Local Place Plans (LPPs) are community-led plans that allow community bodies to actively plan for their future.

Local Place Plans should focus on proposals for land use development and they may also identify land and buildings that the community body considers to be of particular significance to the local area.

We're currently inviting communities to create Local Place Plans. Local Place Plans should be submitted to us by Spring 2024, to help fully inform the development of Local Development Plan 2.

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 (Circular 1/2022: Local Place Plans)
• A researched Local Place Plan could be a strong influence on a Local Development Plan. However, you should be aware that there is no requirement for the Local Development Plans to follow the aspirations of a Local Place Plan. There may be other factors that the Council need to consider which could stop this from being an option.

For more information and answers to questions about what is needed in an LPP, funding and if an LPP is right for my community, please download the Local Place Plan Frequently Asked Questions PDF.

We have also prepared a Local Place Plan template which provides a suggested structure you might want to follow when preparing your Local Place Plan.

Parish Online Mapping Tool

The Improvement Service and Parish Online have launched an easy mapping tool that will enable Community Councils and other community interest groups to map what is important to them and use these insights to have more of a say in what happens in their local areas.

Community Councils can sign up to be part of the Community Map Scotland project by going to www.parish-online.co.uk/scotland and using the code cms12 when they sign up. This will give 12 months of free access to the software.

Preparing a Local Place Plan

If a Local Place Plan is produced, it should be submitted to the Council for validation and if complete the Council will place it on a register of Local Place Plans. We're inviting communities to prepare Local Place Plans so that they can play a proactive role in defining the future of their places.

East Lothian’s communities will be consulted at various stages of the Local Development Plan 2 preparation process. If community groups decide to produce a Local Place Plan this will not prevent them from engaging in the wider LDP2 process.

If you are considering preparing a Local Place Plan, we would love to hear from you. We have created a Local Place Plan enquiry form for you to let us know more about your aspirations and any issues. Please complete this form and email it to us at: policy&projects@eastlothian.gov.uk or alternatively print the form and return by post to:

If you have any other questions about Local Place Plans, please feel free to contact us.

Useful external links

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.

The Circular updates guidance contained within an earlier draft ‘How to Guide’ aimed specifically at communities. It is anticipated that an updated version of the How to Guide will be produced by the Scottish Government.

Local Place Plans - Our Place

Renfrewshire Council Local Place Plans 'How to' guide

Early examples of Local Place Plans from Applecross, Kirkwall and Udny