Leading Scottish conservation charity, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, has today welcomed the news that the Scottish Government will exempt the planning system from a new duty to contribute to economic growth.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust believes that imposing such a duty on planning could have been disastrous for Scotland’s wildlife.

Head of Policy and Planning for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Dr Maggie Keegan, said:  “A prerequisite for a flourishing Scotland is a healthy and well cared for environment which delivers the services upon which society depends, such as clean air and water, pollination carbon storage and soil fertility.

“The Scottish Wildlife Trust believes that removing the economic growth duty from planning decisions is a step in the right direction for Scotland’s plan-led system and hopefully will lead to not only better decisions for Scotland’s wildlife, but also the quality, design and location of new developments.“