Local Place Plans | Dundee City Council

Local Place Plans offer communities the opportunity to submit ideas and proposals for their area that can be taken into consideration while the Local Development Plan is being prepared.

The Scottish Government has introduced Local Place Plans to encourage communities to play an active role in the planning process for their area. Local Place Plans should outline a community’s proposals for the development and use of land, providing a new opportunity for communities to contribute ideas and proposals into the planning system.

Preparing a Local Place Plan

Dundee City Council has commenced the preparation of a new Local Development Plan setting out the future aspirations and ambitions of Dundee. The new Local Development Plan for Dundee is intended to be adopted in 2028.

We invited communities to prepare Local Place Plans from May 2023, supported by guidance. Several groups expressed interest and submitted plans for validation during 2025. These plans, along with survey results and engagement feedback, will help shape the Proposed Local Development Plan and remain a valuable resource for communities and stakeholders.

Communities who have prepared, registered and have a validated Local Place Plan will have the opportunity for their ideas and proposals to be taken into consideration in the preparation of this Local Development Plan. Any further Local Place Plans prepared by communities will not be considered in the current review of the Local Development Plan but can be considered in future reviews.

The main requirements for a LPP are that it must:

Be prepared by a community council or a community body (as defined by Community Empowerment legislation);
Be a proposal as to the development or use of land, and;
Fulfil the legal requirements set out in the relevant legislation (these are explained further within the Circular).

Click here for more information on the current stage of the Local Development Plan Review.

Stobswell Local Place Plan (validated on 1st May 2025)

West End local Place Plan (validated on 7th October 2025)

West End Local Place Plan

The proposals contained within a Local Place Plan are not assessed for their planning merit or deliverability at the point of registration.

What is a Local Place Plan?

A Local Place Plan is an expression of a community's aspirations as to the development or use of land. Local Place Plans should set out priorities for future development in an area, as well as helping communities to develop and deliver their own projects. The aspirations and solutions proposed can influence local planning policy.

Who can prepare a Local Place Plan?

Local Place Plans must be prepared by a Community Council or a ‘community-controlled body’ (as defined by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015).

Is there guidance that can support communities to prepare Local Place Plans?

The Scottish Government has published a Circular (Circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans) which provides guidance for both communities and planning authorities on the preparation, submission and registration of Local Place Plans.

Please see links for guidance on creating Local Place Plans:

Planning circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans - Scottish Government guide to preparing, submitting and registering Local Place Plans

Guide to Community-led Plans - Planning Aid Scotland

Dundee City Council Local Development Plan – Local Development Plans allocate sites, either for new development, such as housing, or sites to be protected. They guide decisions on all planning applications.

National Planning Framework 4 – This is the statutory development plan for Scotland.

What area can a Local Place Plan cover?

Local Place Plan boundaries can take many shapes and forms but should largely be based on a recognisable community area. A map of the area would be required. Some examples might be:

Settlement boundaries
Smaller neighbourhood areas within a settlement
Community Council boundaries

What weight will Local Place Plans have in planning decisions?

Local Place Plans registered through the Council will not be part of the Local Development Plan, but will inform the preparation of it. Local Place Plans are considered to supplement, rather than replace, existing means of community engagement in the preparation of a Local Development Plan and through planning applications.

Validation and Registration of Local Place Plans

The planning authority will assess all submitted LPPs and check whether they meet the minimum legal requirements. The community body will then be notified if the LPP can be validated or not. If the LPP has been successfully validated, it will be added to the public register of LPPs.

These requirements are explained in Scottish Government’s Planning Circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans and provides further guidance on the legislative requirements.

The legislative requirements for the preparation, submission and registration of LPPs are set out in:

The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 as amended by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019

The Town and Country Planning (Local Place Plans) (Scotland) Regulations 2021

If you have any questions about Local Place Plans, please get in touch.

Email: localdevplan@dundeecity.gov.uk

If your community group are considering preparing a Local Place Plan, we would really like to hear your initial views before you begin this.

Please do let us know the following information by emailing: localdevplan@dundeecity.gov.uk

Name of Organisation
Which category is your community organisation: ( Community Council / Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation / Community Body / Other )
(a “community-controlled body” means a body having a written constitution and membership of the body is open to any member of that community) *NB – Eligibility to prepare and submit a Local Place Plan is detailed in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.
Area to be covered through Local Place Plan
Summary of community organisation’s anticipated aspirations/ solutions to be detailed in Local Place Plan
Name of main contact
Main contact phone number
Main contact address
Any other information you would like to tell us at this stage