Scotland's Fourth Land Use Strategy: islands communities impact assessment

2. Data and stakeholders

What data is available about the current situation in the islands?

The LUS4 is a relatively high-level piece of work and there is much information, including information relevant to the islands, available in national datasets. Island- specific data gathered for the development of island policy will also be accessed through discussion with the relevant policy teams when developing the delivery plan.

A number of data sources have been highlighted by respondents to our consultation as relevant to land use. These include factors, such as socio-economic factors, which may be relevant to assessing impact on island communities, including Young Islanders Challenges, Young Islanders Housing Report and the Young Islanders Transport Challenge Report. These could potentially help monitor progress towards objectives and we will investigate the potential of these sources to provide relevant data relating to the impact of the strategy in the islands.

Do you need to consult?

A consultation has been conducted, seeking relevant information. We will continue engagement through the development of the delivery plan.

How does any existing data differ between islands?

Because of the strategy’s high-level approach and because it does not put forward specific policy actions at this time, it is not possible to asses data to draw conclusions about the differential impact of policy actions on particular islands at this stage. It is recognised that every island is different and that data to evidence this fact is available and accessible. We will consider this further when actions are developed during the delivery plan phase.

Are there any existing design features or mitigations in place?

This is a high-level document with no specific policy actions. Barriers and impacts of specific actions will be considered during the development of the delivery plan, including an assessment of how these differ on islands.