Chapter 2 - Creating and Sustaining Jobs
Objective 3 - Creating and Sustaining Jobs in Rural Areas
Rural Development
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Clackmannanshire Council recognises the importance of ensuring the sustainable growth of the rural economy. Opportunities for this are wide-ranging, including farm diversification, the development of the tourist economy and appropriate new rural businesses.
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Farm diversification has become increasingly important in recent years as the rural economy has entered a period of major change. Agricultural profitability is continuing to suffer due to changes in subsidy mechanisms, particularly the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, and fluctuations in market prices for agricultural produce. European and Government policy recognises these changes and supports diversification in the rural economy. This is essential to stabilise and reverse the job losses and reductions in income which have affected rural areas. However, it is of key importance that the correct balance is achieved between the encouragement of new economic development opportunities and the need to protect the rural environment.
Policy JOB11 - Rural Development
The Council will encourage appropriate farm diversification in the countryside, which creates job opportunities and makes suitable use of traditional redundant buildings so long as the main use requires a countryside location. Appropriate evidence, such as a whole farm plan, must be provided to show that the proposed enterprise will be well integrated with the existing operation and is likely to provide a long term source of employment and income to support the business as a whole. Any new building(s) will require to be clearly justified and should be sited in or adjacent to an existing group of buildings, be of compatible design, form, siting and materials, and blend satisfactorily into the landscape. Development will be tied to the farm by means of an agreement under section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.
Tourism
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Clackmannanshire lies in one of the most scenic areas of Central Scotland, bounded by the River Forth in the south and with the dramatic backdrop of the Ochil Hills to the north. Its traditional attraction as a walking centre now requires to be expanded and developed to compensate for the decline of traditional employment. The area enjoys a number of strengths, such as its proximity to a number of important tourist centres such as Stirling, Edinburgh, Glasgow and The Trossachs. This proximity needs to be developed to market the area as a convenient touring centre as well as a place which has a significant tourist offer in its own right.
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Important aspects in the development of tourism are the improvement of the transport infrastructure to improve accessibility to Clackmannanshire, particularly the reopening of the Stirling-Alloa railway line to passengers and the construction of the Upper Forth Crossing; the continuing development of the Clackmannanshire Countryside Path Network and the promotion of Clackmannanshire as a tourism location.
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Proposals for all tourism related development will be assessed against relevant Local Plan policies. In particular, proposals that are outwith settlements will be assessed against Policy EN 17 (Development in the Countryside).
Policy JOB12 - Tourism
Tourism development, which contributes to Clackmannanshire’s role and image as a tourist area, will generally be supported. Proposals for new tourism development will be required to satisfy a sequential approach favouring town centres, local centres and local plan sites before sites outwith settlement boundaries. There will be a presumption in favour of proposals to expand or enhance existing visitor centres and facilities.
Any proposal must clearly demonstrate that:
- It is compatible with policies to safeguard and enhance the natural and built environment. High design and siting standards will be sought in all new developments;
- Where strain on the existing infrastructure network is likely to result from the development, a contribution may be sought from the developer to upgrade facilities;
- It creates a direct economic benefit locally
- Where appropriate, it has a locational need to establish on a specific site.
Where enabling development is proposed it must be fully justified as an exception to Policy EN 17 on the basis of the following criteria:
- It conforms with other Local Plan policies, including Policy EN 2 (Landscape and Ecology)
- The enabling development is the minimum required to enable the proposed tourism resource to be realised
- The benefits which would accrue from the resource would justify the enabling development
See also: T 1
Contact information
For further information about this page please contact:
Development Planning
Kilncraigs, Greenside Street, Alloa, FK10 1EB
Tel: 01259 450000 Fax: 01259 727453
Email: devplan@clacks.gov.uk
Or use the on-line contact form.