Perth and Kinross Council has welcomed the forward movement of the new Local Development Plan (LDP) after the receipt of the Plan's Examination Report from the Scottish Government.

The Council has carried out a significant consultation process, leading to the proposed LDP, and following representations from the public and other interested parties, the plan was submitted to the Scottish Ministers for an independent examination in February 2103.

The Examination Report has now been received, which contains the Reporter's conclusions and recommendations which the Council is required to incorporate in the adopted Plan.

Overall, the recommendations in the report are in-line with the policies and strategies put forward by the Council. In addition, the majority of the suggested changes put forward by the Council for examination were adopted in the Reporter's conclusions.

This includes the removal of a site to the west of Kinross previously designated for housing which is now designated as open space.

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However, on a site specific basis, there are several recommendations that were not supported by the Council. These include:

• The inclusion of a site at Almond Valley, Perth, for 1,500 new houses and associated infrastructure
• A significant reduction in the size of the Perth West site
• The removal of several smaller sites designated as employment land
• A number of proposed smaller housing sites have been removed at Burrelton, Wolfhill, Forgandenny, Abernethy, Clathymore and Longforgan.

Council Leader, Councillor Ian Miller, said: "The Reporter has agreed with the vast majority of what the Council included in the Proposed LDP. This is a testament to the diligence of our officers, who have carried out a huge amount of work on this project while reflecting the detailed representations provided during the consultation process.

"As a result, we are a step closer to the adoption of a new Local Development Plan, which is vitally important for the future of all our local communities.

"The Examination Report is a very substantial document, and it will take some time for our officers to examine the full detail of its recommendations. We have however noticed several of the Reporter's recommendations that differ from those put forward by the Council.

"I note that the Reporter has included a site at Almond Valley for a significant number of houses, which is contrary to a decision taken by the Council.

"I am also surprised at the removal of several smaller employment sites that we had proposed, in particular one site in Kinross. One of our key strategies is to deliver additional employment and sustainable economic development opportunities to areas across Perth and Kinross, and so this is a disappointment."

The Council now has three months to consider the Reporter's recommendations before it publishes a modified Plan.

(JP/IT)