LINK’s response to the Land Use Strategy Consultation

LINK believes that the Scottish Governments’ draft Land Use Strategy:

• presents direction and aspiration but is not a strategy with clear goals and action;
• is weak and unambitious, and fails to set out proposals and policies to meet Governments’ sustainable land use objectives, as required by the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009;
• needs a more definitive statement on how it should be incorporated into governance structures and influence other existing land use strategies;
• is limited in scope, particularly with regard to urban land use, landscape, recreation and access & transport;
• lacks clarity regarding how it will be developed and monitored; and
• in its current form, is unlikely to move Scotland towards more sustainable use of land resources and the optimal delivery of multiple benefits.