Local Development Plan Updates
- Monica Loughran
- Feb 27
- 5 min read
Since the adoption of NPF4 on 13th February 2023, many Local Planning Authorities have commenced work on new local development plans. Following the implementation of The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 significant changes have arisen to the way local development plans are to be prepared. The period of longevity of local development plans has increased to ten years from the previous five, with opportunity for interim reviews on certain matters. It has also resulted in changes to the local development plan process, please see link below which provides full details of the new local development plan process.
Following the adoption of NPF4, McInally Associates have continued to monitor the progress of each Local Development Plan within Scotland and provide an update on some plans which may be of interest below.
East Ayrshire Local Development Plan 2 / Local Development Plan 3
The East Ayrshire Local Development Plan 2 was adopted on the 8th April 2024. East Ayrshire Council is at the beginning of the LDP3 preparation process, with the preparation of the Evidence Report currently underway. The Evidence Report is currently scheduled to be published and submitted to the Scottish Government in Quarter 1 of 2025 /2026. A Call for Sites / Ideas consultation is expected to commence after this.
East Renfrewshire Local Development Plan 3
The East Renfrewshire Local Development Plan 3 Evidence Report was approved by the Council on 11th September 2024. It is anticipated that a Call for Sites / Ideas consultation will commence later this month.
Falkirk Local Development Plan 3
Falkirk Council have commenced the process of preparing a new Local Development Plan (LDP3). As part of the Evidence Gathering Stage, the Council have run consultations on various topic papers. The Falkirk LDP3 Call for Ideas and Sites is now live, with Falkirk Council carrying out a Call for Ideas and Sites Consultation between Friday 24 January 2025 and Friday 02 May 2025.
Glasgow City Development Plan 2
The Call for Ideas / Sites Consultation closed on 11th November 2024 with submissions being logged for consideration during the production of the Proposed CDP2.
The Glasgow City Council CDP2 Evidence Report was submitted to Scottish Ministers for the Gate Check process on 27th June 2024. The Gate Check decision was issued by DPEA on 19th September 2024. The Reporter’s assessment is that further work was required on the content of the Evidence Report as it contained insufficient information to enable the planning authority to prepare its local development plan. Consequently, the Evidence Report was returned to the Council for amendments to be made. At the time of writing, Glasgow City Council have not yet re-submitted the Evidence Report to the Scottish Ministers.
It is understood that work on the Proposed Plan will re-commence following re-submission of the Evidence Report.
Inverclyde Local Development Plan 3
Inverclyde Council have commenced the process of preparing their new local development plan and are scheduled to present their Evidence Report for the approval of Committee on the 13th March 2025. To date, Inverclyde Council have not run any public consultations in relation to the emerging local development plan, however, it is anticipated that following approval of the Evidence Report by the Scottish Ministers via the Gate Check process, Inverclyde Council will launch their formal Call for Sites Consultation.
North Ayrshire Local Development Plan 3
In late 2022, North Ayrshire Council commenced early engagement, including with other Council services, Elected Members, key agencies and community councils in advance of commencing work on North Ayrshire’s third Local Development Plan. Following on from this, they launched an online hub to support the preparation of LDP3, including the launch of the ‘Your Place’ survey. Whilst the majority of these consultations have not been targeted at the development industry, the Council have recently run a consultation on topic papers including housing.
The Development Plan Scheme (published in November 2024) indicates that North Ayrshire Council intend to publish the Evidence Report following Council approval in March 2025. The Council have confirmed that following submission of the Evidence Report for Gate Checking, it is the intention to move quickly from successfully completing the Gate Check to preparation of the Proposed Plan. To support this process, they will carry out a Call for Ideas / Sites following submission of the Evidence Report to Gate Check.
North Lanarkshire Local Development Plan 2
North Lanarkshire Council have started to prepare the next Local Development Plan - North Lanarkshire Local Development Plan 2 (NLLDP2). At present, the Council are conducting research and collating information for inclusion within the Evidence Report. The Development Plan Scheme (approved in 2024) confirms that a Call for Ideas / Sites consultation is scheduled to commence by March 2025.
Renfrewshire Local Development Plan 3
From March to May 2024, Renfrewshire Council ran an initial Call for Ideas / Sites consultation where people were invited to submit ideas and proposals for specific places in Renfrewshire. The Development Plan Scheme (dated November 2024) has scheduled the Evidence Report to be published and submitted to the Scottish Ministers for Gate Check in May 2025. A further Call for Ideas / Sites consultation is scheduled to take place in May 2025.
South Ayrshire Local Development Plan 3
South Ayrshire Council have confirmed that work has commenced on Evidence Gathering and have also noted that there will be general public consultation seeking to identify what issues residents feel are affecting their area and therefore should be highlighted in the Evidence Report and addressed in the Proposed LDP. There has been no further information provided in terms of estimated dates for public consultation (e.g. Call for Ideas / Sites).
South Lanarkshire Local Development Plan 3
South Lanarkshire Council have confirmed they have started to prepare South Lanarkshire Local Development Plan (LDP3). They are in the process of preparing topic papers which will be published for comment in due course. The Development Plan Scheme (2024/2025) suggests that the Council are targeting the submission of the Evidence Report to Scottish Ministers for Gate Check in Spring 2025, with the Call for Sites / Ideas consultation scheduled to commence around the same time.
Stirling Local Development Plan 3
Stirling Council completed early consultation and engagement to inform the preparation of an Evidence Report between August 2023 and October 2024 and whilst their intention was to publish the Evidence Report during January/February 2025, this has not yet been published. A Call for Sites / Ideas consultation is expected to take place after the Evidence Report has been published / submitted to Scottish Ministers.
West Dunbartonshire Local Development Plan 3
The Council has begun the process of preparing its third Local Development Plan, with the publication of the Evidence Report and submission for Gate Check scheduled for June 2025. A Call for Sites / Ideas consultation is expected to take place after this time.
West Lothian Local Development Plan 2
At present, West Lothian Council are currently engaging on the content of their evidence base, with the engagement exercise running until 28th February 2025. The Council published a Development Plan Scheme in March 2024, however, to date the targets outlined have not been reached and in this regard, they are currently consulting on a revised Development Plan Scheme.
McInally Associates encourage early involvement in the development plan process to achieve the best results for your proposals. We invite you to reach out to us for support with your development proposals for the emerging Local Development Plans. At McInally Associates, we possess extensive experience in this field and are ready to assist you in navigating the process. Whether you wish to make a representation or simply discuss your options, please feel free to contact us at 0141 332 5181 or advice@mcinally-associates.co.uk.
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