South Ayrshire Local Plan

Rural Protection Area

Whilst the Greenbelt covers closely defined areas and protects sensitive environments susceptible to development pressure, some areas outwith the Greenbelt are also under pressure for development, especially those areas within a short travel time from major towns.

The designation of the Rural Protection Area is a recognition of these pressures and the need to protect the area from inappropriate non rural based uses or sporadic development.

STRATEGIC POLICY STRAT3

Development within the Rural Protection Area (including a change of use or intensification of use) will require to be justified, to the satisfaction of the Council in terms of being:

A significant economic benefit; or
A non residential use requiring a rural location due to its inappropriateness within a settlement; or
Farm diversification in compliance with policy RE1; or
A non residential re-use of a structurally sound and substantially intact traditional/vernacular building worthy of retention in terms of a positive or potentially positive contribution to its locality and which will not require significant external alterations; or
An extension of an existing business where the predominant rural character of the locality will not be compromised; or
A recreational or tourism use which retains the rural character of the location and any new buildings or structures associated with it are unobtrusive and small scale; or
Residential development in compliance with policies H9, H10, H11, H12.

NOTE 1
measures to ensure property security for any new rural business will be encouraged in association with, and at the outset of any new business proposal.

NOTE 2
In exceptional circumstances, permitted development rights for new development approved in the Rural Protection Area may be removed.