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The Local Development Plan

The Main Issues Report was approved at the Council's Infrastructure Services Committee on 30 April. Consultation on this document will begin on 18 May. A finalised copy of the Main Issues Report can be downloaded below, and is split into 8 sections. Information on how to respond to the document will be published by 18 May.

In order to respond and deliver this new draft plan Aberdeenshire Council intends to produce a “Local Development Plan”. This is similar in function to the Aberdeenshire Local Plan, but is prepared in a different way and with a greater emphasis on public and community engagement. Formal preparation of this plan cannot start until the Scottish Government publishes the Regulations on the procedure that must be followed in their preparation.  The first document to be produced under the new system will be a “Development Plan Scheme” that will set out the timetable and consultation arrangements for the new plan. It is expected this will be published early in 2009.

However, in order to provide an up to date planning framework Aberdeenshire Council has already started thinking about another of the key documents that will be required, the Main Issues Report. This is expected to highlight, and promote discussion on key areas of policy change, and to allow discussion of the merits of different sites that could be taken forward for development. It will be the key consultation document of the new Local Development Plan and the primary way in which communities can influence the plan at a point where they can easily influence the form of the final plan. 

Already Aberdeenshire Council has engaged with Community Councils, key stakeholders and others, including Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership’s  “Citizens Panel”, in trying to identify the areas where policy change may be required.

Policy Review

We are seeking to identify the main policy issues using a diverse range of sources. These are:

  1. Assessment of the existing policies within the Aberdeenshire Local Plan (ALP) to identify whether the policy requires to do something different now than when it was published in ALP.
  2. Assessment of the policies in ALP to assess whether there was evidence that there was support for the policy approach in decision making by elected members.
  3. Seminars with stakeholder groups covering topics such as housing, employment, environment and rural affairs to identify specific issues with the policy approaches in different sectors.
  4. Seminars with Area Committees of Aberdeenshire Council.
  5. A questionnaire survey of Aberdeenshire Community Councils.
  6. A survey questionnaire, using the “Citizens Panel”, of a cross section of 934 residents across Aberdeenshire asking general questions about the outcomes of the planning process.

Further information and copies of reports from the above exercises

 

Development Proposals

landowners and developers have been invited to submit proposals for development that they would wish to be considered in the Main Issues Report, with a view to taking them forward over the next 12 to 15 years through the next plan.  Over 150 individuals who have previously expressed an interest in developing land have been written to, and a response form has been developed to assist those submitting bids. The closing date for submissions was the 6th November 2008, there will be no opportunity to accept late proposals. Follow this link for further information on the development proposals received.

The planning team's task over the next 6 months will be to undertake and assessment of all the proposals and publish them in the Main Issues Report. It will not be until the Main Issues Report is published in spring 2009 that the planning team is seeking the views of communities and individuals about what they like / don't like about all of the proposals received. A scoring sheet to aid the planning team's assessment of the proposals has been devised.

During this 6 month period before the Main Issues Report is published the planning team encourages there to be a dialogue between (and within) communities and with developers on the merits of submissions made.

 

The Local Development Plan Process

Following publication of the Main Issues Report and its associated Strategic Environmental Assessment Aberdeenshire Council will develop a “Proposed Plan”. This is likely to be around December 2009. This will be advertised and objections to the plan invited.  Planners will seek to resolve objections but where this is not possible the objections will be considered by a Scottish Government Reporter. The Reporter will consider the issues, hold a public inquiry on those issues he decides warrants such attention, and will advise Aberdeenshire Council of the changes required before the plan can be adopted. This is likely to take place during 2010 and in doing so will meet a key objective of the Scottish Government’s reforms of the planning system, to make the development plan system faster and more responsive.

It is likely that, following the publication of the proposed plan, sites on which there are no objections would be released for immediate development.

Disclaimer

The printed Aberdeenshire Local Plan is the legal document. Whilst the website may not reflect the format of the printed version exactly, every effort has been taken to ensure its accuracy.

Mapping Use

The Ordnance Survey mapping included within this website is provided by Aberdeenshire Council under license from the Ordnance Survey in order to fulfil its public function to act as a planning authority. Persons viewing this mapping should contact Ordnance Survey copyright for advice where they wish to license Ordnance Survey mapping for their own use.

Contacts

You can contact the Planning Policy team as follows
The Aberdeenshire Planning Policy Team
Planning and Environmental Services
Woodhill House
Westburn Road
Aberdeen
AB16 5GB
Tel: 01224 664342
Fax: 01224 664679
E-mail: LDP@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

For information and advice on all aspects of Town and Country Planning and related issues:

Other useful contacts include:

  • Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Plan Team
    Archibald Simpson House
    27-29 King Street
    ABERDEEN
    AB24 5AA
    Tel: 01224 628210
    Fax: 01224 640517
    E-mail: team@aberdeencityandshire-sdpa.gov.uk
  • Development Department
    The Scottish Executive
    Area 3-H
    Victoria Quay
    EDINBURGH
    EH6 6QQ
    Tel: 0131 244 0763
    Fax: 0131 244 0785
    Web: www.scotland.gov.uk/planning
  • The Royal Town Planning Institute (Scottish Office)
    57 Melville Street
    Edinburgh
    EH3 7HL
    Tel: 0131 226 1959
    Fax: 0131 226 1909
    Web: www.rtpi.org.uk