A consultation on the proposed plan will soon be available for local communities and interested parties to have their say on the content too.

Aberdeenshire Council agreed to the Proposed SDP content at Thursday’s Full Council meeting, following on from Aberdeen City Council’s agreement on September 10.

Strategic development plans address important land use issues that cross local authority boundaries or involve strategic infrastructure, local development plans, and supplementary guidance.

There are four strategic development plan authorities in Scotland, covering the major cities and their surrounding areas, and they set out the vision for long-term development in these areas.

Strategic development plans shape the planning future of regions, and influence significant public and private investment in homes, businesses and infrastructure.

Development plans guide the future use of land and the appearance of cities, towns and rural areas. They should indicate where development, including regeneration, should happen and where it should not.

The proposed content for the next Strategic Development Plan represents the views of Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Planning Authority (SDPA), Aberdeen City Council, and Aberdeenshire Council.

The proposed plan sets a vision for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire in 2040, providing a spatial strategy which is key in shaping where and when development will happen.

Building on the Aberdeen City Region Deal, the plan also seeks to promote greater digital connectivity and encourage a more joined-up approach towards tackling climate change.

The proposed plan would be supported by an action programme setting out what will need to happen, and by who, to make the plan deliverable, and a strategic environmental assessment has also been undertaken.

A 10-week public consultation on the proposed plan and its supporting documents will be open from October 8 to December 17, and the plan is available to view now.

An independent Reporter will consider objections and suggested changes before presenting their conclusions to Scottish Ministers, who will ultimately decide whether or not the Plan will be approved. This decision is expected sometime in 2020.