Consultation launched on Development Plan Scheme 2025
North-east residents, businesses and more than 700 community groups are being encouraged to give their views on the Aberdeenshire Development Plan Scheme.
The document sets out the anticipated programme for the production of the Local Development Plan and how people can get involved.
Being required to publish a draft of this document and consider views, Aberdeenshire Council has begun the process by publishing the draft Development Plan Scheme 2025-6 on its Engage Aberdeenshire LDP consultation hub.
A brief survey is provided to assist people in responding to the consultation which is available at: https://engage.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/development-plan-scheme-2025
The consultation runs until Monday, March 24, with the results being presented to the council’s Infrastructure Services Committee for consideration in May.
The Development Plan Scheme sets out the timetable for the plan’s production and focuses on how people can get involved in the current stages of work. This year it builds on the Development Plan Scheme 2024 and marks progress towards the production of the plan.
The main focus of this year’s programme is the ‘Call for Ideas’ which is split into two parts – a Call for Bids and a Call for Community Ideas.
The bids element will be used to identify those sites which the development industry would wish to see included in the next Local Development Plan. The council will consult and involve developers and landowners to identify aspirations they have to promote land for development during the plan period. It is anticipated that this process will close on Friday, October 31.
The Call for Community Ideas is the principal way in which the council will collect information from communities and stakeholders on the content of the Local Development Plan and it’s anticipated that this process will close on Wednesday, December 31.
Cllr Alan Turner, chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, said: “The Development Plan Scheme 2025 reaffirms our commitment to using the national standards for community engagement. The scheme aims to be open and honest in relation to engagement and consultation on the forthcoming Local Development Plan and provides interested parties with clear opportunities to be involved and have their voice heard with the clear message that this is your Local Development Plan and we need to know what you want it to deliver.”
ISC vice-chair Cllr Isobel Davidson added: “Throughout the year, council officers will be undertaking engagement with all interested parties and seeking to assist both submissions for development bids and our local communities to get involved in helping to shape the next Local Development Plan. I would encourage everyone to have their say on the future development of our region through our various consultation activities.”