Rural Scotland People, Prosperity and Partnership
Scotland's Working Landscape We have concentrated, so far, on the ways in which rural people live and the action the Government takes to enable them to make the most of the opportunities available. Against competing pressures, we need to enable the countryside to continue to fulfil its role as a working landscape offering life and work for the communities which made it. Those who live in the countryside are acutely aware of its importance to others, in providing a place for recreation, an escape from the noise and congestion of the city and, most importantly, as the place most associated with landscape and wildlife. They wish to use it, enhance it as well as protect it in order to have something of which they can be proud in handing it on to their children.
It is a task for Government to recognise these pressures and bring them to the attention of all interested parties with a view to resolving conflict. In this we are guided by the fundamental principles which we set out in our White Paper on the Environment, " This Common Inheritance"8. Each year we have published a report on how the programme we set out has been progressed. At its heart are two primary concerns that:
At the 1992 United Nations Conference of Environment and Development, the "Earth Summit", the UK and over 150 other governments endorsed Agenda 21, a framework for action into the next century. This committed their countries to prepare national strategies for action to preserve local, national and global environments. Overall, these initiatives are concerned with the issue of the general management of the planet, summed up as sustainable development. We took a lead at the Earth Summit committing ourselves to make future development sustainable, not turning away from growth but ensuring that growth did not place an intolerable burden on future generations.
Sustainable development Sustainable development cannot be achieved by Government alone. It calls for action by all. Local authorities have their own programme of action following the Rio Conference, known as Agenda 21. But changes in individuals' patterns of consumption and behaviour will also be necessary in the longer term - hence the importance of education and information on environmental issues. The Scottish Office published "A Scottish Strategy for Environmental Education" in 1995 and this is being taken forward by the Education for Sustainable Development Group, a sub-group of the Advisory Group on Sustainable Development.
SCOTLAND'S COASTThe Scottish coast is one of its most valuable assets. It has great variety and beauty; it provides a wide range of natural habitats of national and international importance; is extensively used for recreation and leisure; and it continues to have immense economic importance as a base for fishing, manufacturing, energy supply and transport. No part of Scotland is more than 65 kilometres from the coast. For rural areas, the coast is where the bulk of the population live and many rural businesses depend directly or indirectly on the resources that it has to offer. The diversity of purposes that the coast serves leads inevitably to pressures on its resources and actual or potential conflicts between competing interests. Coastal areas are in demand for development related to the fishing industry, petrochemical industry, oil and gas extraction, waste and sewage disposal and transport. The coast provides the resources for fishing and aquaculture as well as small-scale activity such as cockle or seaweed harvesting. It is popular for tourism and this brings its own pressures for facilities and accommodation and the wear and tear of many people visiting the same area. These have an impact on the natural resources of the coast: its habitats and the wildlife that depends on them. There are a number of ways in which these can be protected. Planning controls, legislation and special protection through nature conservation designations all play a part in this, as does better information and management of development pressures. Another valuable approach is the creation of local forums, such as those set up by Scottish Natural Heritage under its Focus on Firths initiative, where the various interests can get together to discuss how difficulties can be resolved and agree a way forward. OUR HISTORY IN THE LANDScotland's countryside is rich in archaeological and historic remains; various sites, monuments, buildings and landscapes enable us to tell the story of the past from our present environment. The imprint these have left on the landscape is important to our sense of place and connects us to our roots. This is our common heritage and we all have a part to play in conserving it for the future. The evidence left by our ancestors can come under pressure from modern land-use and development, as well as from natural decay and we need to take care of it for the future. There are over 6000 scheduled ancient monuments and over 40,000 listed buildings in Scotland today. Grants are available from Historic Scotland towards the repair of our best historic buildings and the repair or management of monuments; some agricultural and forestry schemes also include provision for this. The built heritage is a key part of today's landscape which belongs to us all. Relevant organisations have developed partnerships with each other as well as with local groups. Partnership enables a more integrated approach to Scotland's environment, as well as offering good value for money; amongst many examples are a new visitor centre at Callanish and the refurbishment of Duff House. Remnants of the past provide a source of employment in rural Scotland. The built heritage is a mainstay of the tourism industry, providing both direct employment and helping to extend the length of stay in rural areas. Monuments and buildings require ongoing care and maintenance and this provides work for local craftsmen and support for traditional building skills. The diverse character of today's rural landscape is closely linked to its use by past generations. Conserving buildings in vernacular styles demands the winning of traditional building materials from local sources; this is of potentially greater benefit to the local economy than the importation of "lookalike" but physically unsuitable materials from further afield. Only our own actions, for example respecting vernacular building styles or traditional forms of field boundaries, can ensure that our landscape will continue to tell us the story of our past.
Sustaining the EffortWe are determined to continue to protect and enhance our natural and built heritage and to take pride in Scotland's working landscapes. We intend to continue to move towards systems, such as cross-compliance, which deliver the full range of benefits to rural people and the population at large where the presumption will be that those who seek to use our countryside do so in ways which meet the wider objectives set out in this document. This is at the heart of sustainable development to which we are committed.
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