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Loch Alvie

Planning & Development

The planning system in the Cairngorms National Park is managed by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and the five local authorities which operate in the Park - Aberdeenshire, Angus, Highland, Moray and Perth & Kinross

Local Development Plan

The Local Development Plan was adopted on 26 March 2021. The LDP ensures that development done in the National Park is appropriate and in the right places and has policies to help guide future decisions on planning applications.

All planning applications within the Cairngorms National Park are decided against this Plan.

View the Local Development Plan 2021

The Cairngorms National Park Authority has begun work on its next Local Development Plan. It will be shaped by the views and aspirations of communities across the National Park. The plan will replace the existing Local Development Plan adopted in 2021 and alongside Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4, will set out planning policies and proposals for the use and development of land across the National Park.

Have your say on the next Local Development Plan

Planning applications

Current applications can be viewed on the Planning Portal. To view these applications, you must read and accept the Terms and Conditions.

The CNPA Planning Service

The CNPA’s planning service helps get development in the right places in the National Park by promoting investment, by protecting and enhancing the natural and cultural heritage and by creating places that we can all value and enjoy.


Planning Service Charter

Our Planning Service Charter explains more about our planning service and the levels of service you can expect from us.

Planning Advice Notes

These provide advice about the planning system in the Cairngorms National Park and how you can get the most from it

View Planning Advice Notes

Planning Service Protocol

Our Planning Service Protocol sets out the voluntary agreement between the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and the five Local Authorities (Aberdeenshire, Angus, Highland, Moray, Perth and Kinross) who all work together in the exercise of planning functions within and affecting, the Cairngorms National Park.

Planning Service Performance

We prepare a Planning Performance Framework Report that shows how we improve our service each year.

Planning Committee

The CNPA Planning Committee meets every 4 weeks to determine planning applications which have been ‘called in’ or make decisions about the delivery of the CNPA’s planning service.

Enforcement

The CNPA and local authorities monitor the planning permissions they grant and have powers to enforce planning conditions if development does not comply with them and control development that takes place without the correct permission. The CNPA’s Planning Enforcement Register lists cases where enforcement notices have been served by the CNPA. Our Enforcement Charter sets out the standards for our enforcement service.