Make a planning application

Five local authorities operate in the National Park - Aberdeenshire, Angus, Highland, Moray and Perth and Kinross.

Your local authority planning department will have forms and advice on how to make a planning application in the National Park. You can also make a planning application online through the Scottish Government ePlanning portal.

The relevant local authority checks that the application includes all the information expected and then registers receipt of the application. Once the application is registered, they will tell us that they have received it.   

Your local authority planning department will be able to provide pre-application advice that will explain what information you need to include with your planning application.

The advice you get will also give an informal view on whether your planning application is likely to be approved or refused.

The Park Authority does not offer pre-application advice directly, but we will have input in the local authority process on cases that are likely to be called in.

Pre-application advice is strongly recommended as this will make the processing of your application smoother.

Find out more about pre-application advice here. 

We have 21 days to decide whether to call in and determine a planning application within the National Park. If an application is called in, we notify the council, the applicant and any consultees that are identified as being necessary to assist in the determination of the application, eg the relevant community council, roads authority, NatureScot, SEPA, etc.

Most applications are dealt with by the relevant local authority, but you can find out more about the types of application that we are likely to call in here.   

If your application is called in by the Park Authority, a planning officer will process your application. The officer will be in touch to agree a timetable for determining your application, which will also set out dates for you to submit any additional information that may be required. This is known as a processing agreement. All applications called in by the Park Authority are determined by the planning committee so the processing agreement will target a suitable planning committee meeting date.

The time it takes to process your application will depend on how complicated it is and whether you have provided all the right information. The Scottish Government sets targets for the time that it should take for planning authorities to determine planning applications. Most applications have a target of two months, with more complicated, larger applications having a target of four months. Processing agreements may be signed between the applicant and the Park Authority. This can allow applications to be determined over a longer period, with key dates set for the delivery of actions, both for the applicant and the Park Authority.

The planning officer will write a report for the planning committee with a recommendation, but the planning committee will make the final decision on the case.

Yes, you can attend our planning committee meetings that are held in public. You can also speak to the planning committee in support of your application. 

Applicants will be sent instructions on how to ask to speak at our planning committee if your application is called in by the Park Authority.

All planning applications in the National Park are assessed against the Local Development Plan and Scottish Government's National Planning Framework 4. Further guidance is also provided through policy specific supplementary and non-statutory guidance.

The Park Authority is responsible for preparing the Local Development Plan and other planning guidance for the National Park.

If your application demonstrates that your proposed development meets the requirements of the Local Development Plan, then planning permission will normally be granted. If it does not meet these requirements, it may be refused. Conditions may be placed on planning permissions that are granted. Comments from the public and relevant consultees are also considered when assessing applications.

You can view the progress of your planning application on the website of the relevant local authority. If an application is called in by the Park Authority, its progress will be available to view on our planning application portal.

Search your planning application by using your Park Authority application reference number. If a planning application is awaiting determination, you will be able to view information about it and see any comments on it from members of the public or public bodies.

Planning applications made within the National Park that are not called in by the Park Authority are shown on our portal with a description, location and ‘status’ of ‘local authority decision’.

A decision notice will be sent out to the applicant or agent and the local authority in which the application was made. It will also be published on our planning application portal.

The decision notice will set out any conditions to be complied with if the application is approved subject to conditions or explain the reasons for refusal if the application is refused.

You have three months from the date a decision notice is sent to you to appeal a refusal of your application or any conditions that have been attached to your planning permission. You can also appeal if your application has not been determined within the timescales set out by Scottish Government or agreed with the planning authority. Your appeal will require to be made to the Scottish Ministers through the department for planning and environmental appeals. Your decision notice will explain how to do this.

A major application is defined by the Scottish Government’s circular hierarchy of developments.

These types of applications are usually for larger, more complex developments. They are almost always called in by the Park Authority to determine and Scottish Government has set a four month target for deciding these cases. As with other applications we will offer a processing agreement setting out a timetable towards determination.

Before submitting a major application, you must carry out consultation with the community and serve a proposal of application notice on the planning authority.

More details on this process and the requirements are available from the Scottish Government and the relevant local authorities:

• Scottish Government circular development management procedures
• The Moray Council major application process
• Aberdeenshire Council major application process
• Highland Council major application process
• Pre application consultation with community Highland
• Perth and Kinross Council major applications process
• Angus Council major applications process

The Park Authority is notified of any proposal of application notice by the local authority, and we report them to our planning committee for comment.

It is strongly recommended that you seek pre-application advice from the local authority before submitting a major application. We will be consulted during this process and can provide detailed advice on the type of information that will need to be submitted with any application. Together with carrying out pre-application consultation with the community, this will help identify any issues you need to address at an early stage and allow the processing of any application to run more smoothly and speedily.