Placemaking – Planning Edinburgh

World Heritage Day

Photo © Historic Environment Scotland

World Heritage Day is marked each year on 18 April. The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (inscribed in 1995) and the Forth Bridge (inscribed in 2015) are two of six World Heritage Sites in Scotland.

World Heritage Sites are cultural or natural sites considered to be of ‘Outstanding Universal Value’, which have been inscribed on the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee.

These places or buildings are thought to:

have special importance for everyone
represent unique, or the most significant or best, examples of the world’s cultural and/or natural heritage

Outstanding Universal Value is considered to transcend national boundaries and to be of importance for future generations.

This year to celebrate World Heritage Day, new stops on the Forth Bridges Trail have been unveiled.

The visitor trail, which showcases Scotland’s iconic Forth Bridges and the distinctive historic communities of North and South Queensferry, has nine new trail stops along the route.

The new trail stops include two new interpretation signs celebrating the Forth Bridge’s World Heritage Site status and can be found adjacent to commemorative UNESCO plaques at the High Street steps in South Queensferry and the Albert Hotel bus stop in North Queensferry.

Signs marking points of interest along the trail have been designed to reflect the famous red steelwork of the original Forth Bridge. The panels feature illustrated maps, images and stories on the history of the Bridges, the Firth of Forth, and communities of North and South Queensferry in collaboration with local history and heritage groups.

More information can be found on the Forth Bridges Trail can be found here or have a look at the online virtual tour of all of Scotland’s six World Heritage Sites.

Updated Planning and Enforcement Charters

View of Edinburgh looking West towards the castle from Calton Hill. Cranes tower above New Town & the Dugald Stewart Monument sits in the foreground.

We recently updated two of our customer service charters. These refreshed charters set out the service we aim to provide and what happens at different stages of the planning process.

The Planning Customer Service Charter

The Planning Enforcement Charter

The charters set out more specific standards linked to our three main responsibilities which are

planning policy
development management
planning enforcement

The charters provide details of how to contact us and report planning breaches.

We also have a wide range of guidance on our website at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/planning including for

If you still have a question, get in touch!

planning@edinburgh.gov.uk

City Plan 2040 – Participation Statement Questionnaire

How do you want to be involved?

School children discuss what it important to them in Edinburgh around a table with a planner from Edinburgh Council.

We are at the very early stage of preparing City Plan 2040 which will be our next local development plan after City Plan 2030.

Edinburgh’s most recent Development Plan Scheme has further information on the City Plan 2040.

A local development plan is an important planning document. It guides how Edinburgh changes and grows; and how we respond to the big issues facing the city such as providing good places to live and climate change. It is the starting point for making decisions on whether to approve or refuse planning applications. It is important that people, organisations and communities get involved as much as they can to help inform and prepare City Plan 2040

The Development Plan Scheme contains a draft Participation Statement which is a summary of when and how the Council is likely to engage with people during the City Plan 2040 process.

We are required by the Scottish Government to seek the views of the public on what the content of the Participation Statement should be and have regard to any views expressed.

The questionnaire on the Consultation Hub is asking you (or your organisation) on the best ways to keep you informed and to get you involved.

We will use the results of this survey to improve how we engage with people as we go through the City Plan 2040 preparation stages.

You can sign up for updates for City Plan 2040 by joining our mailing list.

Local Place Plans

We are inviting communities across the City of Edinburgh Council area to prepare Local Place Plans in accordance with Schedule 19 of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.

A Local Place Plan is an opportunity for communities to think about their local area and develop a plan that sets out the types of changes that they want to see.

It is a new way that communities can really contribute to the planning process as a registered Local Place Plan must be taken into account when we prepare City Plan 2040 (our next local development plan after City Plan 2030).

A Local Place Plan lets communities:

Set out a vision for the future of a place
Develop proposals for the development and use of land in their area
Propose changes to planning policy.

We have more information on our website which explains in more detail what Local Place Plans are, what is involved in preparing one and some resources that might help.

You can also find out more about Local Place Plans at:

Wester Hailes Local Place Plan: Urban Pioneers Landscape Architects

Development Planning Update

City Plan 2030 Update: Hearing

City Plan 2030 is reaching an important stage in its journey to being Edinburgh’s adopted local development plan.

The proposed City Plan 2030 was submitted to the Scottish Government for examination in December 2022.

A team of reporters from the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) has been appointed; and the development plan examination began in February this year.

As part of the examination, a Hearing is scheduled to take place on 26-27 September 2023. Details of the Hearing including the agenda for the two days can be found on the DPEA’s website. The Hearing is open to attendance from members of the public. If you would like to attend the hearing, please contact Morag Smith, DPEA case officer, to book your place call 0131 244 8173 or email Morag.Smith@gov.scot

Development Plan Scheme 2023

The most recent Development Plan Scheme was approved by Planning Committee on 13 September 2023. This provides a more detailed update on City Plan 2030.

City Plan 2040

As we approach the adoption of City Plan 2030, we need to start thinking about the next local development plan which will be City Plan 2040. The Development Plan Scheme outlines the early stages of City Plan 2040 which will be prepared under the new legislation and guidance which was published by the Scottish Government in May 2023.

There are three main stages to this new process:

1. Evidence Gathering

2. Plan Preparation

3. Delivery

We are currently at the Evidence Gathering stage. The new Development Plan Scheme contains the draft Participation Statement which is one of the first steps. This is a summary of when and how the Council is likely to engage with the public on City Plan 2040.

We must seek the views of the public on the content of the Participation Statement so we will be starting an engagement exercise on the draft Participation Statement in October.

We’ll post further details on how to get involved. You can also join our mailing list for direct updates by getting touch at cityplan2040@edinburgh.gov.uk