Perth and Kinross Open Space Strategy Draft
Perth and Kinross Council · 26 August 2026
Back to Economy and Infrastructure Committee — 26 August 2026 and its agenda
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Our vision is a Perth and Kinross where everyone can live life well, free from poverty and inequality ___________________________________________________________________ Committee or Board: Economy and Infrastructure Date of Meeting: 26 August 2026 Report Title: Perth and Kinross Open Space Strategy Draft Report Number: 26/223 Report Author: Dante Sosa, Planning Officer, Development Plans Team Organisational Lead: Serge Merone, Strategic Lead – Economy, Development and Planning ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Purpose 1.1 The report presents the draft of the first Perth and Kinross Open Space Strategy (OSS) which will provide a strategic framework for the Council’s policies and proposals for the development, maintenance and use of green infrastructure, including open spaces and blue-green networks. 1.2 The purpose of the OSS is to: • Set out the Council’s quantity, quality and accessibility open space standards. • Present the findings of the open space audit benchmarked against those standards, identifying areas where new or enhanced provision is required. • Identify areas of public open space to be safeguarded from development in the Local Development Plan 3 (LDP3). • Inform Development Management planning application decisions which will include proposals relating to designated open space or where new open space provision is required. • Help embed blue-green infrastructure principles into future development. • Provide an evidence-base for external funding applications. • Support the delivery of wider policy objectives. 1.3 This first OSS for Perth and Kinross is prepared in fulfilment of the updated requirements under the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 and National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). 1.4 The report seeks approval to proceed to public and key stakeholder consultation and engagement.
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1.5 Sections 1. Purpose 2. Recommendations 3. Background / Main Issues 4. Conclusions 5. Impact and Value Assessment 6. Appendices 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee: • Agree the Vision statement set out in the Open Space Strategy. • Approve the draft Open Space Strategy in Appendix 1 to proceed to public and key stakeholder consultation and engagement. 3. Background / Main Issues Context 3.1 Open space plays a key role in supporting the environmental, social and economic wellbeing of settlements across Perth and Kinross. Parks, green corridors, sports pitches, natural spaces and civic spaces contribute towards public health, biodiversity, climate resilience and sustainable placemaking. They also support active travel, community cohesion and the attractiveness of settlements as places to live, work and invest. 3.2 Figure 1 illustrates the broad components covered by the OSS. While “open space” has a specific definition in planning policy, for the purposes of this strategy the term is used as an overarching concept encompassing open spaces, green spaces, green infrastructure, blue infrastructure and the blue- green networks that connect them. The Strategy therefore adopts a holistic approach, recognising that the value of open space extends beyond individual sites to include the wider green and blue assets and connections that support sustainable, nature-positive and healthy places. 3.3 New duties on planning authorities to prepare and publish an OSS were introduced in the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. It inserted Section 3G Open Space Strategy into the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. Section 3G (2) of the Act states “an open space strategy is to set out a strategic framework of the planning authority’s policies and proposals as to the development, maintenance and use of green infrastructure in their district, including open spaces and green networks.” Section 3G (3) of the Act sets out an open space strategy must contain: (a) an audit of existing open space provision (b) an assessment of current and future requirements (c) any other matter which the planning authority considers appropriate.
