Certain planning applications are defined as major developments. This includes applications involving the construction of 50 or more houses, or some categories of development where the site area exceeds two hectares. Further information on what constitutes a major development is set out in Circular 5/2009.
Major developments require pre-application consultation with communities and information on that is provided in Circular 3/2013. That circular also confirms that a prospective applicant must provide the planning authority with a 'proposal of application notice' at least 12 weeks prior to the submission of an application for a major development.
Our pre-application planning advice service is currently suspended, but when we receive a proposal of application notice we will provide a prospective applicant with an indication of the issues that are likely to be relevant to the determination of a subsequent application.
We positively encourage the use of processing agreements to help the efficient project management of the planning application process. If you want to discuss the submission of a major development proposal and a processing agreement to aid determination, please send details of your proposal to our planning team.
More information on major developments is available on the Scottish Government’s website.