Preparing Local Place Plans

Community groups are invited to create their own community-led Local Place Plans (LPPs). Find out about the legislative requirements and view guidance and tools for preparing LPPs. 

The fundamental requirements for a LPP are that it must:

• be prepared by a community body
• be a proposal as to the development or use of land
• fulfil the legal requirements set out in Section 14 of The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 opens in a new tab and The Town and Country Planning (Local Place Plans) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 opens in a new tab

The legislation sets out a list of plans that a community body must have regard to when preparing a LPP. These are:

• The Local Development Plan: this would be the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2023 or the Cairngorms National Park Local Development Plan 2021 opens in a new tab, depending on where the community body is located and the area to be covered by the LPP
• The National Planning Framework opens in a new tab
• Any locality plan published for the area: Peterhead opens in a new tab, Banff and Macduff opens in a new tab and Fraserburgh opens in a new tab; community bodies within these areas must consider the relevant locality plan when preparing a LPP

Detailed guidance on the legislative requirements is set out in the Scottish Government's Planning Circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans opens in a new tab.

Guidance and tools

We have produced an information note for community bodies (PDF 234KB) outlining all the different stages to be followed when preparing a LPP. If you are considering preparing a LPP please contact us by completing the request for support form.

Request support and advice opens in a new tab

View the planning reform update and LPP presentation (PDF 412KB) to find out about the background and purpose of LPPs. 

Extra guidance

Resources to help inform the development of a Local Place Plan:

• Aberdeenshire open data
• Scottish Living Locally Data Portal opens in a new tab
• Local Place Plan guides opens in a new tab on the Our Place website
• Guide to community-led plans opens in a new tab on the Planning Aid Scotland (PAS) website

Engagement resources:

• The Place Standard Tool opens in a new tab
• Place Standard Tool (PDF 991KB) opens in a new tab
• The Place Standard Tool: Versions for Children and Young People opens in a new tab
• National Standards for Community Engagement opens in a new tab

LPP examples

Please note no two LPPs will be the same, but you can also view examples of existing LPPs as guides:

• Imagine Udny: Developing a future vision for Udny opens in a new tab
• What’s next for Stromness? opens in a new tab
• Scalloway Local Place Plan opens in a new tab and Scalloway LPP documents opens in a new tab
• Stratherrick and Foyer Community Council LPP opens in a new tab

Contact

If you would like to contact us about local place planning, please email delivery@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.