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Hierarchy of developments

In Scotland, planning applications are grouped into three categories: national, major and local developments.

This system was introduced through planning legislation to make sure applications are handled in a way that reflects their scale and complexity. Regulations set out which developments fall into each category, based on their type, size and potential impact.

The development category affects:

  • If pre-application consultation (PAC) is needed
  • How long the council has to decide the application
  • If the application is decided by a planning officer or a council committee
  • If additional requirements are needed, which often applies to larger or more complex developments

Local developments

Local developments are smaller‑scale proposals, such as householder changes, small housing proposals, and small business developments.

Local developments:

  • Don't need a pre-application consultation
  • Are usually decided by a planning officer
  • Have a statutory decision timescale of 2 months

View pre-application advice or find out how to apply for planning permission.

Major developments

Major developments are larger scale proposals that are likely to have a significant impact. Examples include:

  • Housing developments of 50 or more homes, or more than 2 hectares in area
  • Larger retail developments
  • Certain waste, water, transport and energy-related developments
  • Electricity generation exceeding 20MW in generating capacity

Major developments:

  • Need a pre-application consultation with the community
  • Are normally decided by a council committee
  • Have a statutory decision timescale of 4 months
  • May be supported by a Planning Processing Agreement (PPA), which sets out an agreed timetable for the application

View pre-application advice or find out about the planning application process for major or national developments.

National developments

National developments are identified in National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). They include both individual large-scale projects and networks of related infrastructure.

Examples relevant to Aberdeenshire include:

  • Industrial Green Transition Zones including carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen proposals at St Fergus and Peterhead
  • Strategic renewable energy generation and transmission infrastructure, required to connect new on and offshore electric grid capacity to the rest of Scotland and the UK

National developments:

  • Need a pre-application consultation
  • Are determined by a council committee or, in some cases, Scottish Ministers
  • Have a statutory decision timescale of 4 months
  • May be supported by a Planning Processing Agreement (PPA), which sets out an agreed timetable for the application

Early engagement with the council is strongly recommended for national developments.

Find out about the planning application process for major or national developments.