• Development Plan
• Development Plan Schemes
• Structure Plan
• Action Programme
• Monitoring
• Local Plan

Development Plan

The development plan contains our plans for developing and using land. It addresses a wide range of issues such as housing, shopping, industry, transport and the environment.

The development plan guides other people's plans and investment strategies, and is used to assess planning applications. It has two parts:

1) Structure Plan – these are high-level strategic plans setting out a long-term vision for the future of the area and how we will change the way we use land. It broadly identifies how much development should happen and where it should take place. It does not identify sites – the local plan does that. Although structure plans are prepared by local authorities (jointly in the case of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils), approval of the plan at the end of its preparation process rests with Scottish Ministers. Under new legislation, structure plans will be replaced by strategic development plans. A leaflet Strategic Development Plans in Scotland - The Way Forward has been produced to provide further information and guidance.

2) Local Plan – these are prepared local authorities individually and are required to conform to the structure plan. They set out detailed policies and proposals and typically have a shorter time-horizon. Under new legislation, local plans will be replaced by local development plans.