Stage 1 looked at the current context of forestry in the LDP area. Stage 2 considers the possible future context that a FWS will need to address.
This stage uses spatial data and policy information to identify:
- key issues, challenges and considerations likely to influence the future development and management of woodland in the area
- the types of woodland that require specific consideration for the local context
- strategic alternatives that might be delivered through the FWS
- how the FWS fits with other local plans and strategies for green infrastructure, such as Open Space or Play Sufficiency Strategies
Useful forestry data for scoping a Forestry and Woodland Strategy
It is for the Planning Authority to decide which information is important for their FWS, but the publicly available forestry datasets will help to show the role that forestry can play in delivering a range of benefits to the area, and the capacity for land in the area to achieve them.
There may also be local authority datasets that are useful, for example on nature networks, settlement buffers, tourism and recreation, peatland restoration and Community Woodland Inventories.
This spatial data will be invaluable to develop indicative maps of future woodland creation areas (or to give detailed descriptions, which might be more appropriate for an island FWS).
Consulting with statutory consultees and key stakeholders will also be useful at this stage to get a fuller understanding of the opportunities and considerations for woodland creation and management that have been identified so far.
This would be a useful stage to scope a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) too. Assessment could begin as soon as different options and alternatives are developed, and considered within the early part of the drafting process.
The Scottish Government’s Local Development Planning Guidance sets out how the SEA can be aligned with the preparation of the local development plan.
Local Development Planning Guidance (Scottish Government website)
