How planning decisions are made

Our planning decision making procedures explain how South Lanarkshire Council makes decisions on planning and related applications.

Planning in Scotland is a legal system that manages how land is used and developed, to benefit the public over the long term. The main jobs of Planning Authorities are Development Planning (deciding how areas should grow and change) and Development Management (deciding whether to approve specific planning applications).

Planning Authorities follow national and local planning rules - including the National Planning Framework and Local Development Plans - and are responsible for making decisions on planning applications, enforcing planning laws, and other related tasks.

In South Lanarkshire, the council has the power to approve documents related to its Local Development Plan, as required by the Town and Country Planning (Development Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2023.

Decisions on planning applications are usually made by Elected Members who sit on the Planning Committee, unless the council has given that authority to the Chief Planning Officer or other designated officers. The rules for how planning applications are handled come from the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, and the Scheme of Delegation, which was approved by the council and the Scottish Ministers on 25 September 2024.

Anyone applying for planning permission or affected by a planning decision should seek their own independent legal advice before taking action.