Local place plans overview

March 2024

Local Place Plans in the Highlands

Information about place plans being prepared by Highland communities and the role of registered Local Place Plans in the Local Development Plan and consideration of individual planning applications is contained in an email sent recently to community councils.

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From a recent newsletter from Scottish Community Alliance

A longstanding point of contention in the planning system is the question of how communities can have their voices heard. Planners argue that the most effective way for communities is to become involved as early as possible in the process. Communities argue that irrespective of how early they get involved, they are invariably ignored. The 2019 Planning Act proposed that communities should prepare Local Place Plans and if they do, councils would need to treat them with ‘due regard’.  In other words, ‘Councils, you must read them but feel free to ignore’. It would be great to be proved wrong.

Many Local Authorities are starting to develop new Local Development Plans. As part of this they are inviting local communities to prepare Local Place Plans.

Here is a guest blog by Nick Wright that will be useful in helping you to decide whether or not to bother. Nick is a consultant, who has worked with a number of communities developing their Local Place Plans. . .

. . including the Black Isle, where extensive community consultation took place earlier this year and a Local Place Plan is currently in preparation.