Moray Local Development Plan 2028 - Shaping the Future of Moray
Work on the new Moray Local Development Plan has started and we expect to adopt this in 2028. The LDP will shape how land and buildings are used over the next 10-20 years which impacts on people's lives including work, travel, access to open space, play and health.
How you can get involved
Community bodies can prepare Local Place Plans for their area: Local Place Plans
Let us know if you are considering a self-build project: Moray Self-Build Register
Community events and drop in sessions were held across Moray between March and September 2023. These ran alongside the Call for Ideas and Call for Sites carried out in 2023 and 2024.
Further engagement events will be held in 2026 - see Proposed Plan.
Why get involved
Local Development Plans are statutory documents which guide the future use of land. They set out policies and proposals for the future development and use of land and are the basis for assessing planning applications. The primary purpose of engagement is to help shape future land use and development across Moray through to 2038. Your views and ideas can help shape the future of Moray by helping us to plan for jobs, travel, open space, infrastructure and facilities.
Timeline
New planning legislation makes significant changes to the approach to preparing local development plans including the role of the National Planning Framework 4. The aim is to make them more effective, with greater community involvement and more focus on delivery. More detailed timescales are set out within the 2026 Development Plan Scheme but are summarised below.
Evidence Gathering
2023 | Early Engagement and Data Gathering | Data was gathered to inform direction of plan and early engagement with communities and stakeholders undertaken. |
2024 | An Evidence Report summarises the evidence base for proposals and policies to be set out in the Local Development Plan. The Report is submitted submit to Scottish Ministers for review (a step referred to as a “gate check”). Following approval by Council on 24 April 2024, the Evidence Report was submitted to the Scottish Government Division for Planning and Environmental Appeals (DPEA) for the Gate Check. On 26 August 2024, notification was received that the Reporter appointed by Scottish Ministers found the evidence report to be sufficient to enable the planning authority to prepare its Local Development. |
Plan Preparation
2025-2026 | Prepare Proposed Plan | |
2026-2027 | Publish and consult on Proposed Plan | The Proposed Plan was approved for consultation by Moray Council at its meeting on 11 November 2026. Public consultation will launch on 30 November 2026 until 5 March 2027. More information on the Proposed Plan can be found here. |
2027 | Examination | The Examination is the opportunity for independent consideration of any issues raised (known as unresolved representations) during the formal consultation on the Proposed Plan that have not been resolved through modifications. |
Delivery
2028 | Adoption | From this point, the MLDP becomes part of the statutory development plan for Moray. |
2028 | Delivery Programme | The Delivery Programme is a document which sets out how the MLDP will be delivered. This will be approved within 3 months of the adoption of the MLDP. A draft Delivery Programme formed part of the Proposed Plan. |
2028 onwards | Monitoring and Delivery |
How we’re developing the new plan
Our Development Plan Scheme (DPS), which includes a Participation Statement, was originally published in December 2024. This sets out:
• The steps in preparing the next plan;
• The timelines for preparing the next plan; and,
• How communities and stakeholders will be engaged.
Comments on how communities and stakeholders will be engaged (the Participation Statement) are welcomed. Comments can be sent to the Strategic Planning and Development Team at localdevelopmentplan@moray.gov.uk. Any comments received will be taken into consideration to inform the next Participation Statement. The DPS and Participation Statement are updated on an annual basis.