Industry body Scottish Renewables has raised concern that renewable energy is “seemingly all but absent” from the Scottish Government’s draft land use strategy (DLUS) for Scotland, covering 2016 – 2021.

The land use policy sets out a strategic approach to land use to guide policy and decision making by Government and across the public sector, including areas such as agriculture, rural development, forestry and the uplands as well as land use decision-making at a local level. Scottish Renewables

Scottish Renewables said it was worrying and frustrating that renewable energy had been omitted from the strategy. It said: “It only takes a brief review of the benefits of the renewables industry to see how closely-related the sector is to the vision and objectives outlined in the strategy, making the omission of our industry particularly frustrating, and one we are determined to address.”

“It is essential that the renewable energy industry, which can help to protect Scotland’s environment in the long term, is involved in the discussion of the new draft strategy. Indeed, renewables developments often have an active, positive role to play in habitat management, forestry planting and peatland restoration,” it continued

Read more: BLOG: A green and pleasant land?, The Scottish Government Draft Land Use Strategy (consultation closed), Scottish Renewables land use consultation response