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3.4 NPF4 identifies blue-green infrastructure, open space, play, recreation and sport as essential components of sustainable places. Policies 20 (Blue and Green Infrastructure) and 21 (Play, Recreation and Sport) require LDPs to protect, enhance and expand these assets, informed by an evidence-based OSS. Together, these policies establish the OSS as a key tool for delivering NPF4 objectives. 3.5 The preparation of this OSS provides an effective, corporate means to co- ordinate the policies of the different council services with responsibilities for development, maintenance and use of green infrastructure. It is a key evidence base to support the preparation of LDP3 and wider corporate priorities, including tackling climate change, supporting physical and mental wellbeing, and enabling our children and young people to achieve their full potential. The Draft Strategy’s Vision and Strategic Outcomes 3.6 The OSS will form an evidence base for planning decisions by providing standards, guidance and policy to help ensure that open spaces continue to meet the needs of communities now and in the future. 3.7 The vision proposed in the draft OSS is: Figure 1: Blue and green network components
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3.8 “Every community in Perth and Kinross enjoys safe, inclusive and biodiverse open spaces within easy reach, connected by nature-rich blue-green networks that support climate resilience, healthier lives and equal opportunities for all ages.” 3.9 To deliver this vision, the draft OSS identifies the following six strategic priorities that are consistent with the national expectations for Open Space Strategies. • Access to quality open space – Open spaces will be planned, designed and managed to ensure all residents can access good-quality spaces within their local area. • Successful, sustainable places – Open spaces will contribute to the creation of well-designed and sustainable places, supporting placemaking and local living. • Health and wellbeing – Open spaces will support physical and mental health by providing accessible, welcoming and safe environments for recreation, social interaction and connection to nature. • Advancing equality and inclusion – Open spaces will be accessible and inclusive for all users, helping to reduce inequalities and support diverse community needs. • Nature positive places – Open spaces will protect, enhance and connect habitats, supporting biodiversity and delivering positive outcomes for nature. • Climate change mitigation and adaptation – Open spaces will function as nature-based solutions to climate change by reducing emissions and increasing resilience to climate change impacts. Open Space Standards 3.10 The OSS adopts the Council’s existing standards for the quantity of and accessibility to open space provision, as set out in the Standards section of the strategy (page 6). As this was the Council’s first open space audit, a quality standard was introduced to provide a clear benchmark, with the expectation that sites assessed would achieve a rating of ‘Good’ or higher. The Open Space Audit 3.11 In accordance with statutory requirements, an audit of existing open space provision across Perth and Kinross was undertaken to inform the preparation of the draft OSS. The purpose of the audit is to undertake an assessment of the quantity, quality and accessibility (i.e. spatial distribution) of existing open spaces. The Open Space Audit Report (Appendix 2) has been prepared and provides detailed information on the audit undertaken. The section below provides key information from the report. 3.12 The audit considered all open spaces within or adjacent to settlement boundaries identified in the current Local Development Plan (LDP2) that were 0.2ha or larger, as well as smaller sites considered to be of local importance (e.g. pocket parks, memorial gardens). This audit considers all open spaces whether publicly or privately managed sites. For a breakdown of the Council’s
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greenspace assets please refer to the Community Greenspace Asset Management Plan (CGAMP). Quantity Assessment 3.13 Each site was visited and initially pre-screened to identify a subset of open spaces deemed accessible to the public. A summary of the spaces considered in the audit is provided in the table below. The public open spaces (POS) where then taken forward to the quantity benchmarking and quality assessment stage of the audit. Table 1: Overview of all open spaces considered in audit Type No. Sites Total Area (Ha) Public open space (POS) 432 906 Open space with limited accessibility or no public function (e.g. golf courses, allotments, natural space with no formal access). 480 1,996 Total 912 2,902 3.14 Although the quantity benchmarking focused on populations residing in settlements with a boundary identified in LDP2, it is helpful to contextualise the findings at a wider authority scale. If the total Perth and Kinross population of 150,953 (Census, 2022) were applied to the quantity standard, the resulting POS requirement would be approximately 528ha. The audit identified around 906ha of POS, indicating that, at an overall level, open space quantity comfortably exceeds the benchmark but requires an accessibility analysis as to whether its distribution is suitable. Accessibility Analysis 3.15 An accessibility analysis was undertaken to assess the distribution of public open spaces in relation to the population based on the Council’s accessibility standards. The findings help to identify areas of sufficient provision as well as locations where accessibility gaps may exist. The table below presents the outputs of the accessibility analysis across all LDP2 designated settlements. Table 2: Percentage households meeting accessibility standards across LDP2 settlements Public Park (700m) Playing Field (1200m) Local Equipped Area for Play (LEAP) (400m) Neighbourhood Equipped Area for Play (NEAP) (1000m) All Settlements 84% 95% 60% 84%
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Quality Assessment 3.16 A quality assessment was undertaken to evaluate the condition and characteristics of open spaces identified as publicly accessible in the audit. The findings identify those spaces that are performing well and provide good value to communities, as well as those where improvements may be required. A full description of the quality criteria used in the assessment is provided in Appendix 2: Open Space Audit Report. 3.17 Overall, only 2% of the sites assessed failed to meet the overall quality standard. The table below sets out the number of sites scoring above ‘good’: Table 3:Public open space quality assessment summary results Quality Criterion % sites scoring ‘Good’ or above Accessibility 78% Place Quality 84% Care and Maintenance 94% Biodiversity 91% Community Use 87% Overall Quality Score 98% Overview of Audit Outputs 3.18 Appendix 3 provides a comprehensive summary of the settlement-level audit findings and includes a breakdown for neighbourhoods in Perth. This is supported by a series of spatial datasets developed during the assessment process available on the Open Space Audit Map. Together, these outputs for a spatial evidence base to inform planning decisions, including requirements for on-site and/or off-site contributions. For ease of interpretation, the following tables summarise the results for LDP2 settlements with populations exceeding 1,000 residents. The table is colour coded to visualise settlement performance in the audit with those scoring in the 10th decile shown green, 9th yellow, 8th orange and those in the 7th or below (<70%) shown red.
