The new planning guidance document for Aberdeenshire is to be considered by councillors this week.

Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee will be asked to approve and publish the 2013 Development Plan Scheme on Thursday 24 Jan.

The plan will establish a framework for development for the period from 2016 to 2021 and beyond.

The current Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan was only adopted in July 2012, but planning officers say the production of a development plan is a long process and requires three stages of formal consultation to inform the final product.

A 'Main Issues Report' will be published in October 2013 and will establish the required amendments to the current plan. It will also set out preferred options alongside reasonable alternatives.

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Formal engagement on these options will take place towards the end of this year, with the production of a 'proposed Local Development Plan' scheduled for October 2014.

This would establish the Council’s view on where development should take place in the period beyond 2015 and the policies which should govern applications for planning permission.

A public examination will then take place, led by the Scottish government, to scrutinise objections to the proposed plan.

This could take approximately 18 months.

The proposed scheme outlines the importance of detailed engagement with all who have an interest in the plan.

The document states: "We believe that it is very important to engage with all stakeholders early in developing the new Local Development Plan and in 2013 we will be engaging with stakeholders on the issues that they wish to see addressed, and with developers on identifying new sites needed for development.

"However the focus for engagement will be on those elements of the current Aberdeenshire Local Development Plan 2012 and its associated Supplementary Guidance that are required to change."

(IT)