These plans provide an opportunity for communities to set out their vision and priorities for the future, particularly around the current and future use of land and buildings.

Councillor Ken Gowans, chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said: “By introducing Local Place Plans communities will have the opportunity to play a proactive role in defining their future. Our new webpage will provide a very helpful insight into the whole premise of the initiative and how communities can get involved.”

The Scottish Government is due to adopt and publish National Planning Framework 4 in early 2023. Included in this long-term plan for development and infrastructure in Scotland is a new initiative called Local Place Plans, which aims to encourage communities to play an active role in the planning for their area.

In advance of the publication of NPF4 and the formal start of the Local Place Plans initiative, the Council’s Local Place Plans webpage provides communities with information to help them decide whether they wish to prepare such a plan.

By preparing a Local Place Plan, communities can have a more direct role in the decisions that influence the place in which they live or work. Once Local Place Plans have been registered, the Council is required by law to take them into consideration when updating the Development Plan for the Highland Council area.

The Development Plan for Highland contains regional and settlement strategies, including the identification of specific site allocations, as well as some general policies against which any planning application in the Highland Council area will be assessed against.