The development plan sets out the strategy and policies for the use of land and buildings within a planning authority area.
The development plan for the West Dunbartonshire planning authority area consists of the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) and the adopted West Dunbartonshire Local Plan (2010).
The Proposed Local Development Plan (2020, as modified) is not part of the statutory development plan for the West Dunbartonshire planning authority area but is a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.
The West Dunbartonshire planning authority area does not cover those parts of Balloch and countryside to the east and west of Loch Lomond which are within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.
The third Local Development Plan will direct how West Dunbartonshire will change over the next ten years. It determines how we use land, including land for homes, businesses, services, and open space, as well as the land we want to protect for heritage or nature. The Council is currently gathering information and evidence to inform the Plan, which includes the views of those who live, work and visit West Dunbartonshire and evidence from stakeholders.
This is your first opportunity to provide us with your views, and any information or evidence you have that will inform the plan. See our Development Plan Scheme and our Participation Statement below to find out more about the development planning process.
The council is currently running two surveys; Tell Us About Your Place and Call for Evidence.
The Tell Us About Your Place survey is an opportunity to share how you feel about where you live work or visit within West Dunbartonshire and what is most important to you. It is based on the Place Standard and covers issues including homes, recreation, access, transport, employment, and services. As well as the Local Development Plan it will also inform other council strategies and services.
You may want to complete the place standard if you are a resident, you work in the area, or are a visitor to the area and you wish to let us know how a place can be improved. Community groups with views on the particular places may also wish to contribute.
The Survey is open from the 8th July to the 30th September.
Complete the Tell Us About Your Place Survey
You can also download the Tell us About Your Place Survey Form below. Please return completed forms to ldp@west-dunbarton.gov.uk
Tell us about Your Place Survey Form (Word Doc)
There are also children’s and young people’s version of the survey:
Tell Us About Your Place for children (primary school age)
Tell Us About Your Place for young people (ages 12 to 25)
This survey allows you to provide information and ideas about specific places and topics. The topics are based on the policies within National Planning Framework 4, however you can also provide information about other topics not mentioned.
You can also provide information about particular places. You may want to contribute to this survey if you have information to help inform the local development plan, which does not fit into the place standard survey. You may provide information as links or upload files. This could include information like data, research, reports, or evidence collected as part of a Local Place Plan.
The survey is open to anyone, however is likely of most interest to community groups with specific interests about how land is used in West Dunbartonshire, businesses, land owners, developers, Key Agencies and other organisations.
The survey is open from the 8th July to the 30th September.
Complete the Call for Evidence Survey
You can also download the Call for Evidence Survey Form below. Please return completed forms to ldp@west-dunbarton.gov.uk.
Call for Evidence Survey Form (Word Doc)
In Person and virtual Drop in sessions have been organised for members of the public to discuss the consultation with officers
In Person drop-in events, with presentation at 4.30pm:
Virtual Information Sessions can be accessed at the below Microsoft Teams appointments:
The information and views you provide will be used to create an Evidence Report, which sets out the characteristics and needs of the area. Once agreed by the Council, the report will be assessed by the Scottish Government to determine if the Council has enough evidence to begin preparing a Proposed Local Development Plan. Full details of the process can be found in the Development Plan Scheme below.
The Council has begun preparation of a new Local Development Plan (LDP3) for West Dunbartonshire. As a first step, the Council has prepared a Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement. This document sets out the timetable for the preparation of the new Local Development Plan and what is involved at each stage of the process. The Participation Statement part of the document sets out how stakeholders are to be involved in the preparation of the new Plan.
You can also read the Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement in a storymap format
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/f756225ba7e244839fd661f2a81bc41e
You can register your interest in the Local Development Plan process at https://arcg.is/5WeK0
The Fourth National Planning Framework was adopted by the Scottish Government on 13 February 2023.
The West Dunbartonshire Local Plan was adopted in March 2010. You can view and download the plan and associated Strategic Environmental Assessment documents below.
On 15 March 2023, the Planning Committee took a decision that the Council would not adopt Local Development Plan 2. The Proposed Local Development Plan 2 (LDP2), incorporating the recommended modifications of the Examination Report received on 22 April 2020, which were accepted by the Planning Committee of 19 August 2020, remains the Council’s most up to date spatial strategy and is therefore afforded significant weight in the assessment and determination of planning applications. The Scottish Ministers’ Direction relating to the adoption of LDP2, dated 18 December 2020, is also a material consideration. Relevant documents can be viewed and downloaded below.
Documents on below are no longer referred to in decision-making and are provided here for information purposes only.
Clydebank Proposals Map (2016)
Dumbarton Proposals Map (2016)
Vale of Leven Proposals Map (2016)
Strategy and Rural Areas Proposals Map (2016)