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Population Projections for Scotland's Strategic Development Plan Areas and National Parks (2008-based)

1 Introduction

1.1 This report gives the General Register Office for Scotland’s forward projection of the population in Scotland’s National Parks and Strategic Development Plan (SDP) areas. The forward projections are given up to the year 2033, based on the estimated population of these areas in mid-2008. The projections are trend-based and do not, for example, take account of future policy.

1.2 National Parks are protected areas of beautiful countryside, wildlife and cultural heritage. There are two National Parks in Scotland: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (LLTNP), and Cairngorms National Park (CNP). The locations of the National Parks are shown on Map 1. Each National Park is managed by a National Park Authority.

1.3 Table A gives information on the population of the National Parks. These populations are quite small – and forward projections for such small populations are less reliable, especially for the distant future, than those for larger communities.

Table A: Total populations in the National Parks in 2008

 

Population

Percentage of
Scotland
Population

CNP

16,430

0.32%

LLTNP

14,590

0.28%

Rest of Scotland

5,137,490

99.40%

Scotland

5,168,500

100%

 

All population figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

1.4 SDP areas (Map 2) cover the regions around Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Three quarters of the population of Scotland live in these areas. SDP areas were created in November 2008 to help with strategic development planning. They comprise:

Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Strategic Development Plan Area (Glasgow & Clyde Valley SDP area)

East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire council areas (except the part of West Dunbartonshire that forms part of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park).

Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Plan Area (Aberdeen City & Shire SDP area)

Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire council areas (except the part of Aberdeenshire that forms part of Cairngorms National Park).

Edinburgh and South East Scotland Strategic Development Plan Area (SESplan SDP area)

City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, West Lothian and Fife (Kirkcaldy, Mid-Fife and Dunfermline local planning areas only) council areas.

Dundee, Perth, Angus and North Fife Strategic Development Plan Area (TAYplan SDP area)

Angus (except the part of Angus that forms part of Cairngorms National Park), Dundee City, Perth & Kinross (except the part of Perth & Kinross that forms part of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park) and Fife (St Andrews and North Fife local planning areas only) council areas.

1.5 Table B gives information on the population in SDP areas.

Table B: Total populations in SDP areas in 2008

 

Population

Percentage of
Scotland
Population

Glasgow & Clyde Valley 1,752,950 34%
Aberdeen City & Shire 448,690 9%
SESplan 1,213,910 23%
TAYplan 475,190 9%
Rest of Scotland 1,277,760 25%
Scotland 5,168,500 100%

 

1.6 Further details of National Park and SDP boundaries are given in Section 4, and in Maps 3 to 9. More information about SDP areas is available from the Scottish Government’s Planning Circular 3/08: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/11/25145654/15.

1.7 Any boundary change as the result of the Scottish Natural Heritage public consultation (running from 6th March to 31st May 2010) to extend Cairngorms National Park into Perth & Kinross council area has not been included in this publication, as the consultation period had not finished at the time of publication.

1.8 These population projections are mainly used:

Map 1: Map of Scotland showing the locations of CNP and LLTNP

Map 1: Map of Scotland showing the locations of CNP and LLTNP

Map 2: Map of Scotland showing locations of SDP areas

Map 2: Map of Scotland showing locations of SDP areas

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