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Local Development Plan 2016: Bids process

In order to support the Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Plan 2014 Aberdeenshire Council is seeking expressions of interest for sites to be included in the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan (LDP) 2016.

Development plans can take a number of years to prepare, and the timetable for production of the Local Development Plan is published in the Local Development Plan Scheme 2013. This identifies a “Main Issues Report” to be published in October 2013, a “Proposed Plan” in October 2014, and a Public Examination in 2015, resulting in approval of the new plan early in 2016.

Current land allocations have been made for the period up to 2016, and from 2017 to 2023. By 2016 many of the allocations made by the 2012 Local Development Plan will be being delivered.

We think we will only require limited new allocations for the new Local Development Plan period from 2016 to 2021 in order to compensate for sites that have been "drawn down" early to augment the 2012-2016 plan period or current allocations that have become ineffective or are being delivered at a slower rate of than predicted.

Land allocations beyond 2021 are also likely to be modest due to the scale of allowance proposed by the Strategic Development Plan. Numerically this identifies no additional allocations for the period 2021to 2026 over those already allocated in the LDP 2012. For further details please refer to Schedules 1 and 2 (468KB) from the Aberdeenshire LDP.

Sites in the current plan that are either "effective" in the current housing land audit, will be effective in the 2014 Housing Land Audit, or are identified by the Action Programme to be capeable of being effective post 2016 will, in usal circumstances, be identified as "Established Housing" land in the 2013 Main Issues Report. We would not expect bids to be submitted for these sites unless:

  • The developer wishes to propose a change to the number of dwellings proposed; or
  • The developer wishes to propose a change to the land area allocated.

Developers need to be aware of the risk if proposing change. In these cases we would expect a bid to be made and the development site will be treated as a potential new allocation in the development plan. It will be subject to possible objection and the need for defence at the Local Plan Inquiry. As a new bid the site may not be preferred in the Main Issues Report, and may not be supported in the Local Development Plan.

Bid Preparation

It is vital that before a bid is submitted appropriate consideration is given to the viability and deliverability of the proposal. You should take into account the need to provide a benchmark figure of 25% affordable housing and that approximately 40% of the allocated site would need to be put aside for open space requirements. Other developer contributions towards strategic transport and infrastructure will also be required. There may also be costs specific to your site such as contamination remediation or drainage issues. Formal investigations do not need to be carried out at this stage but the likely associated costs should be considered and discounted from the likely end-value of the site.

Further links to resources that you may wish to consider in preparation of your bid have been provided.

Bid Assessment

Once all bids have been collected the assessment process will commence. A Goal Achievement Matrix in conjunction with a site visit will be used to help assess proposed bids. We have provided a copy of the Goal Achievement Matrix (22.9 KB) that will help us to judge the appropriateness of your proposal.

Call for bids is now closed.

If you have any further queries please get in touch with us at: ldpbid@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

or

Planning Policy, Infrastructure Services, Aberdeenshire Council, Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen, AB16 5GB.