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Table 4: Open space audit quantity and accessibility summary: LDP2 settlements Settlement Population (Census 2022) Meets Quantity Standard Quantity Shortfall (Ha) % Households meeting accessibility standard Public Park (700m) Playing Field (1200m) LEAP (400m) NEAP (1000m) Perth 49,292 Yes 89% 99% 62% 88% Blairgowrie 9,433 No -3.5 75% 98% 58% 70% Kinross and Milnathort 7,606 Yes 82% 100% 69% 91% Crieff 7,142 Yes 95% 99% 52% 89% Auchterarder 6,061 Yes 59% 91% 62% 74% Scone 5,232 Yes 87% 100% 43% 84% Bridge of Earn 2,918 No -2.1 100% 100% 63% 76% Pitlochry 2,694 Yes 87% 97% 59% 85% Alyth 2,345 Yes 96% 99% 67% 95% Coupar Angus 2,132 Yes 90% 99% 80% 65% Invergowrie 1,969 Yes 88% 96% 55% 88% Aberfeldy 1,886 Yes 94% 100% 84% 91% Comrie 1,847 Yes 79% 98% 42% 87% Inchture 1,565 Yes 100% 100% 55% 100% Luncarty 1,514 Yes 94% 99% 41% 98% Errol 1,500 Yes 100% 100% 70% 100% Stanley 1,497 No -4 83% 95% 71% 96% Abernethy 1,425 No -1.3 86% 96% 49% 92% Methven 1,301 Yes 91% 100% 48% 100% Bankfoot 1,254 Yes 88% 98% 73% 98% Dunkeld and Birnam 1,194 Yes 97% 94% 72% 96% St Madoes and Glencarse 1,096 Yes 92% 100% 90% 97% Longforgan 1,079 No -1.9 57% 100% 24% 80% 3.19 It is important to recognise that a range of factors contribute to identified shortfalls in POS provision in certain settlements: • Historic development of the settlement that did not prioritise open space provision. This is particularly evident in Perth. • The presence of spaces that could not be classified as POS in the audit due to accessibility constraints or lack of clear public function. • Standard open space typologies do not account for the recreational value of accessible countryside, which may lessen demand for formal provision in smaller rural communities. • The phased delivery of larger public open spaces in new developments can result in temporary shortfalls following housing occupation. Engagement to Date 3.20 The open space audit provides a quantitative assessment of provision across Perth and Kinross. However, it is important to consider the audit findings alongside the lived experience of communities as well as the operational knowledge of Council services. Internal and external engagement activities
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were undertaken in parallel with the audit to provide additional context, identify local priorities, and help validate the findings. 3.21 An internal Open Space Strategy Working Group has been established, comprising of officers from Planning and Community Greenspace teams. This group has provided ongoing input and oversight, helping to shape the direction of the Strategy and ensuring alignment with wider policy, service priorities and operational considerations. 3.22 Wider community views have been captured through a programme of Place Standard engagement in 2023 undertaken as part of LDP3’s Evidence Report process. The ‘Big Place Conversation’ gathered feedback from communities across the area on the quality of their local places, including the availability, accessibility and quality of open space. The findings have provided a valuable evidence base in identifying key issues, priorities and spatial inequalities. 3.23 Focused engagement was undertaken though an Open Space Survey (2025), which invited feedback from residents on their use and experiences of local open spaces. This received 212 responses and helped to identify patterns of use, levels of satisfaction and areas for improvement. The survey found residents are frequent users of open spaces, with 85% visiting at least several times per week. Parks, public gardens and natural greenspaces are the most valued and frequently used assets. Despite high usage, only 44% of respondents are satisfied with local provision while 32% are dissatisfied, indicating scope for improvement. A summary report is provided in Appendix 4. Figure 2: Overall satisfaction with local open space provision (no. respondents) 3.24 In addition, a Playing Out in Perth and Kinross Survey (2023) gathered the views of children and young people, providing important insight into play provision which has informed the assessment of play sufficiency across the area. A summary of the feedback received is available in the Draft Play Sufficiency Assessment. 3.25 Together, these engagement activities have informed the development of the Strategy’s priorities and outcomes, ensuring they reflect the needs, preferences and experiences of both communities and stakeholders. Engagement outputs, along with priorities identified in Community Action Plans and Local Place Plans, will be used alongside the open space audit findings to provide an evidence base for site requirements and settlement strategies in the forthcoming LDP3.
