Local Place Plans
Moray Council is preparing a new Local Development Plan and it is important that it is shaped by the views and aspirations of communities across Moray. This new plan will replace the Moray Local Development Plan 2020 and will set out a place based approach for the whole of Moray.
To allow communities to have a more direct role in the decisions that influence their place, when preparing the next Local Development Plan the Council must consider any registered Local Place Plan. These are community-led plans, setting out proposals for the development and use of land and offer communities the opportunity to develop proposals for their local area, expressing their aspirations and ambitions for future change. Once they have been registered by the planning authority, there is a legal responsibility to take them into account in the preparation of the Local Development Plan.
The Council is inviting communities to prepare Local Place Plans so they can play a proactive role in defining the future of their places. To register an interest in preparing a Local Place Plan for your area please email localplaceplans@moray.gov.uk including details of the name of your community group and a map of the area you wish the Local Place Plan to cover.
LPP Timeline
The deadline for submission of Local Place Plans to inform the Local Development Plan 2027 (LDP27) is as follows:
- Local Place Plans established as valid up to the end February 2025 will be registered and taken into account in the preparation of the LDP27
- Local Place Plans established as valid up to the end May 2025 are still likely to be able to be registered and taken in account in the preparation of the LDP27
- Local Place Plans submitted from June 2025-onwards may not be taken into account in the preparation of the LDP27 but will be at the next available opportunity in the local development plan cycle
The timeline for the new LDP27 is set out in the Development Plan Scheme (DPS).
Registered Local Place Plans
Local Place Plans (LPP) will be available to view once they have been registered by Moray Council.
Registered LPPs reflect the communities aspirations on land use matters. They are a community plan. The planning authority will consider the planning merits and deliverability of the LPP proposals through the preparation of the new Local Development Plan (LDP). The LPP proposals taken forward or not, and the reasoning for this, will be set out with the Proposed LDP when it is presented to Moray Council in 2026.
LPPs will be a material consideration but limited weight will be attributed to registered LPPs in the planning application process prior to them being considered through the new LDP. It will be up to an individual or community body making a representation on a planning application to consider raising a matter linked to their LPP for it to be taken into consideration in the determination of a planning application. The reason for this is because the planning authority cannot evaluate the planning merits or delivery of the LPP proposals at the time of registration therefore, they are not assessed until they have been considered through the new LDP.
Guidance
The Scottish Government has prepared a draft guide designed to help communities decide whether a Local Place Plan is the right thing for them, and how to go about preparing one.
Draft Scottish Government Guidance on the preparation of Local Place Plans