New planning policy designed to protect the countryside from development, has been approved by Moray Council.

Councillors

The council's Planning and Regulatory Services Committee agreed to continue to use a long-established policy, which is already embedded in Moray's Local Development Plan, to determine planning applications.

The long-established policy called EP4 Countryside Around Towns aims to prevent inappropriate development in rural areas around Buckie, Elgin, Forres, Keith and Lossiemouth, where there are development pressures.

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The Committee agreed Scotland's National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) policy 8 Green Belts was not applicable in Moray because green belts do not exist here.

Members agreed the long-established Countryside Around Towns policy is more appropriate given the scale of the towns in Moray.

Chair of Moray Council's Planning and Regulatory Services Committee, Cllr David Gordon said: "I'm pleased with Committee's decision. These two policies cannot be considered to be the same. There's not a single Green Belt designation within the Moray Local Development Plan in Moray. Policy 8 Green Belts cannot apply here. The Moray Local Development Plan is supportive of renewable energy developments in appropriate locations that comply with the spatial strategy."