Local Place Plans

This page brings together useful resources to help you create a local place plan for your community. It includes guidance, tools and data to support you at each stage of the process.

We are also developing a template and checklist to guide you step by step. This will help you plan, gather local views and prepare your final document.

Start with guidance

These guides explain what a local place plan is and how to prepare one.

You can use:

• Scottish Government planning circular on local place plans
• Planning Aid Scotland guide for community delivery
• Our Place website for place‑based planning guidance
• Scottish Community Development Centre guidance

Some external guidance may include information for other areas, such as the FAQs from Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Please note that some of this information will not be relevant to South Lanarkshire.

Engage your community

Local place plans are built on community input. These tools can help you gather views and involve people:

• Place Standard Tool – helps structure conversations about your area
• Planning Aid Scotland SP=EED tool – supports effective engagement
• VOiCE tool – helps you plan and record engagement activity

Use local data and maps

Data can help you understand your community and support your plan.

You can use:

• South Lanarkshire facts and figures
• Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD)
• The Scottish Living Locally Data Portal
• National Library of Scotland boundaries viewer

Related plans and information

You may also find it useful to look at:

• National Planning Framework 4
• South Lanarkshire community and neighbourhood plans

What to do next

• review the guidance
• involve your community early
• gather local data and evidence
• start drafting your plan using available tools