Through the National Park Partnership Plan you helped us shape a vision for the future of the National Park as ‘a thriving place that’s nature positive and carbon negative by 2045’.
The new Local Development Plan will plot a course to help get us there by mapping out where things should and shouldn’t happen in the National Park in terms of both development and how land is used.
The new Local Development Plan will steer what new development is needed – such as new homes, land for businesses or tourist accommodation – as well as highlighting places of value that should be protected.
For the first time, the new Local Development Plan will also set out to influence how land is used and valued, to strengthen our collective work to tackle the climate and nature crises.
The Local Development Plan maps out where things should and shouldn’t happen in the National Park in terms of development and investment.
It steers what the National Park will be like in years to come, by guiding what development there should be – such as new homes, land for businesses and tourist accommodation – as well as highlighting places of value that should be protected.
For the first time, the next Local Development Plan will set out priorities and opportunities for how land could be used in the National Park as well as setting out the new development (the buildings and services) needed.
It is a tool for delivering on the vision set out in the National Park Partnership Plan and will be shaped by the priorities and actions identified by our communities in their Local Place Plans. There will also be the opportunity of all with an interest to contribute their views.
Back to menuThe Local Development Plan is important because it guides the future of the Park and impacts on everyone who lives, works and visits here.
Every planning authority in Scotland (mostly councils and the National Park Authorities) must have a Local Development Plan.
Together with the National Planning Framework for Scotland (NPF4), the LDP forms the development plan for the area and will be used to make planning decisions and deliver the requirements of NP4 for the National Park.
Back to menuIt is no longer enough to do what we have always done. The National Park Partnership Plan sets out some major challenges facing the National Park and how we will tackle these to create a ‘thriving place that’s carbon negative and nature positive’.
This vision means a Park where local communities and businesses prosper in a sustainable way and where visitors from all parts of society can enjoy and learn from our shared natural and cultural heritage.
It means a Park which is more resilient to climate change, is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions alongside storing huge volume of these gases, including carbon, in its landscapes. It also means a Park where we see the ongoing decline in nature slow and then reverse, with biodiversity increasing in abundance over the coming years.
That’s why we’re bringing land use into the Local Development Plan, because in a primarily rural place like the National Park, the way land is used plays a crucial role in supporting our environment, communities and economy. Our goal is that the National Park is an exemplar of regenerative land use delivering a wide range of private, public and community benefits. The Local Development Plan provides us an opportunity to explore how we get there across the Park, and share aspirations of what this might look like and what we need to make that happen.
National Planning Framework 4 recognises that the National Park is a landscape that can better restore nature and help respond to climate change at scale, through things like woodland creation, peatland restoration, regenerative farming practices and natural flood risk management.
Land being used for things like agriculture, recreation, forestry and tourism, also drives the need for development such as workspace for businesses, housing, tourist accommodation, car parks and footpaths.
It makes sense to set out these priorities together in one Plan to map out opportunities, guide decisions and influence investment over the next few years.
Back to menuThe Plan will be used by the National Park Authority when making planning decisions as well as to guide investment and land use projects.
It is also for communities, to help provide clarity on development and land use priorities in their areas and support the delivery of their Local Place Plans.
It shows developers places where there are potential opportunities for new services and buildings that will meet the needs of communities and support the rural economy.
It is for partner organisations and stakeholders to show them what services and infrastructure are needed where in the Park that they could help create or support.
It is for landowners and managers to see where and how they can help better protect and restore the National Park’s valuable natural environment.
It is for businesses and landowners to show how investing in activities including tourism and commercial development can in turn help fund nature restoration projects and actions to address climate change.
Back to menuWe are in the early stages of the process to create the next Local Development Plan. There are specific steps, set out by the Scottish Government, which need to be followed. The whole process can take up to 4 years.
This current stage is the Evidence Gathering phase. This involves collating information for an Evidence Report which has to be submitted to the Scottish Government and is the first step in creating the next Local Development Plan.
We are pulling together relevant key information, data, strategy and policy on key topics like housing, roads, transport and land use into a set of Topic Papers. These are quite technical reports, designed to set out the baseline information that is reviewed by Scottish Government, so we are also producing shorter map-based summaries for different areas of the Park to be more accessible. We’ll be having a workshop in each of the six areas to help explain the process and show the key points we have identified.
The Topic Papers will also be published online for anyone who is interested and would like to comment.
This isn’t a draft plan and won’t show maps or include proposals about places.
The Topic Papers are the main part of the Evidence Report submitted to the Scottish Government later this year, and goes through a process called a ‘gate check’ to confirm that we have taken all the relevant issues and views into account.
We will then begin to develop the new Local Development Plan after we have submitted the ‘gate check’.
Once a full draft Local Development Plan is ready, there will be a public consultation. This is the main opportunity for people to feed into the Local Development Plan. We expect the consultation to take place in Autumn 2026.
Following the consultation, a final draft of the Local Development Plan will be created taking on board the feedback we have gathered. This will go to the National Park Authority Board for final approval before it can be officially adopted as the new Local Development Plan.
Back to menuAs the Planning Authority for the area, the National Park Authority is responsible for creating the Local Development Plan and using it to guide planning decisions.
In creating the Local Development Plan, we must take into account the National Planning Framework that covers the whole of Scotland, and Local Place Plans created within the National Park area.
It’s important that we listen to a broad range of voices when developing the Local Development Plan by involving community members and community groups, businesses, land managers partner organisations and other people who will be affected by the Plan.
Back to menuJanuary – September 2025 – Phase – Evidence Gathering
October – December 2025 – Milestone – Evidence Report and Scottish Government gate check
July 2025 – September 2026 – Phase – Draft plan development
October – December 2026 – Milestone – Public Consultation
January – March 2027 – Phase – Final modifications to draft Local Development Plan
April – June 2027 – Milestone – National Park Authority approval, followed by Scottish Government approval
July – September 2027 – Milestone – new Local Development Plan comes into effect
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