Planning News

Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods

The Scottish Government has issued guidance on local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods. It aims to encourage, promote and facilitate the application of the Place Principle and create connected and compact neighbourhoods which prioritise environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The guidance supports the application of Policy 15, Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods as set out in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4).

NPF4 sets out a clear commitment to think differently about our places, applying the Place Principle and delivering the National Performance Framework. The complex challenges we face - from the climate and nature crises, to poverty, disadvantage, and stark health inequalities – require a joined-up and collaborative approach to deliver positive outcomes for people and the environment. NPF4 puts climate and nature at the forefront, tackling long-standing challenges and inequalities, and leading the transition to stronger, greener, fairer, and healthier communities across Scotland. NPF4 supports the delivery of liveable places where we can live better, healthier lives. It names 'local living' as one of six spatial principles by which we should plan our places.

NPF4 policy 15 sets out the policy requirements to support the delivery of local living. The guidance is intended to provide further detail to support the implementation of the policy, with a focus on informing development planning and development management processes.

Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods can help to deliver the healthy, sustainable, and resilient places required to support a good quality of life and balance our environmental impact.

The 20 minute neighbourhood concept is one of many ways to support local living, but is an approach likely to be more readily achievable in urban places, towns, villages, and cities. It is designed to be applied flexibly, in response to local circumstances. Local living provides people with the opportunity to meet the majority of their daily needs within a reasonable distance of their home. It is centred on supporting people to 'live well locally'.

The guidance is intended to assist and support planning authorities, communities, businesses, and others who have key roles in helping to deliver local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods.

• planning authorities: It is expected to be of particular relevance to planning authorities in the preparation of Local Development Plans (LDPs) and to support decision making in planning. Planning authorities are expected to consider how the guidance can be applied in a proportionate and place-based way, and to use their judgement in deciding which components of the advice are relevant to their processes
• community planning partnerships: To support community planning partners/public sector organisations working together to plan and deliver public services in local authority areas, through locality plans and local outcome improvement plans
• community groups and councils/third sector business: The guidance is also intended to support understanding of local living for organisations engaged in the planning system and in initiatives such as local place plans
• development proposers: Those involved in the preparation of development proposals and planning applications such as: client organisations, housing, health, education and infrastructure providers and funders, developers, commercial and retail businesses, designers, and planners

The Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods: planning guidance can be found here: Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods: planning guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)