Preparation stages

What are the preparation stages

We have identified 10 key preparation stages to follow when preparing a Local Place Plan.

1. Getting Ready: A community body must first decide to produce an LPP. It is advisable to speak with other community groups in your area to establish their intentions and consider forming a joint working partnership to reduce workload and maximise impact.

2. Draw the boundary: Decide your LPP boundary, which may be the same as your community council boundary, a small area or an entire settlement. You may wish to contact neighbouring communities to understand their boundaries.

3. Organise the team: Decide who will help produce the LPP, outline the purpose and scope, consider aspirations and intentions and determine what the community wants to achieve, establish a work programme, and develop a business case to support an application for any funding to support preparation.

4. Engage with the wider community: The community body is advised to carry out early engagement with the wider community and other stakeholders to gather information and evidence. Early engagement is important as this will help gain a good understanding of the challenges, views, and aspirations of the people who live, work and visit the area.

   Groups might consider using the Place Standard Tool, a simple nationally recognised framework to structure conversations about place, based around 14 questions.

   The Scottish Government’s draft 'How to guide’ (pages 31 to 33) includes a local information checklist to help community bodies identify what evidence they need and where to find it. 

5. Developing your Local Place Plan: The community body begins the process of drafting a Proposed LPP, drawing from the evidence and initial engagement previously carried out. In preparing an LPP, a community body must have regard to the statutory Development Plan for Stirling comprising of National Planning Framework 4, February 2023, and the Stirling Local Development Plan, October 2018.

6. Include a map(s): A sufficiently detailed map is required (preferable Ordnance Survey based), which identifies the boundaries of the area covered by the LPP. Proposals for the development or use of land or buildings must be shown on a map(s). Land or buildings of particular significance to the local area can also be mapped.

7.  Consulting on your Local Place Plan: The community body must carry out a statutory consultation on the Proposed LPP before being submitted to the planning authority for validation and registration. As part of the consultation, the community body must send a copy of the Proposed LPP and an information notice to each Councillor for the area and each community council whose area is within or adjoining.
   Although not legally required, it is recommended that the community body consults again with the wider community and other relevant stakeholders on the Proposed LPP.

8. Have regard to consultation responses received: Before submitting the LPP to the Planning Authority for validation and registration, the community body should take into account the responses to the consultation and modify the LPP, if necessary.
   
   
9. Validation and Registration: The community body is to submit its finalised LPP and required information for validation and registration to ldp@stirling.gov.uk. Once received, we will review LPP submissions to ensure they fulfil all legal requirements. Afterwards, they will inform the community body of whether or not the LPP has been validated. Validated LPPs will be listed on a public register accessible on the Council's website.
   
   
10. Informing the next Local Development Plan: The matters in the LPP will be considered, if submitted in time, in the preparation of LDP3. The proposals will be considered alongside all other material matters when developing the LDP.