Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997

11Preparation of local plans

(1)Every planning authority shall prepare local plans for all parts of their district, and two or more planning authorities may prepare a joint local plan extending to parts of each of their districts.

(2)It shall be the duty of the planning authority—

(a)for the purpose of preparing a local plan, to institute a survey of their district or any part of it, in so far as not already done, taking into account the matters which the authority think necessary for the formulation of their proposals, and

(b)to keep those matters under review during and after the preparation of the local plan.

(3)A local plan shall consist of—

(a)a written statement formulating in such detail as the planning authority think appropriate the authority’s proposals for the development and other use of land in that part of their district or for any description of development or other use of such land including in either case such measures as the planning authority think fit for the conservation of the natural beauty and amenity of the land, the improvement of the physical environment and the management of traffic,

(b)a map showing those proposals, and

(c)such diagrams, illustrations and descriptive matter as the planning authority think appropriate to explain or illustrate those proposals, or as may be prescribed,

and shall contain such matters as may be prescribed.

(4)Different local plans may be prepared for different purposes for the same part of any district.

(5)In formulating their proposals in a local plan the planning authority—

(a)shall have regard to any information and any other considerations which appear to them to be relevant or which may be prescribed, and

(b)shall secure that the local plan conforms generally to the structure plan, as it stands for the time being, whether or not it has been approved by the Secretary of State.

(6)Where an area is indicated as an action area in a structure plan which has been approved by the Secretary of State, the planning authority shall (if they have not already done so), as soon as practicable after the approval of the plan, prepare a local plan for that area.