Scottish Land Use Strategy

Scotland’s Third Land Use Strategy (LUS) 2021-2026 sets out a long-
term vision for sustainable land use in Scotland.  The LUS is underpinned by the Ecosystems Approach, which examines the relationship between people and the natural environment in which they live and work and looks to create positive outcomes. Whereas we often perceive economic prosperity, social development and environmental protection to be in competition with each other, the Approach seeks to understand their interdependence.

In essence, the LUS seeks to safeguard ecosystem services by balancing the conservation of natural resources essential for human life (e.g. provision of clean water or providing pollinating insect habitat for crops) against the things humans decide they need from the land (e.g. arable land for food production or trees for timber production). In seeking this balance, the LUS sets out to guide our thinking about land use as it relates to our economy, the environment and our communities.

Why do we need a Land Use Strategy?

Scotland’s land provides us with a wealth of benefits such as; food, timber, biodiversity, drinking water, energy, employment, transport links and recreation opportunities. We demand more and more from the land. We must optimise the ways in which we use land and face up to the difficult choices this involves, if we and future generations are to continue to benefit from it.

Tweed Forum and Scotland’s Third Land Use Strategy

Tweed Forum was heavily involved in the stakeholder engagement element of the Scottish Borders Land Use Framework Pilot (see more below), which fed into the first Scottish Land Use Strategy (2011-2016).  As we enter into the 3rd phase of land use planning in Scotland, Tweed Forum will work with partners in the South of Scotland Regional Land Use Partnership (RLUP). The RLUP is the natural successor to our pilot work in 2012-2015 and will test governance options and partnership working on a regional scale to understand how best to work collaboratively; develop a framework to identify potential land use changes; and facilitate and signpost funding opportunities for land owners, managers and community groups.  Promoting ecosystem services delivery and raising awareness of nature-based services, (ensuring the right land use is in the right place, and at the right scale), remains a key component of Tweed Forum’s work.

Scottish Borders (Pilot) Regional Land Use Framework 2013-2015

Between 2013 and 2015, Scottish Borders Council led a project team comprising Tweed Forum, Dundee University and Environment Systems. The aim was to develop a map-based tool to help facilitate land management decision-making. A number of land use opportunity maps were generated and these can be viewed on the council website here. This approach could help target limited financial resources to achieve multiple benefits from land use. More information on the Scottish Borders (Pilot) Regional Land Use Framework can be found on the Scottish Borders Council website.

Following on from this, Tweed Forum worked with LUS partners (Forestry Commission and Scottish Government) to look at how the map-based tool could be applied, particularly with regards to targeting agri-environment scheme monies. This included exploring:
• how LUS opportunity maps could be used as part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) application and assessment process
• how the LUS opportunity maps could be used to inform and improve Woodlands for Water target maps, i.e. help deliver the right projects in the right place at the right scale
• how groups might use LUS data to make applications to the SRDP Environmental Co-operation Action Fund (ECAF)