Local Place Plans

The Cairngorms National Park Authority wants the next Local Development Plan to be shaped by the aims and ambitions of communities across the National Park. We are inviting community councils and other community bodies to create their own community-led Local Place Plans that we will consider when preparing the next Local Development Plan.

It’s up to each community body to decide if they want to prepare a Local Place Plan, however, it is important that we make sure there is enough time for it to be submitted and checked so it can feed into and inform the next Local Development Plan at the earliest possible stage. 

Based on current timescales for preparing the next Local Development Plan, Local Place Plans would need to be submitted to the Park Authority by the end of May 2025, to be taken account of in the next Local Development Plan. A Local Place Plan that is completed after that date can still be taken account of in future planning decisions or a future Local Development Plan. 

The types of community body that can formally prepare a Local Place Plan are:

• A community-controlled body within the definition given in section 19 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.
• A community council established in accordance with part four of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. 

It is a requirement of the new planning legislation that each Local Place Plan must contain:

• Details of the community body who prepared it.
• A map that shows the geographical area to which the Local Place Plan relates.
• A statement setting out the development proposals or use of land within this area.

In addition, a community body must be able to show that it followed the necessary process in preparing the Local Place Plan to ensure it can be registered. This includes:

• Confirming the community body’s status (unless it is a Community Council).
• Sending copies of the proposed Local Place Plan and an information notice to local councillors and communities within the area.
• Setting out how the Local Place Plan has taken account of the Local Development Plan, National Planning Framework 4 and any other local plans for the area.
• Setting out why the Local Development Plan should be amended.
• Detailing the level and nature of local support for the Local Place Plan.

Further information about what a Local Place Plan should contain and how it should be prepared to ensure it is valid, is set out in circular 1/2022 Local Place Plans.

While it is intended that Local Place Plans will be community-led, they will require collaborative working. The Park Authority can provide further information about the process and additional support may also be available from the local Community Development Organisations within the National Park - Voluntary Action Badenoch and Strathspey and Marr Area Partnership.

Once a Local Place Plan has been submitted, it will be checked and registered. It can then be considered in preparing the Local Development Plan. If Local Place Plans can be submitted sooner than the end of May 2025 this will provide more time, if needed, for the clearance process. A Local Place Plan that is completed after that date can still be taken account of in future planning decisions or a future Local Development Plan. 

Many communities within the National Park are already involved in preparing Community Action Plans. These remain important documents that set out the aspirations of the local communities and will continue to be considered in the Local Development Plan process.

Local Place Plans have a more spatial focus and can be prepared in addition to these. However, they must meet more stringent legislative requirements to ensure they are valid and can be registered.

• Scottish Government guide to preparing, submitting and registering Local Place Plans. 
• Scottish Government and partner organisation guide to Local Place Plans. 
• Scottish Community Development Centre and Nick Wright Planning how to guide to create Local Place Plans. 
• Planning Aid Scotland guide to community-led plans. 

• Datasets available from Aberdeenshire Council’s open data portal.
• Datasets available from Highland Council’s open map data portal.
• Community Map Scotland (by Parish Online) mapping tools and advice.
• Felt – a tool for making and sharing maps. 

We will keep a register of Local Place Plans that have been created by communities in the Cairngorms National Park.

This register will be made available so that communities can see if there is a Local Place Plan for their area.

Once Local Place Plans have been registered, we have a responsibility to take them into account while preparing our Local Development Plan.

No Local Place Plans are currently registered in the Cairngorms National Park.