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Next stage of consultation 3.26 Subject to Committee approval, the OSS will be issued for public consultation. The consultation will provide residents, community organisations, developers, key agencies and other stakeholders with an opportunity to comment on the proposed strategy and policies. There will be opportunity to comment on the sites included in the open space audit to ensure all public open space has been included. Feedback received during the consultation will be reviewed and used to inform any necessary amendments to the OSS. A finalised version of the strategy, together with a summary of consultation responses and proposed changes, will then be presented to Committee for consideration and adoption. 4. Conclusions 4.1 The draft OSS responds to both existing provision and the changing needs of communities. This includes recommendations on how to address deficiencies in existing provision while ensuring future provision is sustainably planned, delivered and managed. 4.2 The draft OSS establishes the evidence base, strategic framework and priorities that will inform the preparation of LDP3. Current and future requirements will be addressed, where feasible, through LDP3’s policies, settlement strategies and site-specific developer requirements. It is important to note that addressing shortfalls in provision is unlikely to be achieved solely through contributions from new development, as these must be proportionate to the scale of development. However, opportunities will be identified through LDP3, and, where opportunity permits, the Council will seek to secure external funding to address gaps. Current Requirements and Deficiencies 4.3 The evidence base gathered through the open space audit and engagement activities highlights a number of requirements for the existing open space network. Key requirements addressed are to: • Designate and safeguard existing open space provision, including 70 hectares of undesignated POS identified through the audit. • Enhance the quality, accessibility and functionality of POS to support a wider range of recreational, sporting, play, social and environmental functions for all user groups. • Expand active travel opportunities across green networks, ensuring communities have access to green corridors that facilitate walking, wheeling and cycling through settlements and into the wider countryside. • Strengthen management and maintenance arrangements, particularly in the context of resource constraints and ageing infrastructure. • Support collaborative management approaches with communities and secure funding to deliver local priority actions and projects. 4.4 Addressing identified deficiencies remains a key priority and where they have been identified the following approaches will be pursued:
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• Safeguard existing POS provision. • Secure appropriate on-site and off-site developer contributions. • Pursue external funding opportunities using the OSS as an evidence-base. • Apply the Infrastructure First principle to ensure POS in new developments are delivered at the earliest practical stage, taking account of other infrastructure requirements and any masterplanning of the site. • Review sites identified in the audit that were not classified as POS, and, where appropriate, improve accessibility and functionality to make them public spaces. • Prioritise quality enhancements to existing open spaces, and path networks, in areas where new provision is not feasible. • Regarding the provision of new play spaces or sport facilities, deficiencies identified in the audit will be addressed following the approaches set out in the Playground Strategy and Policy on Provision of Facilities for Outdoor Pitch Sports. Future Requirements 4.5 Looking ahead, the Strategy also plan for future growth, climate challenges and evolving community needs. Key requirements addressed are to: • Integrate good-quality, multifunctional blue-green networks into new development, ensuring open space standards are met. • Support local living by ensuring active travel opportunities are integrated with blue-green networks. • Deliver nature-positive outcomes through habitat creation, biodiversity enhancement and connections to nature networks. • Improve climate resilience through measures such as urban greening, sustainable drainage (SuDS), shading and flood management measures. • Ensure the long-term sustainability of open spaces through effective maintenance arrangements, partnership working and community involvement. 5. Impact and Value Assessment Draft Open Space Strategy Impact and Value Assessment Form 6. Appendices 5.1 Appendix 1 - Draft Open Space Strategy 5.2 Appendix 2 - Open Space Audit Report 5.3 Appendix 3 - Open Space Audit Results 5.4 Appendix 4 - Open Space Survey Summary Report
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