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What are they?
Structure Plans set out the long term vision and framework for land use development. Together with Local Plans , they form the Development Plan, against which all applications for planning permission are assessed. Unlike local plans that are approved ("adopted") by the local authority, Structure Plans are submitted to and approved by Scottish Ministers.
Structure Plans:
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provide estimates of the demand for new housing, shopping and employment sites, and transport facilities.
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set out in general terms how and where this development should be located.
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provide the framework for more detailed strategies and plans for Councils and other partner agencies.
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set the context for future local plans.
The Edinburgh and The Lothians Structure Plan
Context
Working jointly, the four Lothian Councils were required to prepare and submit to Scottish Ministers for approval the Edinburgh and The Lothians Structure Plan. The context for this plan, which replaces the Lothian Structure Plan 1994 (approved 1997), is the buoyant Lothian economy that is experiencing increasing pressures of population and household growth, in-migration and commuting. This is leading to increased demand for housing and employment land, shopping, transport and other key facilities. The Plan covers the whole of the administrative areas of all four Councils.
Scottish Ministers approved the Edinburgh & The Lothians Structure Plan on 17 June 2004. The new structure plan became operative from 21 June 2004, replacing the Lothian Structure Plan 1994 from that date.
The Approved Plan
The approved Structure Plan can be viewed by clicking on the appropriate ‘Quick Links’ on the right. To view the Adobe Acrobat documents you need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click on the icon below if you wish to download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Availability
Copies of the Approved Plan, approved modifications and supporting documents are available for public inspection at the Environment Reception, John Muir House, Court Street, Haddington and in all libraries. The documents are available for inspection free of charge during normal opening hours. They are also available for inspection in any of the other three Council's planning departments and libraries.
If you wish to purchase a copy of the Plan or supporting documents, please contact the Policy & Projects Team on 01620 827397.
Edinburgh & the Lothians Structure Plan 2020 Consultation Paper
Modifications made by Scottish Ministers to the Edinburgh & The Lothians Structure Plan 2015 included a requirement to review the Plan starting not later than 2006. The four Lothian Authorities have published a Consultation Paper to enable public consultation on the Review. This sets out a series of questions on how that review should take place. The Consultation Paper is available at John Muir House Haddington and in all East Lothian libraries and may be viewed via the pdf link on the right of this page.
Abandonment of the Review of the Edinburgh & the Lothians Structure Plan 2015
The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 requires the provision of a new Strategic Development Plan for the Edinburgh City Region area. While its extent is still to be defined, it is likely to include the area of the four Lothian authorities, part of Fife and all or part of the Scottish Borders. The Scottish Executive will publish detailed regulations and advice in due course on the nature and extent of the Strategic Development Plan, and how it’s preparation will be managed. Once that is available (possibly by Summer 2008) the preparation of the Strategic Development Plan can formally commence.
The Edinburgh and the Lothians Joint Liaison Committee (ELSPJLC) represents the strategic land use planning interests of the Lothian authorities. As a consequence of the above Act, the Committee believes that it would now be better to reposition strategic planning work away from the current structure plan review and onto preparations to begin the new Strategic Development Plan. That way, the Councils, jointly with their likely partners Fife and Scottish Borders Councils, will be well-positioned to bring forward an early Main Issues Report and subsequent proposed Strategic Development Plan, once the required Scottish Executive regulations are in place.
The ELSPJLC, at its meeting in Haddington on 22 January 2007, approved the terms of a formal submission to the Scottish Executive seeking the approval of Scottish Ministers for the abandonment of the current structure plan review.
The submission can be viewed by clicking on the proposed Structure Plan Abandonment report in the blue Quick Links box.
Scottish Ministers, by letter dated 23rd March 2007, indicated their acceptance of the submission to abandon the Structure Plan Review 2020. The Notice of Abandonment may be viewed to the right.
Ministers now require an immediate start to preparatory work on the Strategic Development Plan (SDP) for the Edinburgh City Region. The four Lothian planning authorities will now work jointly with Fife and Scottish Borders Councils in anticipation of the SDP area. Responses that were received on the Edinburgh & the Lothians Structure Plan Review 2020 Consultation Paper, published in May 2006, will help inform the new SDP process.
The Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006
This Act provides that the current tier of Structure Plans be replaced by new Strategic Development Plans, but only for the four City Region areas of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen.
Outwith the four City Regions there is no requirement to prepare Strategic Development Plans. However, all planning authorities will require to prepare Local Development Plans for their individual areas. These will replace the current tier of Local Plans in Scotland.
This means that, in the Edinburgh City Region, there will be one Strategic Development Plan covering the entire City Region area, and a series of Local Development Plans covering individual Council areas.
The Strategic Development Plan and Local Development Plans will constitute the Development Plan.
The constituent authorities that will jointly prepare the new Strategic Development Plans are yet to be established by the Scottish Executive. However, the four Lothian Councils have started joint working with Fife and Scottish Borders Councils in anticipation of the requirement for joint working on the Edinburgh City Region Strategic Development Plan.
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