Land use, soil and resources

This document contains a review of land use, soil, and resources within the Cairngorms National Park, intended as an engagement version for August 2024. It outlines the requirements addressed in this section, based on the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, such as the principal characteristics of the district and the purposes for which land is used. The document provides links to various sources of evidence, including acts, strategies, plans, census data, and reports on land use, soil, housing, and geodiversity, with a summary of the evidence around policy context, Scotland's land use strategy, the Scottish Soil Framework, the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, the Geodiversity Charter, and the National Park Partnership Plan, alongside community action plans. It focuses on baseline land use, soil, and resource matters, highlighting the principal purposes for which land is used, agricultural land, vacant and derelict land, brownfield land, empty buildings, contaminated land, soil types (including carbon-rich soils), land capability for agriculture and forestry, and mineral and aggregate resources. The document also covers soil sealing, compaction, erosion, landslides, and the importance of cultural and locally significant soils, along with mineral and aggregate locations, with a conclusion on the plan implications that the Cairngorms National Park Authority should consider.