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Structure Plan Chapter 2 - The Strategy - Working Towards Sustainable Development

2.5 - Locational Strategy

2.5.1

The Structure Plan locational strategy seeks to guide development to sustainable locations where overall it:

• Reduces the need to travel
• Minimises adverse environmental impact
• Reuses previously developed land
• Is easily accessible by everybody
• Promotes urban regeneration and appropriate rural development
• Is close to strategic public transport corridors
• Affords enhancement opportunities

2.5.2

Strategically, the Structure Plan area can be divided into a Core Area, Rural Villages Area and Upland Countryside area.

2.5.3

The Core Area, including the major towns of Stirling and Alloa has the greatest concentration of population, employment, shopping, leisure and public transport services. The Plan seeks to concentrate the majority of new development within this area, which largely falls within the definition of a sustainable location.

2.5.4

The Rural Villages Area is an intermediate area with a number of towns and villages within attractive countryside settings. Development pressure in these areas tends to be high due to their proximity to the main centres of employment and other activities. In this area, the Plan generally seeks to reduce overall commuting and protect the environment and quality of the area by restricting new development. In Stirling it seeks to restrict development to that required to support local communities, the local economy and to provide for affordable and particular needs housing. In Clackmannanshire it seeks to restrict development to that required to support local communities , or exceptionally to that which brings significant investment opportunity in terms of infrastructure and sustainable employment, which would not otherwise occur. The strategy also emphasises the enhanced role that Callander, Balfron and to a lesser extent Doune can play in serving the general needs of the wider rural area.

2.5.5

The Upland Area within Stirling is more remote from the main urban centres and less affected by pressure for new development. The pressures here are therefore different and tend to focus on the need to support and manage the main activities of farming, forestry and tourism. There is also a need to promote appropriate rural development in these areas to enhance local access to opportunity and to help sustain local communities and services. The Upland Area within Clackmannanshire is essentially the Ochil Hills where there is a strong presumption against development.

2.5.6

The Scottish Executive's proposed Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park is likely to include some of the Rural Villages Area and the greater part of the Upland Area within the Stirling Council area. The National Park will be guided by the aims set out in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000:

• to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area,
• to promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area,
• to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public, and
• to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area's communities.

2.5.7

The provisions of the Structure Plan in relation to rural development, housing, landscape and nature conservation along with the Council's Community Plan, Rural Strategy, Housing Plan, Economic Development and Transport Strategies are considered consistent with these objectives. This policy framework is therefore expected to inform and set a context for the National Park Plan and future Local Plans for the area, as well as for future joint working between the Council and the Park Authority.

2.5.8

The indicative Figure below, along with the accompanying Table, summarises the main elements of the Plan's locational strategy and how this translates into particular policies and proposals for the general areas. The strategy adopts the approach of concentrating new development, focusing on a few general areas which reflect the Plans sustainability objectives. This approach has been adopted in order to address the area's infrastructure constraints and take a planned and integrated view of the accommodation of the area's future development requirements, within the overall context of "Working Towards Sustainable Development.

Strategic location	Proposals / policy approach	Key policy / proposal ref.	Summary of Strategy
Core Area	Major housing and economic development proposals	ENV1, ENV2, ENV4, ENV5, ENV6, ENV9, ED2, EDP1, EDP2, SP2, HP1, HP2, HP3, TRP1, TR1, TR2.	To direct the majority of development to those areas which promote accessibility and are close to where most people live, work or spend their leisure time. To meet the majority of the areas housing needs.
Stirling West Raploch Cambusbarron Torbrex	New Business Park Provision New Housing as part of Raploch regeneration. New housing Cambusbarron/Torbrex. Total 400 houses.	ENV4, ENV5, ENV6, ENV9, EDP1, EDP2, HP2.	To build on the success of Castle Business Park. Promote further regeneration of the Raploch Area. Enhance range and choice of housing close to Stirling. Respect the limits set by the need to protect the setting of Stirling and its historic views.
Stirling East Springkerse Bannockburn Corbiewood Cowie Fallin Plean Bannockburn	New employment land. Proposed area of search for major growth and some development within or adjacent to existing settlements circa 2850 houses in total.	ENV1, ENV2, ENV4, ENV5, ENV6, ENV9, EDP1, EDP2, HP2, HP3.	Promote accessible employment opportunities. Promote regeneration of the Eastern Villages. Promote a masterplanned approach including a range and choice of housing. Protect the landscape setting of Stirling as well as the avoidance of coalescence between settlements.
Stirling North Dunblane Bridge of Allan Stirling University	50 houses, Business Park, Innovation Park	ENV1, ENV2, ENV4, ENV6, ENV9, EDP1, EDP2, HP2	Restrained approach to future housing to protect sensitive landscape setting and Green Belt designations. Account for amount of housing already in the current Local Plan. Promote employment opportunities.
Hillfoots Corridor	Area of search for housing, focusing on Tillicoultry and Coalsnaughton.	ENV1, ENV2, ENV3, ENV4, ENV5, ENV6, ENV9, HP1	Promote accessibility Protect the Green Belt Respect landscape capacity
Tullibody-Alloa Corridor	Area for search for housingfocusing on Alloa. Strategic Employment site at Clackmannanshire Bridgehead	HP1, ENV1, ENV2, ENV3, ENV5, ENV6, ENV9, EDP2	Protect the Forth Estuary pSPA Respect landscape capacity Protect the Green Belt Promote opportunities based on improved accessibility linked to new Upper Forth Crossing
Rural Villages Area Aberfoyle, Balfron, Brig o'Turk, Buchlyvie, Callander, Croftamie, Deanston, Dollar, Doune, Drymen, Fintry, Gargunnock, Gartmore, Killearn, Kippen, Muckhart, Strathblane, Thornhill.	General needs housing focused on a few locations, affordable housing elsewhere, appropriate rural development, agriculture, forestry and tourism.	HP2, H4, H6, ED4, TP1, T1, ENV1, ENV2, ENV3, ENV4, ENV5, ENV6, ENV9, TR1, TR2, TRP1.	New development generally restricted to recognise settlement constraints. The focus will be on settlements with a range of services and facilities. To manage pressure for housing from commuters by generally restricting housing in villages outwith the Rural Centres where the emphasis will be placed on affordable housing by social housing providers.
Rural Centres Callander, Balfron, Doune	350 houses split between Balfron, Callander and Doune. Focus for local employment.	HP2, ED4, ENV1, ENV2, ENV3, ENV4, ENV5, ENV6, ENV9.	Direct development to locations with range of facilities/services. Promote role in serving general needs of the wider rural area. Protection of the character, identity and setting of these villages.
Upland Areas Villages - Crianlarich, Killin, Lochearnhead, Strathyre, Tyndrum. Dispersed Rural Communities Ardeonaig, Balquhidder, Inversnaid, Stronachlacher	Appropriate rural development, agriculture, forestry and tourism. General needs and affordable housing within existing communities and small scale appropriate housing in Dispersed Rural Communities.	H5, H6, ED4, T1, TP1, ENV1, ENV2, ENV3, ENV4, ENV5, ENV6, ENV9.	To protect the high quality of the environment much of which will be in the proposed new National Park whilst promoting appropriate rural development and housing to help to sustain local communities, employment opportunities and tourism.
The National Park Exact Area to be defined through government legislation.	Appropriate Rural Development, tourism development and housing.	ENP2 plus policies applying to Rural Villages and Upland Area.	Promote rural economic and community development set in the context of sustainable management of the natural heritage resource of the area.