Two Aberdeenshire communities have become the first to submit Local Place Plans (LPPs), outlining their aspirations for the future of their areas.

Newtonhill, Muchalls & Cammachmore and Stonehaven & District community councils have created detailed plans following extensive consultations with residents. These plans will be considered during the development of the Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan (LDP).

Residents can view the plans online – publications.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/local-place-plans-register. These documents detail the needs, hopes, and ambitions of local residents.

LPPs empower communities to shape their local environment. They can propose land use strategies, fostering a collaborative approach to development decisions.

Introduced by the Scottish Government, LPPs aim to increase community involvement in planning. This scheme gives residents a voice in defining the future of their towns and villages.


Both LPPs submitted cover a wide range of topics, including sustainability, planning, jobs, and community well-being.

LPPs can focus on specific areas or cover broader regions. Once registered with Aberdeenshire Council, they become publicly available.

Communities can use LPPs to highlight planning concerns, propose land use strategies, and identify landmarks of local significance.

Last year, Aberdeenshire Council offered financial support to community groups developing LPPs, covering costs like venue rental, software, and advertising.

Commenting on the submission of the first Local Place Plans, Stonehaven councillor and chair of the Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee, Sarah Dickinson, said: "I am delighted to see that the first Local Place Plans submitted to Aberdeenshire Council have been developed by our enthusiastic and highly-motivated communities in the south of the region. Through their rigorous local engagement work, the two community councils have very clearly set out how residents wish to shape their villages and towns, and that is vital as we all work together to develop our communities in the future."

Fellow Stonehaven councillor and chair of the council's Infrastructure Services Committee, Alan Turner, added: "The introduction of Local Place Plans offers our local communities the ability to be actively involved with planning for the future of their community. With a focus on development and land-use these are plans that will allow and empower communities to set out their proposals and future ambitions and will also be an important input into the preparation of our new Local Development Plan in Aberdeenshire."