Planning and development management records

The table below shows how long we keep each type of record for and what we do with them once the time period we need to keep them for has passed.

The 'retention trigger' is the event which marks the beginning of the retention period.

The 'retention period' is how long we keep a record or document after it has reached its retention trigger.

The 'disposal action' is what we do with the records once the retention period has passed: either destroy them or transfer them to the Archive Service.

The 'rationale' is the reason that the retention trigger, retention period, and disposal action have been set for each record. The rationale is usually based on legislative or business requirements.

Record type	Retention trigger	Retention period	Disposal action	Rationale
Development Management Planning Applications Part 1 of The Register of Applications Description of the development Name and contact address of the applicant or agent Postal address to which the development relates, or no postal address a description of the location of such land Copies of plans and drawings Design or design and access statement Any pre-application consultation report submitted in respect of the application	Determination of application	10 years	Review for archival value after 10 years	Required to be kept as Part 1 of the Register under The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended)
Development Management Applications Part 2 of the Register of planning applications which have been determined Decision notice Approved plans Report of handling Any environmental statement submitted with respect to the application If applicable a copy of the decision of the Scottish Ministers in respect of an application, on appeal or on called-in for Ministers' determination under section 46 of the 1997 Act If applicable any Local Review Body decision notice and plans considered at the review Where an application is deemed to be refused under regulation 7(5) of the EIA Regulations, a statement to that effect including the date on which the application is deemed to be refused	Determination of application	Permanently	Transfer to Archives after 10 years	Required to be kept as Part 2 of the Register under of The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended) Section 36(1)
Advertisement Consent Applications As per Part 1 and 2 of the planning register above where applicable	Determination of application	Permanently	Retain	Required under The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended) Section 31 (Control of Advertisements) (Scotland) Regulations 1984 and associated approved plans
Certificates of Lawful Use Applications As per Part 1 and 2 of the planning register above where applicable	Determination of application	Permanently	Retain	Required under The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended) Sections 150 and 151
Formal pre-application enquiry submissions logged on Application Casework system	Final response by Planning Authority	10 years	Destroy	Not required or useful beyond this period
Listed Building Applications and Applications for Conservation Area consent Decision notice Report of handling Approved plans and supporting information	Determination of application	Permanently	Transfer to Archives after 10 years	Required under The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended)Section 172 & 175 and para 2.45 of the Memorandum of Guidance 1998
Determinations in terms of section 51 (Simplified planning zones) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1997 (as amended)	Determination	Permanently	Transfer to Archives after 10 years	Required under The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended)
Register of Telecommunications Masts	Business/ Administrative use ends	Permanently	Transfer to Archives after 10 years	Required under The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended)
Register of Wasteland/Amenity notices served	Business/ Administrative use ends	Permanently	Transfer to Archives after 10 years	Required under The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended)
Environmental Impact Screening or Scoping opinions	Date received	10 years	Destroy	Not required beyond this period
Planning applications - withdrawn applications	Date of withdrawal	10 years	Destroy	Not required beyond this period
Planning Enforcement Case File (see also Planning Registers)	Creation of file	Permanently	Transfer to Archives	Required under Town and Country Planning Act (as amended) Section 147
Planning Enforcement Register Served enforcement, notices, breach of condition notices and stop notices, prosecution reports	Closed	Permanently	Transfer to Archives	Required under Town and Country Planning Act (as amended) Section 147
All other planning application documents	Receipt, or creation of, the document	10 years	Destroy	Not required or useful beyond this period

Planning and development management records

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