Developments in and around Scotland�s four biggest cities are to be co-ordinated under a new map for regional planning for building and environment protection.

Developments in and around Scotland's four biggest cities are to be co-ordinated under a new map for regional planning for building and environment protection.

The Scottish Executive yesterday set out its proposals to ensure Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow are tied into plans for the council areas that surround them.

The plans are intended to ensure better integration of planning around boundaries, particularly in linking housing and retail to transport and other public services.

The map shows the extent to which Edinburgh is growing as a city region. It includes the Scottish Borders area as well as Fife, both of which are now within the capital's housing and travel-to-work markets. Fife also features on the map for strategic planning around Dundee.

But the map risks Edinburgh and Glasgow having separate and potentially competing visions for how they are to be developed, at a time when there is a drive on to ensure the two work more effectively together. There have also been concerns that Scottish Enterprise has divided its "metro regions" between the east and west of Scotland.

That risk is partly being addressed through a new national strategic plan being drawn up to include large, and potentially controversial siting of energy installations and transmission lines. There is also the creation of the Glasgow-Edinburgh Collaboration Project, backed by councils and Scottish Enterprise, which has brought planning authorities in the two cities together to discuss common interests.

Planning has moved centre stage in political debate and government action, as housing shortage and expense has emerged as a key concern in the transition of power to new leaderships at Holyrood and Westminster.

As a result of the Planning Act passed at the end of last year, the new Strategic Development Plans are to be drawn up jointly by the new authorities.

The new bodies are to have boards comprised of local councillors, with staff mainly seconded from participating councils. Individual councils are to retain local planning powers, with a new requirement that they produce regular development plans and keep them updated.

In Glasgow, the Strategic Development Plan is to be drawn up by East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire.

Aberdeen City Council has experience in drawing up structure plans with its Aberdeenshire neighbour.

Edinburgh's region will include City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian Councils. Dundee is to work alongside Angus, Fife and Perth and Kinross.

Stewart Stevenson, the minister responsible for planning, said: "The creation of up-to-date and relevant development plans is critical to an effective and efficient planning system that helps to deliver the sustainable economic growth that Scotland needs."

Consultation on the proposed groups of authorities will run until the end of October 2007.