Dundee Local Development Plan Consultation
Dundee City Council has launched a new public consultation as part of the ongoing review of the Dundee Local Development Plan (LDP) — the statutory framework that will guide how the city grows, develops and changes over the coming years.
For private clients, developers, landowners and community bodies, this is a significant moment. Decisions made during the early stages of the Local Development Plan process influence planning outcomes across Dundee well into the next decade.
Understanding the direction of travel — and engaging early — can make a material difference to what is achievable on a site, how proposals are assessed and how risk is managed as projects progress.
What is the Dundee Local Development Plan?
The Dundee Local Development Plan is the statutory planning document used to determine planning applications across the city.
The current plan, adopted in 2019, sets out policies covering matters such as:
The location and scale of new housing and development.
Expectations around design quality and placemaking.
Protection of conservation areas and listed buildings.
Infrastructure, transport and environmental considerations.
Under Scottish planning legislation, Local Development Plans must be reviewed regularly to reflect national policy, changing local needs and how cities evolve over time.
Once adopted, the Local Development Plan carries significant weight in decision-making. Proposals that align with its policies are more likely to progress smoothly, while those that conflict with them face increased scrutiny.
What is being consulted on now?
The current consultation represents an early stage in preparing the next Dundee Local Development Plan.
At this point, Dundee City Council is seeking views on broad strategic matters, including:
How Dundee should grow over the next plan period?
Housing need and land supply.
Climate change, resilience and sustainability.
The future of neighbourhoods, centres and employment areas.
How historic buildings and places are protected and reused.
This stage is about direction rather than detailed proposals. It provides an opportunity to influence policy thinking before sites are allocated and rules become fixed.
Relevance for Private Clients.
For private clients — including homeowners — the Local Development Plan influences:
Whether self-buils homes, extensions, alterations or conversions are supported in principle.
How conservation areas are managed and interpreted.
Expectations around scale, massing and amenity.
Opportunities for redevelopment or change of use.
Even where no immediate project is planned, emerging policy can affect long-term property potential and future flexibility.
For those actively considering a project, understanding policy direction early can help avoid abortive design work and identify opportunities that align with planning priorities.
Considerations for Developers and Landowners.
For developers and landowners, the Local Development Plan is fundamental.
It shapes:
Whether land is supported for development
Density, height and design expectations
Infrastructure and contribution requirements
The likelihood of policy support at application stage
Engaging with the consultation allows informed commentary on constraints and opportunities that may not be apparent from high-level analysis alone.
Once the plan is adopted, influencing outcomes becomes significantly more difficult.
Dundee City Council Call for Sites: An Early Opportunity.
As part of the Local Development Plan review, Dundee City Council is undertaking a Call for Sites, with submissions invited up to 31 March 2026.
The Call for Sites provides an opportunity for:
Landowners
Developers
Community bodies
Agents
to suggest sites for consideration for potential allocation in the next Local Development Plan.
A wide range of uses may be proposed, including housing, employment, retail, leisure, tourism, community infrastructure and mixed-use development.
Importantly, submissions must have regard to two key reference documents:
Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).
All submitted sites will be assessed using the Council’s Site Assessment Methodology, which considers factors including:
Local living and 20-minute neighbourhoods.
Water and flood risk.
Biodiversity, flora and fauna.
Climatic factors and air quality.
Population and human health.
Soils and landscape.
Cultural heritage.
Infrastructure and material assets.
Only sites submitted through the online questionnaire will be considered, and separate submissions are required for each site.
Submitting a site at this stage does not guarantee allocation or consent, but it ensures the site is properly assessed alongside alternatives.
Architects can add value at this stage.
Architects are often associated once land has been allocated, but early strategic input can be just as important.
At Call for Sites stage, architectural involvement can help with:
Initial feasibility and capacity testing.
Understanding planning policy and local context.
Identifying heritage, conservation or townscape issues.
Assessing change-of-use potential.
Framing development ideas realistically.
In Dundee, this will be particularly relevant where sites sit within sensitive urban contexts, conservation areas, or established residential neighbourhoods.
Key Dates.
Call for Sites submission deadline: 31 March 2026.
Submissions are made via Dundee City Council’s published questionnaire.
Sites will be assessed as part of the Local Development Plan evidence base.
Further consultation stages will follow as the plan is prepared.
Early advice can help determine whether a site is worth promoting now, holding back for a later stage, or refining before submission.
A note for Private Clients and Small Developers.
For private clients considering development — whether now or in the future — the Local Development Plan process can feel opaque. However, it plays a significant role in shaping what is achievable.
Taking interest and advice at this stage does not commit you to a project, but it can provide clarity and confidence about your options.
If you would like to discuss a potential site, early feasibility or the relevance of the Dundee Local Development Plan to your property, we are always happy to have an initial conversation.
You can find more information about how we support projects at different stages on our Services page.