Local Place Plans

The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 introduced a new opportunity for local communities to proactively get involved in the planning system through the right to produce a Local Place Plan (LPP). LPPs are community-led plans setting out proposals for the development and use of land and an opportunity for local communities to articulate their aspirations, hopes and priorities for the future of their community.

The LPP process gives communities a space to explore what they want their area to be like, it can help develop local connections and collaborations and grow community capacity and improve social capital and can be used to help foster a positive community identity. The LPP can be a vehicle for real community-based change which can contribute towards tackling some of the big challenges facing Scotland such as the climate emergency, nature crisis or reducing inequalities. Once the LPP has been registered by the planning authority, we have a legal responsibility to take them into account in the preparation of the Local Development Plan (LDP).

The council is currently preparing a new LDP (SLLDP3). This new plan will replace the current plan (SLLDP2) which was adopted in 2021 and will set out planning policies and proposals for development and use of land across South Lanarkshire for the next 10 years. We will aim to adopt this plan in 2027. Once we officially start the process for creating SLLDP3 we will formally invite communities to prepare LPPs, if they wish to.

There will be other opportunities to engage with SLLDP3 as it is being developed which will be made known in due course.

What does a LPP look like?

The LPP will be a document (physical or digital) that will contain the ideas and proposals for how the community would like to see development take place within their local area.

The Scottish Government published regulations for both local communities and planning authorities on the preparation, submission, and registration of LPPs. The Local Place Plans circular 1/2022 updates their ‘How to prepare a local place plan’ guide and it is anticipated that a new version of the ‘How to guide’ will be produced by Scottish Government specifically for communities.

The main requirements for a LPP are that it must:

be prepared by a community council or a community body (as defined by Community Empowerment legislation)
be a proposal as to the development or use of land, and
fulfil the legal requirements set out in the relevant legislation (see Local Place Plans circular 1/2022)

The circular also outlines the nature of the proposal(s) that communities can include and sets out the structure and what is to be contained in the LPP.

The main body of the LPP is to include:

a map showing the area of the LPP
a statement of their proposal(s) which can be supplemented with maps, illustrations, photographs and such like

Local communities could also tie in their proposals to wider council and Scottish Government ambitions such as the Council Plan, Community Plans and Neighbourhood Plans.

We cannot prepare communities’ Local Place Plans, but we can help community groups establish themselves and give guidance and support in some parts of the process. We can also provide further advice on the process and advise on the requirements, provide a checklist, as well as answers to frequently asked questions and signpost groups to sources of information and resources for Local Place Plans in South Lanarkshire.

Once you have completed your LPP and the accompanying information as set out in the legislation, it can then be submitted to us to validate and register. Local Place Plans submitted to us must comply with the guidance set out in the circular in order to be validated. Once validated, the LPP will be placed on a national register.

Invitation to develop a Local Place Plan

We are inviting local communities to prepare a Local Place Plan for their area to assist with the review of our Local Development Plan.

A Local Place Plan is community-led tool to help shape your area. If your Community Council or community body (as defined by Community Empowerment legislation) would like to lead on making their 'place' better, inform future planning policy and development proposals, and make links with the Local Development Plan to find ways of helping deliver their community's development proposals then a Local Place Plan may be for you.

Community bodies can prepare Local Place Plans for their area at any time
Local Place Plans that are submitted before we finalise our Local Development Plan Evidence Report will have most opportunity to be taken into account when preparing the Development Plan
The LDP Team plan to finalise the Evidence Report by the end of 2024

If you would like more information please email the LPP team, or if you are considering creating a local place plan please complete the Local Place Plan register online form.

The council will validate LPPs and maintain a register that is publicly available so anyone can check if there is an LPP in their area.

Helpful information

Please see our Local Place Plans resources page which has been prepared to help assist communities looking to prepare a local place plan.