ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring Mission to Edinburgh - Historic Scotland

7. The Scottish Planning System ‐ General Overview
The planning system deals with the future development and use of land and is
principally administered by local authorities. Local Authorities are usually the
'Planning Authority' for their area and are responsible for preparing
development plans, determining applications for planning permission and
related consents and taking action against development that has been carried
out without consent or in contravention of conditions. In Scotland, there are
34 planning authorities made up of the 32 local authorities plus Loch Lomond
and the Trossachs National Park Authority, which is the planning authority for
all development control and local planning matters, and Cairngorms National
Park Authority, which has a more limited “call‐in” role in development control.
7.1 Development Plans
A Development Plan is made up of two parts ‐ the Structure Plan and the Local
Plan. Together they set out how much development may take place, where it
will take place, where it is unlikely to be allowed. Planning applications will
normally be determined in line with the Development Plan for an area. They
contain policies for the future development and use of land in an area and
cover a wide range of issues such as housing, transport, employment, shopping,
recreation, urban design and conserving and protecting the countryside.
The Structure Plan for an area takes a long‐term view of development,
considering its general scale and broadly where it should be located. Each
planning authority area is covered by a Structure Plan normally either prepared
in conjunction with neighbouring planning authorities or independently.
Following consultation with the public and other interested people and
organisations, the Structure Plan is submitted to Scottish Ministers for
approval.
Local Plans are usually for smaller areas and must accord with the Structure
Plan. They set out more detailed policies and proposals to guide development
and are the subject of widespread public consultation on their content. After
considering all representations and possibly making changes in light of these,
planning authorities will notify the Local Plan to Scottish Ministers prior to it’s
adoption. Local Plan are adopted as the basis for their decision making in that
area. They cannot do this if the Local Plan is not in line with the approved
Structure Plan.
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