If you are a Community Body preparing a Local Place Plan (LPP) or interested in producing one, you may find the following information helpful.
A local place plan (LPP) is a proposal by a community body about the development and use of land in their community. These plans are a way for communities to set out their aspirations for how their local places might look in the future. By producing an LPP, a community will take a proactive role in the development planning process because a planning authority must consider valid LPPs when preparing a local development plan.
Local Place Plans and the next Stirling Local Development Plan
Early preparatory work on the third Local Development Plan (LDP3) is underway. To support this process, we will be inviting community bodies to prepare LPPs having regarded the following:
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LPPs must be prepared under The Town and Country Planning (Local Place Plans) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. Supporting guidance is also provided in Planning Circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans, and
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Finalised LPPs must be submitted to the Planning Authority for validation and registration by Friday 25th April 2025 to be considered in the preparation of LDP3. The submission date is timed to coincide with the end of the public consultation period to inform the Proposed Plan as set out in the Council’s Local Development Plan Scheme. Any LPP submitted after the date will not be considered until the next Local Development Plan cycle.
The assistance available to Communities preparing LPPs
We want to make preparing an LPP as easy as possible for local communities. To achieve this aim, we will therefore offer support and practical assistance to community bodies in the Stirling Local Development Plan area that are preparing a local place plan in the following ways:
- Informing: within this resource hub we have provided frequently asked questions and a helpful links section, as well as information on legal requirements, community engagement methods, and key contacts within council services, as necessary to support the preparation of LPP's
- Engaging: we will support the preparation of LPP's by offering to ‘check in’ with community bodies at three stages in the preparation process, as identified in the draft how to guide and within the frequently asked questions of this resource hub.
Getting ready stage:
To set community bodies on the right path at the start of the process, we held an information session with committees in February 2023 to inform them about Local Place Plans and the statutory steps to take in preparing them, where to get the support they might need, and if there is any available funding. We will be running further sessions during June and July 2023 to provide the information that community bodies need to engage effectively and meaningfully with their communities to develop a shared vision and priorities for their place.
We may offer funding through grant schemes or staff assistance to assist with community engagement events. However, our priority communities will receive preference for such support.
Developing your Local place plan stage:
Upon request, we will meet with community bodies once the community consultation has happened to share data and information gathered through the LPP(community-led) and Local Development Plan (council-led) consultation processes.
At this point in the process, we can also help identify other services that may support the development of any emerging visions and outcomes and provide advice on how to produce delivery plans.
We may offer staff assistance for design, mapping, and formatting local place plans. However, our priority communities will receive preference for such support.
Consulting on your LPP stage:
This resource hub provides information about how to consult on local place plans. Community bodies will also be able to view registered local place plans to get a feel for how to present a proposal(s) for land use and development.
As additional support, we will offer to meet with community bodies before submitting any local place plan to the planning authority to allow the closing off of any loose ends needed to conclude the process.
- Supporting Stirling’s Priority Communities: in line with the Stirling Council 10-Year Strategy – Thriving Stirling, and wider cooperate priorities, we will prioritise communities that represent the Council’s priority communities of Bannockburn & Hillpark, Cornton; Cowie; Mercat Cross & City Centre, Plean, Raploch, St Ninians, and Fallin. We understand these communities may encounter extra difficulties when creating an LPP. Therefore, they may require additional assistance and support.
Therefore, in addition to the assistance available to all, we will offer to meet with any community body representing a Priority area to advise on how they may convert a Locality Action Plan or another community plan into a LPP being a proposal as to the development or use of land.
How you can find out more or get help
If your community is interested in preparing a Local place plan, or you just want to find out more, please email LDP@stirling.gov.uk.