East Lothian Council has published an officer assessment of sites proposed for inclusion in the next Local Development Plan (LDP2), part of the ongoing work to shape development across the county. The release is for information only and does not mark the start of public consultation.

Following the Evidence Report stage, Ministers have directed the council to identify land for 6,650 homes over the next plan period, likely 2028–2038. Around half of this requirement can be met on existing sites, most of which already have planning permission, leaving the remainder to be identified from new locations.

A call for sites held in late 2024 drew more than 130 submissions for a range of uses, including housing, retail, employment, woodland and minerals extraction. Communities were also invited to prepare Local Place Plans (LPPs); several were submitted and some included site proposals. These have been assessed by council teams and key external agencies.

The assessment considered protection of designated areas such as Green Belt, Countryside Around Towns and productive agricultural land; the potential for walking and cycling access to services; whether sites are deliverable within the plan period; and the scale of infrastructure impacts. The approach seeks to concentrate most growth in the main settlements, particularly in the mid-west of the county, while also considering small extensions next to smaller settlements where appropriate.

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Officers have significantly narrowed the pool of options. While the original submissions could have accommodated around 30,000 homes, many sites have been ruled out once the criteria were applied.

Cabinet Spokesperson for Planning, Councillor Norman Hampshire, said: "This has been an enormous piece of work and a key element of our draft LDP2 which is expected to go to Council for discussion towards the end of this year, before a 12-week period of public consultation and then assessment by the Scottish Government.

"Our assessment of sites is ongoing to determine the impact on infrastructure such as roads, water, sewage, health and education. This may lead to further refining of the preferred site list. Our team will also meet representatives from community councils and will speak to those community groups who have produced the Local Place Plans on the sites they proposed."

The full list of sites and assessment outcomes is available on the council's website (www.eastlothian.gov.uk/planning-environment-and-building-standards/planning-policy-local-plans-and-growth-areas/ldp2-and-local-place-plans/proposed-ldp2). This interim release precedes a Proposed Plan, which will be the next formal stage and will be subject to public consultation.

LDP2 will set out how much development is needed in East Lothian and where it should go, covering housing, employment, leisure and open space, alongside the required infrastructure such as schools, health facilities, paths, cycleways, stations and roads. It will also address less visible networks, including fresh water supply, waste water treatment and utilities such as broadband, and will identify land to be protected from development for its natural or historic significance.