Potential Development Areas designated in the Argyll and Bute adopted Local Development Plan 2015. These are broad areas identified by this plan in the Proposal Maps. They are mainly, but not exclusively on the edge of settlements and constitute land within which opportunities may emerge during the plan- period for infill, rounding-off, redevelopment or new development. Such opportunities are not currently fully resolved and issues may require to be overcome in terms of the ‘mini development brief’ accompanying these PDAs before development opportunities within the PDA area can be realised and be supported by this plan. A PDA may include a number of identifiable development sites

Locally important sites for wildlife or nature interests identified in the Argyll and Bute adopted Local Development Plan 2015. They have been judged to be important because: (A) the site supports a natural or semi-natural plant community(ies), and/or (B) the site supports a high diversity of floral species and contains uncommon/rare fauna, and/or (C) the site is of value for environmental education for local communities and local schools and/or (D) is a landscape, landform or rock feature identified as having a particular value for education and tourism Local Nature Conservation Sites include Local Nature Reserves, Regionally Important Geological/ Geomorphological Sites, former sites of important for nature conservation (SINC) and Other local wildlife sites

Existing and proposed sites for medium to large scale waste management facilities, as identified in the Argyll and Bute Proposed Local Development Plan 2015, that are protected as far as practicable from development that would prejudice a waste management use.

Large scale areas identified in the Argyll and Bute adopted Local Development Plan 2015. They are of strategic economic importance to Argyll and Bute, containing key drivers, elements of change and potential major developments. The ambition is to prepare Strategic Masterplans for these areas in the mid to longer term.

The council, together with Scottish Natural Heritage have commissioned Consultant Landscape Architects to update the Argyll and Bute Landscape Wind Energy Capacity Study 2012. The study provides technical information which will be used to help the Council assess applications for wind energy developments and inform the development of the windfarm/wind turbine policies in the proposed Local Development Plan (LDP). The updated study was approved by the Councils Planning Protective Services and Licensing Committee on 20th September 2017.

Locality planning is a key element of Health & Social Care Integration and with the enactment of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act, 2014 has become a legal requirement in relation to the planning and delivery of heath and social care services. The legislation requires that South Ayrshire is divided into localities for the purpose of preparing a Strategic Plan. The South Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership Locality Boundaries dataset was created to meet this requirement.

Town Centres shown on Argyll and Bute adopted Local Development Plan 2015 for the six main towns and the five small towns of Argyll and Bute defined as key settlements; these being town centres defined mainly for retail policy purposes

Conservation Areas as defined in the Argyll and Bute adopted Local Development Plan 2015; they have a statutory basis (currently in the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1977) as areas of special architectural or historic interest and containing key features which it is desirable to conserve, sustain and enhance; a heightened value can be placed on a conservation area by Historic Scotland conferring ‘outstanding’ status; Funding may be attracted to conservation area enhancement schemes

Location of Primary, Secondary and Special Needs schools in Argyll and Bute including denominational (Roman Catholic) Primary Schools

A Development Management Zone which, as designated in the Argyll and Bute adopted Local Development Plan 2015, corresponds to areas wherein there is a general capacity to successfully absorb small scale development including development in the open countryside