Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997

Surveys

4 Survey of planning districts

(1) It shall be the duty of the planning authority to keep under review the matters which may be expected to affect the development of their district or the planning of its development.

(2) A planning authority may, if they think fit, institute a survey, examining the matters referred to in subsection (1), of the whole or any part of their district, and references in subsection (3) to the district of a planning authority shall be construed as including any part of that district which is the subject of a survey under this subsection.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsections (1) and (2), the matters to be kept under review and examined under those subsections shall include—

(a) the principal physical and economic characteristics of the district of the authority (including the principal purposes for which land is used) and, so far as they may be expected to affect that district, of any neighbouring districts;

(b) the size, composition and distribution of the population of that district (whether resident or otherwise);

(c) without prejudice to paragraph (a), the communications, transport system and traffic of that district and, so far as they may be expected to affect that district, of any neighbouring districts;

(d) any considerations not mentioned in paragraphs (a), (b) or (c) which may be expected to affect any matters so mentioned;

(e) such other matters as may be prescribed;

(f) any changes already projected in any of the matters mentioned in any of the previous paragraphs and the effect which those changes are likely to have on the development of that district or the planning of such development.

(4) A planning authority shall, for the purpose of discharging their functions under this section of keeping under review and examining any matters relating to the district of another planning authority, consult that other authority about those matters.

5 Designation of structure plan areas

(1) The Secretary of State may by order designate areas (“structure plan areas”) in respect of which planning authorities are to prepare structure plans.

(2) The district of every planning authority in Scotland shall be included in a structure plan area.

(3) A structure plan area may extend to the district of more than one planning authority, and may extend to only part of the district of a planning authority.

(4) Where a structure plan area extends to the district of more than one planning authority, the planning authorities concerned shall jointly carry out the functions conferred upon them under sections 4 and 6 to 9 in accordance with such arrangements as they may agree for that purpose under sections 56 (discharge of functions by local authorities), 57 (appointment of committees) and 58 (expenses of joint committees) of the [1973 c. 65.] Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.