Housing

New housing and settlement developments can make a positive contribution to Scotland's nature and landscapes. 

This is best done by having good developments in the right places.  We encourage planners and developers, at an early stage in developing proposals, to take into account issues such as sustainable transport, renewable energy, community needs, greenspace and outdoor access, landscape, biodiversity and recreation.

To help our staff when they're working with local authorities and developers on housing and settlement developments, we produced a report on New Housing, Settlement Expansion and the Natural Heritage  . 

This guidance is relevant to planners and developers as it looks at impacts on biodiversity, landscape and access and recreation, how to reduce them and how to enhance nature and landscape in a development. The report includes several good practice examples. It also looks at the main modern housing development types in Scotland and the relevant issues that apply to each.

For housing and other developments in Tayside, we have prepared more detailed advice on proposals for the catchments of the River Tay , Loch Leven , and the River South Esk  - all areas where special protection measures apply.