Planning Framework (NPF) 4 Policy 20. The policy intent of NPF4 Policy 20 is to protect and enhance blue and green infrastructure and their networks. NPF4 identifies outcomes to ensure blue and green infrastructure are an integral part of early design and development processes and are designed to deliver multiple functions including climate mitigation, nature restoration, biodiversity enhancement, flood prevention, water management and community benefits from accessible, high-quality blue-green and civic spaces. 

For the purposes of this paper, blue-green infrastructure comprises the 'blue' and ‘green’ features of our settlements that can provide environmental benefits and contribute to our quality of life. These include green components such as; woodlands, trees, play spaces, allotments, community growing spaces, playing fields, road verges, swales, green walls and living roofs, while blue components can feature; rivers, canals, streams, wetlands, sustainable drainage, active travel and recreational routes and much more.

Local Development Plan spatial strategies should identify and protect blue and green infrastructure assets and networks; enhance and expand existing provision including new blue and/or green infrastructure. This may include retrofitting.

This topic paper examines the baseline evidence of relevance to blue-green infrastructure such as nature networks, the water environment, woodlands, open space, core paths, and sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS). It identifies areas where existing blue-green infrastructure are known within Aberdeenshire and therefore enables the protection and enhancement of this to be considered within site selection for future development. Some of our blue-green infrastructure also takes the form of designated natural places which fall within their own protection regime. Within our settlements, in some instances smaller scale blue-green principles may need to be adopted such as rain gardens, planters, or green roofs.

It is likely that this paper will be of particular interest to communities within our settlements, agencies involved in environmental protection, and developers and landowners who may wish to consider development.

If there are matters that you do not agree with relating to the information that we have looked at, then these are termed as "disputes". While most disputes made will be resolvable by modification of the topic paper, some will persist. If you make a dispute to this paper, and we cannot agree a solution then the dispute will be referred to a Reporter in the Scottish Government Directorate of Planning and Environmental Appeals in the Spring of 2025. Otherwise comments that you may make to this paper will be analysed and where possible resolution sought before consideration by Aberdeenshire Council, probably in January 2025.

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WHILE WE DO NOT INTEND TO PUBLISH THE INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION MADE, THEY WILL BECOME PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD. ALL UNRESOLVED DISPUTES WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE INTERNET AS PART OF THE GATECHECK EXAMINATION.