The council has launched a public consultation on the evidence papers that will underpin Local Development Plan 3 (LDP3), the document due to replace the current development plan in 2029. The engagement period runs from 20 July until 31 August, and members of the public, community organisations and local businesses are being urged to check the material and submit comments.
What the evidence report covers
The council says the Evidence Report will draw together the data and research needed to set future planning policies across Argyll and Bute. The report is presented as a series of topic papers. Earlier this year the first five topic papers were issued for comment; the latest round covers a further set of themes:
- Infrastructure – health, waste, energy and education
- Biodiversity
- Landscape
- Economy, culture, creativity and community wealth building
- Local living, design, quality and place
Council officers state the Evidence Report is intended to establish what the plan needs to address (for example, pressures on services or environmental constraints) before the later stages consider where development should be directed.
How to take part and why it matters
Anyone with an interest in the future of the area can read the topic papers and submit feedback via the council’s planning policy pages. The material and details on how to respond are available on the council website.
Contributions at this stage are primarily about ensuring the evidence is complete and accurate. That may include identifying missing data, local knowledge on infrastructure capacity, or pointing to trends that officers should take into account when drafting policies for housing, transport, energy and environmental protection.
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Current evidence consultation | 20 July – 31 August |
| Projected adoption of LDP3 | 2029 |
Local authorities must demonstrate that their development plans are based on robust and up-to-date evidence. This stage is therefore important: omissions or inaccuracies in the Evidence Report can affect later decisions on land allocation, planning policy and infrastructure investment.
For practical help: read the topic papers online and make responses by the 31 August deadline. Points of local knowledge — for example, constraints on transport, community facilities needing upgrade, or local environmental designations — are particularly useful at this phase.
Further information, the topic papers and details on how to submit comments are available from the council’s planning pages: argyll-bute.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning-policy/ldp3-evidence.
