East Lothian LDP2 Call for Sites

Overview

East Lothian Council

Call for Sites

Local Development Plan 2

East Lothian Council will soon be starting the development of the spatial strategy for its second Local Development Plan.

To assist with this process East Lothian Council is undertaking a Call for Sites exercise to help gather information about sites that could form part of this spatial strategy. We are looking for sites (or ideas) for all aspects of the next spatial strategy including, but not limited to, employment (class 4, 5 or 6), housing, self-build housing sites, care homes, leisure, tourism, woodland planting, cemeteries, allotments, nature based solutions, renewable energy developments, drive throughs.

The Call for Sites exercise will help us identify potential development sites and gather information to complete elements of the LDP site assessment methodology. The Site Assessment Methodology will be included in the Evidence Report and will be used alongside the development of the next stage of the LDP, the Proposed Plan). This Methodology will be the route through which sites will be considered against a range of criteria to ensure their suitability in terms of environmental, infrastructure and community impacts. Submission of the site in the Call for Sites process does not guarantee its inclusion in the LDP2.  The Site Assessment Methodology is provided for information alongside this Call for Sites exercise.

The Site Assessment Methodology includes several steps during which different spatial considerations will be made to narrow down areas suitable for development. The information used at each of the stages is provided in the this story map. It should be borne in mind that some of the designations shown may change during the development of the LDP and the amended boundaries will be used to determine the suitability of promoted sites. 

We are not asking for information to cover all the criteria in the Site Assessment Methodology. As part of this Call for Sites exercise, we only require those promoting sites to provide some assessment information.

Please note that it is not required to complete the site assessment matrix. Those submitting sites are only required to answer relevant questions included in the survey below.

The required criteria are highlighted in Green on the Site Assessment Methodology (a full PDF version of this document is available on this consultation website) and these are replicated in the Call for Sites survey. A full assessment of the site, using all Site Assessment criteria will be undertaken by the Council in liaison with the Key Agencies. 

Points to Note:

Housing Land Requirement – At present the Council has not determined the final housing requirement therefore the number of new housing sites required to address any housing shortfall is still not confirmed.

Advice to community groups – If you have included a site in a Local Place Plan that have been registered by the Council, then you do not need to submit that site again as part of this exercise.  The promoted site will be assessed by Council officers using the Site Assessment Methodology and may then be considered in the development of the LDP spatial strategy.

Completing the assessment – Where parties through the ‘Call for Sites’ exercise wish to submit sites for consideration to contribute to LDP2’s development strategy, the Council expect the sites to be accompanied by the required information using the Call for Sites template. If this information is not provided fully the Call for Sites Survey, then the site will not be considered further through the LDP. Additional information can be submitted alongside the completed Call for Sites Survey, but simply referring to attached documents and not filling in the Survey is not permitted.

Relevance of Criteria - Not all criteria will be relevant for all sites. Those promoting sites do not need to fill in criteria that are not relevant. For Housing sites, most criteria are relevant.

Number of sites to submit – There is no limit on the number of sites that can be submitted by each interested party.