We are inviting community organisations to prepare Local Place Plans, as the preparation of North Lanarkshire Local Development Plan 2 (NLLDP2) is now underway. This webpage provides information for local communities and groups who may be interested.
What is a Local Place Plan?
Local Place Plans are community-led plans setting out proposals for the development and use of land. They have been introduced as part of the Scottish Government’s reform of the planning system. Plans should set out a community’s aspirations for its future development and, when registered, would be taken into account in the preparation of NLLDP2.
To produce a Local Place Plan which is then registered and taken into account in preparing NLLDP2, community organisations must fulfil a number legal criteria as set out in the Scottish Government Planning circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans.
Plans must be submitted by September 2025 to allow us to take them into account in the preparation of NLLDP2. If your Community Body is preparing a Local Place Plan and you wish to discuss this deadline with us, please email LocalDevelopmentPlan@northlan.gov.uk as soon as possible.
Who can submit a Local Place Plan for consideration?
Local Place Plans must be created by a recognised Community Body. Scottish Government Planning circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans provides guidance outlining which organisations are defined by legislation to be Community Bodies for the purpose of local place planning.
This includes Community Councils and community controlled organisations that are recognised under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act. The guidance states:
Definition of a Community Body
(a) a community-controlled body within the definition given in section 19 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, or
(b) a community council established in accordance with Part 4 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.
It is recommended that any Community Bodies wishing to prepare and submit a Local Place Plan should take time to read the Scottish Government guidance.
What should be considered in preparing a Local Place Plan?
In preparing a Local Place Plan, a Community Body must
(a) have regard to
(i) the Local Development Plan for the land, or any part of the land, to which the Local Place Plan relates,
(ii) the National Planning Framework,
(iii) a Locality Plan published for the area to which a proposed Local Place Plan relates,
(b) set out reasons for considering that the Local Development Plan should be amended, and
(c) comply with any prescribed requirements as to
(i) the form and content of the plan, and
(ii) steps that must be taken before preparing the plan.
In doing so, the Community Body should:
- Identify the appropriate plans it must ‘have regard to’, whether it is the National Planning Framework, Local Development Plan or, if available, any Locality Plan.
- Consider the contents of the Plans in the context of the Local Place Plan area.
- Think about how Local Place Plan proposals might generally align with the relevant policies and development proposals in the National Planning Framework, Local Development Plan and, if available, any Locality Plan.
- If the community feels strongly that the Local Place Plan should diverge from any relevant policies or developments, set out clear reasons why the Local Place Plan is departing from it.
What should a Local Place Plan look like?
A Local Place Plan can be a short, clear and visual document which sets out the community organisation’s proposals and priorities.
It should contain three elements:
- Identify the community organisation who prepared the plan
- A map showing the land the plan relates to
- A statement of the community organisation’s proposals on the development or use of land within the plan area
Further explanation is provided in the guidance at paragraphs 36 - 45.
What happens once a Local Place Plan is registered?
Once the Local Place Plan has been prepared and brought together with all the information required, it should be submitted to the council for registration. Once received, we will check it contains all the required information, and that the organisation qualifies as a Community Body under the terms of the legislation.
If not, or the information provided is incomplete, we would advise you of this and there may be scope for an amended plan to be resubmitted for further consideration.
If valid, we will inform you that it has been registered. The council is then required to take into account your plan when preparing the new North Lanarkshire Local Development Plan 2 (NLLDP2).
The deadline for submitting Local Place Plans has been extended to September 2025. In the meantime, it would be helpful to let us know if your community organisation intends to prepare a Local Place Plan and what it will relate to, as soon as possible.
To register your interest in preparing a Local Place Plan, please complete the below form:
Other support for communities
Local Place Plans aren't the only option open to communities to get involved in shaping their local area. The council's Community Partnership Team are working with communities and can provide guidance on various other opportunities such as:
- Community grants: Financial support for community projects and initiatives
- Community Asset Transfer: Assistance with transferring ownership or management of local assets to community groups.
To find out more, you can contact the Community Partnership Team who may be able to offer support. For more information, please email communitymatters@northlan.gov.uk
