Local Place Plans FAQ's
What are Local Place Plans?
Local Place Plans were introduced by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, which contains a new right for communities to produce their own plans as part of the new Scottish planning system. Local Place Plans contain the community’s proposals for the development and use of land, and provide a new opportunity for communities to feed into the planning system with ideas and proposals. Planning Circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans provides further guidance on Local Place Plans.
Who can prepare a Local Place Plan?
As Local Place Plans are community led they must be prepared by a Community Body. The definition of which is a community-controlled body within the definition given in section 19 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 or a Community Council established in accordance with Part 4 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973. Broadly speaking, the definition covers established Community Councils, and bodies which must have a written constitution, but may not necessarily be incorporated.
What can be included in a Local Place Plan?
Local Place Plans are required to include proposals for the development or use of land, for example sites for housing, sites which support climate change adaptation, such as renewable energy or flood mitigation, local initiatives for the promotion of active travel or community food growing, improving/expanding open space and play provision or improvements in the town/neighbourhood centre.
It should be noted that matters not defined as development would include litter management and dog fouling, improvements to public transport (routes and timetables) and proposals that do not fundamentally impact on the long-term use of land.
What information needs to be included in a Local Place Plan?
Local Place Plans can be short, clear, visual documents which set out the community body’s proposals and priorities as to the development or use of land within the Local Place Plan area. It should set out a spatial vision (map based) for the community that identifies what changes should happen, and a map which shows where. They can also contain an action plan laying out how changes will be delivered. It is important to identify the community body who prepared the plan, a map showing the boundary of the plan area and where applicable the location of land and buildings the community body wishes to identify as being of particular significance to the local area.
In preparing a Local Place Plan community bodies must have regard to certain other plans including the existing Moray Local Development Plan 2020 and National Planning Framework 4. At present there are also Locality Plans for the following areas New Elgin East Community Plan, Buckie Central East Locality Plan 2019-2029
What consultation needs to be undertaken for a Local Place Plan?
Prior to submitting your Local Place Plan to the Council, a copy must be sent to each councillor for the Local Place Plan Area and any community council/s whose area is within or adjoins, the Local Place Plan area.
Evidence of engagement with the wider community must be provided in the form of a statement setting out the wider community’s support for the Local Place Plan and the basis on which that view has been reached, including a description of any consultation undertaken.
What is the process registering a Local Place Plan with the Council?
Once a community body has prepared a Local Place Plan it should be submitted to the planning authority, preferably electronically, but a hard copy will be accepted if that is not possible. It is recommended that the community body makes arrangements with the planning authority for a pre-submission discussion. Please email localplaceplans@moray.gov.uk to submit your Local Place Plan or to arrange a pre-submission discussion.
The 2021 Regulations require the Council to establish, maintain and publish a register of Local Place Plans and to make information about them available so that people can see if there is a Local Place Plan in their area. Specifically, the register must contain a copy of the Local Place Plan and a copy of the information submitted alongside it.
All Local Place Plans registered by the Council and supporting information is available to view at www.moray.gov.uk/localplaceplans
How does the Council determine if a Local Place Plan is acceptable?
Once a Local Place Plan has been submitted the Planning Authority will check that the organisation qualifies as a Community Body. For a planning authority to accept a Local Place Plan as valid Community Bodies must be able to evidence that they have complied with the legal requirements set out in the Planning Circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans. If the organisation is a Community Body and has complied with the requirements then the Planning Authority must accept the Local Place Plan and proceed to register it. Importantly, the Council must take into account any registered Local Place Plans when they are preparing the Local Development Plan.
What support can the Council offer?
The Council cannot prepare Local Place Plans. Working together the Council’s Strategic Planning and Development team and Community Support Unit can help community groups establish themselves and provide further advice on the process and requirements for Local Place Plans.
There are resources to deliver facilitated community mapping sessions to capture views and proposals for a limited number of Local Place Plans this coming year. Addressing the climate emergency is a priority for the Council. Our Climate Change officers have capacity to provide assistance on climate issues for a further two Local Place Plans over the coming year.
If you are interested in finding out more please email localplaceplans@moray.gov.uk
Are there other support tools?
The Community Map Scotland has been developed to help Scottish Community Councils create their Local Place Plans. The software is initially provided free for 1 year for any Community Council group. Community Councils can sign up to be part of the Community Map Scotland project free.