LDP Evidence Report - Green Belts

This survey has now closed, 

The finalised Topic paper and  the results of the consultation can be seen under the Topic Paper banner.

This questionnaire survey was prepared to assist with the formulation of the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan Evidence Report.

The survey focuses on questions associated with the Green Belts Topic Paper.

The topic paper focusses on what the evidence tells us about how the Green Belt should be designated within Aberdeenshire for the next Local Development Plan. This is in order to meet the requirements of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Policy 8 'Green belts' which sets out a policy intent to encourage, promote and facilitate compact urban growth, and use the land around our towns and cities sustainably.

Local Development Plans (LDP) are required to identify or review green belts and their boundaries as part of the plan making process. Green belt boundary changes may be required to accommodate planned growth, with detailed boundaries based on evidence.

This topic paper presents a preliminary assessment of the existing Aberdeen Green Belt (Aberdeenshire) designation. It also provides an assessment of other settlements across Aberdeenshire, and an analysis of policy performance to date looking at whether the objectives of the Green Belt have been met in the current and previous LDPs. It does not consider greenbelt issues within Aberdeen City Local Development Plan area.

It draws conclusions about how the existing Green Belt should function to ensure development is directed to the right locations. The paper recommends boundary changes to extend and/or modify the existing Aberdeen Green Belt (Aberdeenshire), and concludes that there is no merit in adding new Green Belt designations to other settlements that are not currently associated with the Aberdeen City Green Belt.

It is likely that this paper will be of interest to communities, developers and landowners with an interest in the places within the current Aberdeen Green Belt, and other larger settlements across the Shire, particularly Banchory, Ellon, Inverurie/Port Elphinstone (and Kintore), Oldmeldrum, Peterhead, and Stonehaven.

If there are matters that you do not agree with relating to the information that we have looked at, then these are termed as "disputes". While most disputes made will be resolvable by modification of the topic paper, some will persist. If you make a dispute to this paper, and we cannot agree a solution then the dispute will be referred to a Reporter in the Scottish Government Directorate of Planning and Environmental Appeals in the Spring of 2025. Otherwise comments that you may make to this paper will be analysed and where possible resolution sought before consideration by Aberdeenshire Council, probably in January 2025.

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WHILE WE DO NOT INTEND TO PUBLISH THE INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSIONS MADE, THEY WILL BECOME PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD. ALL UNRESOLVED DISPUTES WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THE INTERNET AS PART OF THE GATECHECK EXAMINATION.