Following close monitoring of the consultation to-date and having listened to concerns raised by some stakeholders, the decision has been taken to extend the period by a fortnight.

This means the consultation will run for 10 weeks - four weeks longer than the statutory minimum period.

All statutory stakeholders including community councils will be notified of this additional period during which representations can be accepted.

In light of physical distancing measures, changes introduced though the Covid-19 emergency legislation and guidance from the Chief Planner, the local authority considered it appropriate to publish a revised Development Plan Scheme for 2020 with a new participation statement outlining the engagement to be undertaken associated with the Proposed LDP 2020.

The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 includes a provision to allow planning authorities to undertake public consultation without the need to make physical copies of documents available for inspection, for example in libraries or planning offices.

In place of nine drop-in events, the council is engaging with stakeholders by way of electronic means such as virtual drop-ins, Q&A sessions and a 24-hour virtual ‘live chat’ platform. This can be accessed by clicking here.

In keeping with the initial Development Plan Scheme, Aberdeenshire Council has notified all neighbouring properties to proposed development sites and views are being sought on the proposals.

Similarly, all those who made comments on the Main Issues Report have been contacted and invited to examine the outcomes of the council’s deliberations on the issues identified during the Main Issues Report stage.

Aberdeenshire Council formally agreed its Proposed LDP on March 5 and will submit its proposals to Scottish Ministers for examination later this year, following consideration of representations received during the consultation period.

The Proposed LDP and supporting documents are available here.

As part of the public consultation, three short films are available on Aberdeenshire Council’s YouTube channel by clicking on the following links:

• The LDP Process
• The Proposed LDP
• Public Engagement