Provide guidance on sustainable use and management of soil in planning processes.
Objective 2: Protect nature on land and at sea, across and beyond Protected Areas
Priority Action 12. Champion new planning and development measures for protecting and enhancing biodiversity
There is currently no single dedicated, standalone updated national guidance document in Scotland focused specifically on soil management within planning processes identified. Instead, soil protection and sustainable soil use are addressed indirectly through a combination of planning policy, environmental regulation, and technical guidance, including requirements within the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and associated development management considerations. NPF4 sets out a strong policy direction for protecting soils as a natural resource, including the need to safeguard carbon-rich soils, peatlands and high-value agricultural land, and to avoid unnecessary soil degradation through development.
Soil-related impacts are also considered through statutory environmental assessment and regulatory processes, including SEPA’s role in providing advice on pollution prevention, land contamination, and sustainable land use management in planning applications. While these mechanisms provide partial coverage of soil protection within planning decisions, they do not currently form a single consolidated or updated planning-specific soil management guidance framework. As a result, soil protection is embedded across multiple policy and regulatory routes rather than delivered through a dedicated planning guidance document.
Soils are a fundamental ecosystem asset, supporting biodiversity, water regulation and carbon storage, with NPF4 recognising soils, particularly peat and carbon-rich soils, as nationally important natural capital requiring protection. SEPA guidance highlights that sustainable soil management is critical to preventing erosion, compaction and contamination, all of which can degrade soil function and negatively affect wider ecosystems. Within planning, soil protection contributes to maintaining ecosystem function and climate resilience, but outcomes depend on how consistently soil considerations are applied across development decisions. Overall, while soils are recognised in policy, the absence of dedicated planning guidance limits consistent delivery of soil protection and associated biodiversity benefits.
Scottish Government – National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4)
SEPA – Soil
Develop and publish a biodiversity metric for Scotland’s planning system, to support delivery of NPF4 Policy 3b.
Raise awareness and promote the Developing with Nature guidance to support delivery of NPF4 policy 3c and develop user-friendly version of the guidance.
Support wider ongoing work on building skills and capacity on biodiversity and nature across the planning system, including through information sharing events.
Ensure that development provides positive effects for biodiversity, by developing clear guidance on the implementation and delivery of NPF4 policies which support the cross-cutting outcome ‘improving biodiversity’.
Develop and adopt a National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) that supports action on the twin crises, setting out planning policies on climate mitigation and adaptation, nature protection and enhancement, and sustainable use to guide decisions and activities in line with our ambitions for Scotland’s Seas.
By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
