Development plans

Development planning

The planning system in Scotland is plan-led. Development planning is required to manage the development and use of land in the long-term public interest.

Development plans set out how places will change into the future, including where development should and shouldn’t happen. Development plans show where new homes and workplaces will be built. They outline how services and facilities such as schools and travel will be provided, and they identify the places and buildings we value and want to protect.

Development plans guide decisions on applications for planning permission. Decisions on planning applications must be made in accordance with the development plan, unless there are material considerations that indicate otherwise.

The development plan for any given area of Scotland consists of:

the National Planning Framework (NPF4 was adopted in February 2023)
the relevant local development plan (LDP). Scotland's 32 local authorities and the two national park authorities are planning authorities, and are required to prepare an LDP

Guidance

Local development planning guidance outlines the Scottish Ministers’ expectations for the preparation and delivery of LDPs.

The three principal stages of local development planning are:

Evidence gathering

early engagement and data collection
evidence report
gate check

Plan preparation

proposed plan
consultation
examination

Delivery

adopted plan
delivery programme
monitoring and delivery

LDPs should be place-based, people-centred and delivery-focused, as outlined in the Local Development Planning Guidance.

Throughout the plan preparation process there are opportunities for the public to get involved and help shape their places.

Planning authorities are required to prepare development plan schemes annually. They set out the planning authority’s programme for preparing and reviewing their LDP, including opportunities for the public to get involved. They can be found on planning authority websites.

Legislation

The following legislation prescribes the processes for development planning and related activities:

The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019

Background to development planning reform

Information about the reforms to development planning and the development of the new regulations and guidance, including details of working groups, public consultations and analysis of responses, and of associated impact assessments, are available on the Transforming Planning website.