FAQs

Because of the imminent publication of the National Planning Framework 4 as part of the Development Plan, the policy content of the next Local Development Plan may be significantly different to reflect the Scottish Governments wish for a “policy light” planning system.

It is still all a bit hazy, as advice has not yet been finalised  from the Government on the way that we should address this issue.

Sites allocated in the Local Development Plan 2022 are expected to be brought forward for planning permission by the time the new plan is prepared. The Local Development Plan 2027 will identify sites for development between 2027 and 2037.

Where sites have planning permission they will have a legal status and cannot be removed from the next plan.

Where sites are “constrained” and do not have planning permission then evaluation will take place as to whether they still fit with the objectives developed for the new plan and, if they do, and there is still a willing developer, and there is a game plan for the provision of necessary infrastructure, they would be actively considered for inclusion in the next plan.

Housing land supply is likely to be regulated in a different way in the forthcoming plan with a pipeline of development sites being identified for delivery as infrastructure hurdles are cleared, and restrictions on speculative “land banking”  within the plan when there is no real prospect or intent to deliver a site.

Local Place Plans are to be   prepared by community groups to identify those areas where actions are required within a local community. This could be protection of land or areas , or the identification of where development should go. Any Community Group can prepare a Local Place Plan, but the guidance produced to-date  (Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.) gives a better explanation of what is required and the obligations of those preparing Local Place Plans. Renfrew Council has produced some very good guidance for their area Local_Place_Plans_How_To_Guide_SC_final.pdf (renfrewshire.gov.uk) which gives a clear insight into  how we could expect Local Place Plans to develop

We are required to invite   community groups to prepare Local Place Plans when we formally start the next Local Development Plan (i.e., before the Development Plan Scheme anticipated in early December) and to identify   what assistance Aberdeenshire Council will be  providing to communities to prepare such plans.

Discussions are currently taking place between Area Management Teams  and the Planning Service on the assistance that is given, its nature and the role of the |Community Plans and Community planning teams in the six areas of Aberdeenshire to support Local Place Plans

Local Place Plans empower local communities to have a greater say in the design and enhancement of their places. Engagement on Local Place Plans would be the responsibility of the authors, not Aberdeenshire Council and we would advise that the National Standards for Community Engagement are adopted as best practice.

Community groups should engage with their community early in the process to capture and document what residents want to see in their local area, before developing that into an action plan for potential delivery.

We anticipate that Local Place Plans would best be prepared to inform the development Plan at the “Call for ideas” stage, by the end of 2024. This would allow us to take the proposals within the plans and incorporate them into the Local Development Plan, and undertake the necessary assessments that would need to be undertaken (such as Environmental Impact Assessment and Transport Appraisal) to allow the communities proposals to be added to the plan.

Engagement with  the general public will be on a regular and continuous basis.

We will be happy to invite any people with a particular expertise to join the groups preparing the Evidence Report, and there will be opportunity for anyone to consider elements of the Evidence Report as they are drafted and question (or “dispute”) the conclusions reached.

As part of the call for ideas anyone can correspond with the Council on how they think the issues identified in the Evidence Report can be addressed.

When the Proposed Plan is published there will again be an opportunity for the General Public to comment on this draft plan and let their views be known, and considered.

Unless there is a need to try and negotiate with individuals to remove their representations to the plan this will be the last point in the process where the general public  (or indeed any stakeholders) will have to engage with the process