Local Development Plan 3 (LDP3)

Preparation of the council’s next Local Development plan for our area – South Lanarkshire Local Development Plan (LDP3) – is progressing. It will replace the existing LDP2 when adopted. It will set out the planning policies and proposals for the use and development of land for the next 10 years and beyond. Together with National Planning Framework 4, it will form the statutory development plan for South Lanarkshire.

The plan will set out how our places will look in the future, including where new homes and workplaces could be built and the areas that will be protected. There will be a strong emphasis on improving the quality of places and addressing the challenges of climate change and the protection and enhancement of biodiversity.

Details of the timetable for preparing the plan and the consultation and engagement we will carry out can be found in the Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement 2025-26.

Evidence Report

The first stage of LDP3 involves the preparation of an Evidence Report. This will involve a collection of reports on different themes bringing together data and information and the results of our engagement. The evidence will be used to support the development of our proposed LDP3.

The Evidence Report was approved by South Lanarkshire Council on 10 December 2025. It was then submitted to the Scottish Government Division for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) for a Gatecheck which involves a Reporter from the DPEA reviewing the evidence and deciding if it is sufficient to start preparation of the proposed LDP3.

The Evidence Report has been registered and is now undergoing the Gatecheck. It is expected we will receive a decision in the Spring of 2026. You can see it together with the associated documents and correspondence online on the DPEA website South Lanarkshire Evidence Report.

Engagement and consultation

We carried out an extensive range of engagement during the preparation of the Evidence Report. The Engagement Report summarising the outcomes, further details of the Engagement Conversations we had with local communities and our stakeholders and a report on the Let’s Talk Place survey will be published here soon. 

LDP3 call for ideas

Once the Evidence report has received clearance work will start on the proposed plan itself. This will include a Call for Ideas when you will be able to formally submit proposals for inclusion in the plan. This can include ideas for specific sites or topics that could be included in the emerging LDPF. Further details of how you can do this will be published on this webpage at the appropriate time.

A site proposal form has been produced for this stage which will need to be completed for every proposal promoted for inclusion in LDP3. A copy of the form is available on request by emailing LocalPlan@southlanarkshire.gov.uk. Please note however that these should not be submitted until the formal Call for Ideas has been launched.

A separate non-site specific ideas survey form will be produced in time for the Call for Ideas

If you have any queries about the Local Development plan process, please get in touch with us at LocalPlan@southlanarkshire.gov.uk.