Planning Tools for Agricultural Territory in Bulgaria

Abstract

Agricultural territory planning is the omitted item of land management in Bulgarian legislation. This causes unofficial, chaotic and non-holistic use of the Agricultural Territory with future negative consequences for farm, regional and state economy development. The objective of this study is to present a concept for strategic and on-farm planning of the Agricultural Territory and to suggest changes in legislation. Documentary analysis of normative, strategic, historical and other documents in respect of spatial and land-use planning has been conducted, including the National Strategy for Regional Development 2012-2022 and the National Concept for Spatial Development 2013-2025, Ordinances of the Council of Ministers, acts of Municipal Services of Agriculture, Analytical Reports on sustainable agriculture management on municipal level, land use plans and maps. Quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting and processing economic, geographic and statistical information were used. The paper presents an outline of a modern Agricultural Territory Development Concept (ATDC). Approaches for long-term strategic land planning on municipal level and short-term land planning on farm level are proposed. ATDC offers completion of Spatial Development Plan on municipal level with details of Agricultural Territory; includes recommendatory development zones that are based on the natural recourses distribution, quality of land and zoning of agricultural production in the country; outlines regimes and optionality of the territorial elements and development zones. The Concept gives general characteristics of a Land Use Plan (instead of Specialized Detailed Development Plan) and its territorial elements on farm level. As a result of the study, amendments to the regulatory framework are proposed too.