Rural Development

Outcome 10: Placemaking 

The National Park’s towns, villages and countryside are enhanced with investment in the built and historic environment, public spaces and infrastructure.

Outcome 11: Sustainable growth 

The rural economy has been strengthened through sustainable business growth and diversification.

Outcome 12: Sustainable population

Population decline is being addressed by attracting and retaining more skilled working age and young people within the National Park and the development of a better range of housing options.

Outcome 13: Community Empowerment

The Park’s communities are supported to influence and deliver actions that improve their quality of life and place.

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Rural development in a National Park context is all about supporting thriving rural communities and a sustainable, growing, rural economy, within a heavily visited and strongly protected rural area, where conservation is to the fore.

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park’s unique environment and special qualities provide many opportunities for sustainable economic growth and diversification.

Strong partnership working can deliver the best economic and social use of our land, buildings and assets for the benefit of people living, working and visiting the area.

Aligned to this is the need to mitigate and address the challenges of climate change to improve quality of life, health and wellbeing and to enhance the overall experience of people visiting the National Park.

As a planning authority, the National Park Authority can encourage development which will improve the physical fabric of our towns and villages, and support a more integrated and strategic approach to rural land use and development.

Our communities are extremely well placed to take forward the new opportunities arising out of community empowerment and land reform legislation. This will enable them to have more say and involvement in service delivery, decision making and control of their future.

Achieving these will help to deliver the following national strategies:

• National Planning Framework 3
• Scottish Planning Policy
• Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015
• Land Use Strategy 2016-21
• Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016
• Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009

Our Guiding Principles

To realise our Rural Development vision we recognise that;

• If a declining and rapidly aging population cannot be addressed then there is a threat to the sustainability of local communities and services as well as to local business growth.
• The National Park’s towns and villages need to be developed to balance both community and visitor needs through a combination of promoting appropriate quality new developments, conserving historic townscapes and designing better public spaces for people to use.
• There is a pressing need for more housing which better meets the needs of working families and young people while at the same time accommodating needs of an aging population.
• The capacity of communities and community organisations must continue to be supported and community action planning facilitated to empower more communities to own and manage assets and deliver more projects and services themselves.
• There is a need to facilitate more accommodation and higher standards of infrastructure (including broadband) which provide opportunities for new and growing businesses.
• There is a need to ensure long term sustainability in balancing the need for rural development, with protecting natural and cultural heritage.

How will we measure success by 2023?

Number of new homes built and proportion of affordable homes

 375 homes over the Plan period with a minimum of 25% being affordable

Number of projects delivering well-designed, sustainable places

 Delivery in 3 communities per year of the Plan

Number of community-identified projects delivered

 Delivery of 3 projects per Community Action Plan by 2023

Number of new skills development opportunities from projects in the National Park

 Increase opportunities in the National Park over the Plan period