Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2017
Aberdeenshire Council adopted the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan on 17 April 2017.
We are currently working on the Local Development Plan 2021. To find information on our progress read the Local Development Plan 2021 briefing note.
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The Plan sets out the policies that will be used for assessing planning applications and identifies development opportunities across Aberdeenshire.
A map-based, interactive Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan (LDP) has been created to allow greater and easier interaction with the area's planning maps and documents. View our Interactive Online Local Development Plan.
Alternatively, you can view the Plan and associated Supplementary Guidance:
- Local Development Plan 2017 - Part 1 (pdf 5.72MB)
- Local Development Plan 2017 - Part 2 (pdf 5.88MB)
- Appendix 1 Business land allocations (pdf 763KB)
- Appendix 2 Network of centres (pdf 690KB)
- Appendix 3 Boundaries of the Greenbelt (pdf 2.97MB)
- Appendix 4 Identified settlements under policy R2 (pdf 802KB)
- Appendix 5 New housing land allocations (pdf 833KB)
- Appendix 6 Existing conservation areas (pdf 740KB)
- Appendix 7 Standards for household waste facilities (pdf 781KB)
- Appendix 8a Settlement Statements - Banff and Buchan (pdf 5.49MB)
- Appendix 8b Settlement Statements - Buchan (pdf 6.47MB)
- Appendix 8c Settlement Statements - Formartine (pdf 7.17MB)
- Appendix 8d Settlement Statements - Garioch (pdf 7.81MB)
- Appendix 8e Settlement Statements - Kincardine and Mearns (pdf 8.41MB)
- Appendix 8f Settlement Statements - Marr (pdf 7.38MB)
- Appendix 9 Schedule of land ownership (pdf 530KB)
- Glossary (pdf 151KB)
The Plan also references 9 elements of supplementary guidance as follows:
- 1 Affordable Housing (PDF 1.23MB)
- 2 The Regeneration Priority Area (pdf 7.2MB)
- 3 Energetica (pdf 4.4MB)
- 4 The Coastal Zone (pdf 6.89MB)
- 5a Local Nature Conservation Sites - Index (pdf 644KB)
- 5b Local Nature Conservation Sites - Coastal Sites (pdf 8MB)
- 5c Local Nature Conservation Sites - River Dee Sites (pdf 2.38MB)
- 5d Local Nature Conservation Sites - Landward Sites - Part 1 (pdf 10.5MB)
- 5e Local Nature Conservation Sites - Landward Sites - Part 2 (pdf 8.7MB)
- 5f Local Nature Conservation Sites - Landward Sites - Part 3 (pdf 6.2MB)
- 6 Areas safeguarded or identified as areas of search for minerals development (pdf 8.7MB)
- 7 Developer Obligations (pdf 1.01MB)
- 8 Aberdeenshire Forestry and Woodland Strategy (pdf 3.67MB)
- 9a Special Landscape Areas (pdf 4MB)
- 9b Special Landscape Areas (pdf 3.9MB)
- 9c Special Landscape Areas (pdf 3.59KB)
The plan is supported by the following documents:
- Habitats Regulations Appraisal (pdf 957KB)
- Strategic Environmental Assessment with Appendices (pdf 6.18MB)
- Strategic Environmental Assessment Post Adoption Statement (pdf 529KB)
Preparation of the plan
On 13 March 2015 the Infrastructure Services Committee approved the Development Plan Scheme 2015. This document set out a programme for the delivery of a revised Local Development Plan over 3 years. Please also follow that link to see the Development Plan Scheme 2016 and subsequent programmes.
There are four key stages involved in the Local Development Plan process which consist of:
1. Main Issues Report October 2013
The Main Issues Report sets out what officers identified as the key land use planning issues in Aberdeenshire. Its preparation involved a number of steps: identifying what the main issues might be; developing the options and alternatives set out in the Main Issues Report itself; and engaging with communities to explain the issues and seeking responses. More information about these can be found in the Main Issues Report section.
2. Proposed Local Development Plan 2016
We prepared and published a proposed local Development Plan in 2016. The proposed plan has now been superseded by the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2017.
Supporting documentation is now available in the Archive section.
3. Local Development Plan Examination
In total, approximately 899 representations were received regarding the Proposed Local Development Plan.
Unresolved representations to the Proposed Local Development Plan will be examined by a Scottish Government Reporter through a public examination. The Reporter will determine any unresolved issues and approve the plan for adoption and publication. Progress can be followed through the Local Development Plan 2016 Examination Section
The proposed Plan was lodged with The Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals for examination on 1 December 2015. The Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals submitted their Report of the Examination to Aberdeenshire Council on the 21 December 2016.
4. Adoption of the 2017 Local Development Plan
The proposed Local Development Plan was lodged with The Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals for examination on 1 December 2015. The Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals submitted their Report of the Examination to Aberdeenshire Council on the 21 December 2016. Following receipt of the Examination report, officers presented the recommendations to the area committees in January and February 2017.
Following the approval of Aberdeenshire Council on 9 March 2017, the proposed Local Development Plan 2017 was submitted to Scottish Ministers for full approval for adoption. On 12 April 2017 Scottish Ministers provided full written approval to formally adopt the Local Development Plan 2017 and the associated supplementary guidance. These documents now supersede the 2012 Plan and supplementary guidance.
Strategic Development Plan
The Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Plan covers the geographical areas of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire excluding the Cairngorms National Park. The Strategic Development Plan plays a key role in guiding development over the next 25 years. The current Strategic Development Plan(pdf 4.1MB) was approved in March 2014.
Further information can be obtained by visiting the Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Planning Authority website or contacting the Strategic Development Plan Team.