Future of Scotland will demonstrate green legacy
The Scottish Government’s new planning strategy for the next decade will show the legacy of greens in government, Scottish Greens climate spokesperson Mark Ruskell has said.
The draft National Planning Framework (NPF) 4, published today, puts the climate emergency front and centre, paving the way for green investments in renewable energy expansion, restored natural environment and a massive expansion in walking and cycling infrastructure.
Town centres will focus on planning for people, with nature networks protecting and restoring ecosystems right across Scotland.
While active travel becomes a national priority for the first time, the framework also shows a major shift away from prioritising fossil fuels and road projects with a presumption in favour of new fossil fuel power stations removed.
Responding, Mark Ruskell said: “This document is a milestone shift in how Scotland will develop over the next decade, clearly showing the impact of greens in government.
“Where previously there was a focus on fossil fuels and roads, this major shift in planning priorities will pave the way for doubling Scotland’s onshore wind capacity and support other renewables projects. It will channel the £55m nature recovery funding announced on Saturday into vast networks of restored habitats and will map out how our commitment to massively increase cycling and walking infrastructure will be spent on the ground in years to come.”
“Thanks to the Greens, government will triple spend to at least £320 million or 10 per cent of the total transport budget on active travel during this parliament.
“Supporting communities to have 20-minute neighbourhoods will mean towns start to work for people rather than traffic jams, and greater protections for green spaces will be most welcome to communities. Scotland’s future is green, as this planning framework shows.”