Aberdeen Local Development Plan

 

The Local Development Plan Team with Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure Committee Convenor Kate Dean. (March 2012)

Aberdeen Local Development Plan

As part of the reform of the planning system in Scotland Aberdeen City Council adopted its Local Development Plan on 29 February 2012. This represents the first Development Plan of its kind in Scotland and replaces the 2008 Local Plan. The Plan identifies proposals for the development and use of land for a period of 10 years from adoption and contains the policies that planning applications will be assessed against.

The Local Development Plan and accompanying Maps can be viewed and/or downloaded below along with the Environmental Report:

• Aberdeen Local Development Plan 2012
• Policies Map
• Constraints Map
• City Centre Map
• Environmental Report
• Post-adoption SEA statement
• Online Local Development Plan

As part of the Local Development Plan the City Council also prepares Supplementary Guidance which supports the policies contained in the Plan. These can be viewed on the following page:

• Supplementary Guides

 

Legal challenge

A legal challenge to the new Aberdeen Local Development Plan has been made by Tesco.

Background

The Aberdeen Local Development Plan was adopted by the Council on 29 February 2012. From the notice of adoption there was a 6 week period during which aggrieved parties could apply to the Court of Session to question the validity of the Plan on the grounds that it was outwith the powers of the City Council, or that the requirements of the existing legislation had not been complied with. Challenges to an adopted Plan are made on points of law under section 238 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, the grounds being that the Plan is outwith the powers conferred by the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, or that the requirement of the legislation or the relevant regulations have not been complied with during the preparation or adoption of the Plan. Tesco has submitted an appeal to the court of Session and this is being defended by the Council. The basis of challenge is about Tesco's site at Rousay Drive, Aberdeen, but seeks the quashing of the whole Local Development Plan. Tesco also submitted a motion for interim suspension suspending the operation of the Local Development Plan with immediate effect. That motion was heard by the Court of Session on Friday 13 April. The motion for interim suspension was refused.

Implications of the challenge

The Local Development Plan still stands. The challenge does not prevent the Council from determining planning applications; anyone applying for planning permission should continue as normal. The fact of the legal challenge will be a material consideration for planning applications determined while the case is outstanding.

 

Action Programme

To support the Aberdeen Local Development Plan the Action Programme sets out actions required to deliver each of the plans, policies and proposals. A copy of the Proposed Action Programme published alongside the Proposed Plan in September 2010 can be found on the Action Programme web-page below. The City Council is currently revising this to reflect the adopted Plan, and this will be published by 31 May 2012 and further information is available below:

• Action Programme

The Development Plan Scheme

The Development Plan Scheme details the proposed timetable for developing the Local Development Plan and the associated documentation. The latest version of the Development Plan Scheme was published in January 2012 and can be viewed/downloaded by clicking on the link below:

• Local Development Plan Scheme 4

Further Background Information and Process

This section contains information on the steps leading up to adoption of the Local Development Plan and supporting technical information.

• Reporters Modifications to the Proposed Aberdeen Local Development Plan
• Aberdeen Local Development Plan - Examination
• Aberdeen Local Development Plan - Proposed Plan
• Main Issues Report
• Development Options
• Development Options Sites
• Aberdeen Local Development Plan Technical Appendices
• Timetable

The Aberdeen Local Development Plan (2012) replaced the Aberdeen Local Plan (2008), which can be viewed on the following page:

• Aberdeen Local Plan (2008)

Contacts

• Development Plan Team
  Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure
  Aberdeen City Council
  Business Hub 4
  Marischal College
  Broad Street
  Aberdeen
  AB10 1AB
  Phone: 01224 523330
  Fax: 01224 523180
  Email: ldp@aberdeencity.gov.uk
  
  

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a Local Development Plan?
• Why is Aberdeen City Council suggesting more housing in the City?
• Where are you going to build this housing?
• Why are you proposing to develop in the Green Belt? Why don’t you build in the City Centre and on derelict sites to avoid building on Greenfield land?
• Why are you building more houses when roads are already congested?
• There is no space in the local schools - how are you going to solve this?
• How are you going to ensure that housing is of the right quality, size and tenure?
• How can the Council assess the sites fairly when some of them are in Council ownership?
• Where are the jobs to support the growth in housing?
• How are the public being involved in the plan preparation process?