These plans are intended to empower communities to take a direct role in shaping the future of their respective areas. They can be prepared by community bodies, either Community Councils or community-controlled bodies, and can set out a vision and priorities for the future, particularly around the use of land and buildings.

Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, councillor Ken Gowans said: “Local Place Plans will be a really powerful tool for communities to shape their future and outline their aspirations.

“This is an exciting opportunity for communities to identify what is important to them and their area. For example, this could include sites for affordable housing, new play facilities, and active travel networks.”

In a proactive move, the Highland Council inaugurated its Local Place Plans webpage in December 2022. The aim of this initiative was to provide communities with a preliminary insight into the plans. The webpage delivers guidance and resources for communities curious about the development and submission processes. It also outlines the requisite conditions a community-led group needs to fulfil to satisfy the legal criteria of a community body.

Once Local Place Plans are registered by The Highland Council it is required by law to take them into consideration when preparing its Local Development Plan. The new Local Development Plan for Highland will contain regional and settlement strategies, identify specific site allocations, and include some general policies against which any planning application in the Highland Council area will be assessed, alongside consideration of National Planning Framework 4. The new, single Highland Local Development Plan, when finalised and adopted, will replace all four of the Council’s current Local Development Plans.

The Highland Council recently entered the evidence gathering stage for the new Highland Local Development Plan. Any new or updated Local Place Plans for the Highland Council area must be capable of being registered by The Highland Council by 28 June 2024, to enable them to be taken into consideration as part of the core evidence for the new Highland Local Development Plan from the outset of its preparation.

For communities located within the Cairngorms National Park, Local Place Plans will have to be submitted to the Cairngorms National Park Authority to aid in the preparation of their Local Development Plan.

Further information on the preparation and submission of Local Place Plans in the Highland Council area can be accessed here.