Elected members on the local authority’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.

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 there.

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 the 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.”