Development Plan Scheme 2025

What you told us

Aberdeenshire Council published the Draft Development Plan Scheme (DPS) 2025–2026 to gather feedback from the public, community councils, and development professionals. The aim was to check if the proposed processes and timeline for preparing the next Local Development Plan (LDP) were clear and appropriate, and to understand how people wanted and could be involved. The consultation ran from 10 February to 24 March 2025 and was promoted through various channels including newsletters, social media, and direct invitations.

Only eight people responded to the consultation, despite a good number of visits to the online hub. Here’s what they said:

• Clarity of the document: Most people found the document clear and easy to understand. One person thought the font and illustrations were hard to read, and another found the timetable confusing.
• Timetable and terminology: Some feedback suggested that using “quarters” to describe time was unclear and that acronyms like “SEA” and “DPMTAG” should be explained better. There was also a suggestion to use months or seasons instead.
• Engagement methods: Most respondents were happy with the proposed ways to engage at each stage. However, one person raised concerns about relying too much on digital engagement, which might exclude some groups, especially young people and those less digitally connected.
• Call for Ideas: Some people wanted more clarity on what 'community ideas' meant and who could submit them. There were also suggestions to extend the time allowed for submitting ideas, especially from developers.
• Local Place Plans: One person found this part unclear but didn’t explain why.
• General comments: One person felt the process was too long and hard to follow. Homes for Scotland supported the inclusion of the Call for Ideas and asked for more in-person engagement and a clear method for assessing development sites.

What we're doing

• The Council reviewed all feedback and decided that no major changes were needed to the Draft DPS.
• Accessibility features like 'Read Out Loud' and the ability to enlarge PDFs are already in place. Large print versions can be provided on request.
• The Council clarified that the use of 'quarters' follows national planning regulations and that acronyms are explained when first used.
• The Call for Ideas will be open for at least 16 weeks starting in summer 2025, and more details will be shared in due course.
• The Council is committed to using both digital and non-digital engagement methods and will continue to involve young people.
• A draft site selection methodology was already consulted on earlier in 2025 and is being refined based on feedback.
• The Council will continue to engage with developers and other stakeholders, including through meetings and information sharing.

You can view the original project here: Development Plan Scheme 2025 | Engage Aberdeenshire