Local Development Plans - evidence reports and gate checks: action plan and advice

Context

Timely progression of local development plans (LDPs) is essential to support the future development of our places, enable economic growth and facilitate the delivery of more new homes.

The aim of this advice is to accelerate plan progress, whilst maintaining a robust approach that helps to minimise the issues that need to be re-opened at the plan examination.

A number of LDP Evidence Reports have been returned to planning authorities on the basis of not containing sufficient information on housing and infrastructure matters (including education, transport and health) to inform the Proposed Plan.

This advice provides greater clarity on the approach to essential housing and infrastructure evidence to be included within an Evidence Report. It has been developed following a summit involving the Scottish Government (SG) and planning authorities.

The main body of the advice provides the Scottish Government’s policy position. This builds on, and clarifies, how we consider the content of the LDP Guidance should be applied, by drawing on experience to date and providing additional detail. To reflect this, reporters have set out more detail of their sufficiency expectations on the indicative Local Housing Land Requirement (iLHLR), transport and other infrastructure: these are set out in the Annexes.

The Evidence Report should provide sufficient evidence to establish a robust foundation for the proposals and any policies in the Proposed Plan. It should demonstrate that appropriate engagement has been undertaken, summarise what the evidence says, explain any assumptions used and set out what this means for the Proposed Plan.

Planning authorities are responsible for meeting their statutory requirements, including the matters set out in section 15(5) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997. It is acknowledged that circumstances will vary and Evidence Reports should be tailored to reflect the issues relevant to specific areas and future policy intentions.

Reporters are required to reach a view on whether the evidence provided is sufficient. Bearing in mind the reporter and other readers will have more limited knowledge of any given area, where policy intentions differ from those in NPF4, this should be explained.