53Forestry and woodland strategy
(1)The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 is amended as follows.
(2)Before section 159 (planning permission to include appropriate provision for preservation and planting of trees) insert—
“A159Forestry and woodland strategy
(1)A planning authority are to prepare a forestry and woodland strategy.
(2)A forestry and woodland strategy is to—
(a)identify woodlands of high nature conservation value in the planning authority’s area, and
(b)set out the planning authority’s policies and proposals in their area, as to—
(i)the development of forestry and woodlands,
(ii)the protection and enhancement of woodlands, in particular those mentioned in paragraph (a),
(iii)the resilience to climate change of woodlands, in particular those mentioned in paragraph (a),
(iv)the expansion of woodlands of a range of types to provide multiple benefits to the physical, cultural, economic, social and environmental characteristics of the area,
(c)any other matter which the planning authority consider appropriate.
(3)In preparing a forestry and woodland strategy a planning authority are to consult—
(a)the Scottish Ministers,
(b)such organisations appearing to them to represent those with an interest in the matters listed in subsection (2)(b), and
(c)such other persons as they consider appropriate.
(4)The planning authority must publish the strategy by such means as they consider appropriate.
(5)Two or more planning authorities may act jointly to prepare a forestry and woodland strategy.
(6)Where two or more planning authorities act jointly to prepare a forestry and woodland strategy, a reference in this section to—
(a)a planning authority is to those authorities acting jointly,
(b)a planning authority’s area is a reference to the combined area of the authorities.
(7)In this section, “publish” includes, without prejudice to that expression’s generality, publish by electronic means (as for example by means of the internet).”.