Local Plan

Introduction

The South Ayrshire Local Plan (subsequently referred to as "the Local Plan") sets out the policies, proposals and recommendations of the South Ayrshire Council (subsequently referred to as "the Council") as the local planning authority, for the development and other use of land, the protection of environmental resources and for the management of transport and traffic within the administrative area of South Ayrshire Council. Whilst the Local Plan does not have any formal end-date it is expected that all specific development proposals will be commenced within five years and substantially completed within ten years of the date of adoption of the Local Plan. Particular policies of the Local Plan, such as those concerned with the protection of natural and heritage resources can be expected to remain relevant for the longer term.

The Plan Area

This comprises the whole administrative area of South Ayrshire Council amounting to 1,093 square kilometres. The extent of the Plan area is shown on the Proposals Map.

The Plan Documents

The Local Plan comprises a Written Statement and a Proposals Map. The Written Statement (this document) sets out the policies, proposals and recommendations for the development or other use of land together with a reasoned justification and any necessary associated explanatory text. The policies and proposals in the Written Statement each have a reference number and, except where such policies and proposals cover the whole Plan area, they are annotated on the relevant part of the Proposals Map. For clarity many of the settlements are shown on larger scale inset maps.

Format and Layout of the Plan

The Plan groups all of the issues to be considered under six main headings, each of which forms a chapter of the Plan; they are settlement strategy, economic development, the environment, housing, facilities/services and implementation. Certain policies that have an overall significance are called 'strategic policies' and these have a particular degree of primacy. Some particular issues and certain localities have required a particularly detailed and comprehensive approach. The Strategies included within the Plan are the result of this approach.

It is especially important to appreciate that polices should not be considered in isolation. Almost any proposal will raise issues which are the subject of many policies and, therefore, these policies need to be considered together in order to provide the fullest local plan assessment of any planning application or other proposal.