Highland-wide Local Development Plan
The Highland-wide Local Development Plan (HwLDP) is our vision for the whole area (excluding the area covered by the Cairngorms National Park which has its own plan) and sets out how land can be used by developers for the next 20 years. The HwLDP should be read alongside National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), the Area Local Development Plans and our A-Z of development guidance.
Plan review
We started the process of reviewing the HwLDP with a Main Issues Report consultation in 2016. Based on an initial review of all the comments received on the Main Issues Report, an interim position on the issues raised was agreed by the 17 August 2016 Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee. This interim position informed amongst other things our submissions to National Planning Framework 4.
In December 2017 The Scottish Government published a Planning Bill outlining potential changes to the Scottish planning system. We decided to halt the HwLDP Review until more was known about the changes. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 was subsequently made. Further details of new arrangements in the Act for Development Plans were released in May 2023. Scottish Government has prepared, adopted and published NPF4. For the first time, the NPF is part of the Development Plan. This will likely lead to a reduction in the number and range of policies that we require in our Local Development Plan. We contributed into the preparation of NPF4.
This means we are now taking forward the review of the HwLDP and also of our three area Local Development Plans by preparing a new, single Highland Local Development Plan, the first stage of which is evidence gathering.
Background Documents
Other background documents that related to the review of the HwLDP:
- Housing in the Countryside - 2016 Policy Update - Use of Legal Agreements (refer to HwLDP Policy 35 Housing in the Countryside - Hinterland areas)
- Fragile Areas Map, Highland and Island Enterprise 2015 (refer to HwLDP Policy 36 Development In The Wider Countryside and HwLDP Policy 57 Natural, Built and Cultural Heritage)
- Housing Need and Demand Assessment
- Equalities Impact Assessment
- Strategic Environmental Assessment
- Monitoring Statement
Contact devplans@highland.gov.uk for more information.