Local Development Plan - research & information

We use information from a variety of sources to monitor, review and formulate planning policies. This page contains material from studies, research and consultations which we have undertaken to support the decision-making process. 

Annual audits

• The Employment Land Audit (2022) (PDF, 2 MB) is prepared to provide information on the supply and availability of employment land for business and industrial use within the Perth and Kinross Council area. The next audit will be carried out this year covering the period 2023/24. The ELA data can be viewed and downloaded from Perth and Kinross Open Data website.
• The Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey (SVDLS) establishes the extent and state of vacant and derelict land in Scotland. The main purpose of the survey is to provide a national dataset which can encourage the development or re-use of these sites, in accordance with the Local Development Plan and associated policy.  Further information for each SVDLS site within the PKC area can be found on the Perth & Kinross Open Data website.
• Housing Land Audit 2023 (PDF, 2 MB) provides a factual statement of housing land supply within our area. Only sites of 5 or more units are included, this survey was undertaken in March 2023. You can view sites using our interactive housing land audit site map. 

Infrastructure studies 

In 2017, we produced a set of Infrastructure Capacity Reports which highlight current infrastructure provisions in larger settlements and any shortfall which could be addressed through the Local Development Plan. The reports include information on population growth, community facilities, open space, transport infrastructure, education and health as well as energy and water infrastructure: 

• Aberfeldy  (PDF, 2 MB) 
• Alyth & New Alyth  (PDF, 1 MB) 
• Auchterarder  (PDF, 2 MB) 
• Blairgowrie & Rattray (PDF, 2 MB)  
• Coupar Angus  (PDF, 2 MB) 
• Crieff (PDF, 2 MB) 
• Dunkeld & Birnam (PDF, 2 MB) 
• Kinross & Milnathort (PDF, 2 MB)  
• Perth City (PDF, 3 MB)  
• Perth Core Villages (PDF, 766 KB)  
• Pitlochry (PDF, 2 MB) 

Charettes & community consultation

Between 2014 and 2016, Perth and Kinross Council worked in partnership with a number of local Community Councils to undertake a series of community design workshops in key settlements across the area. The objective was to work with local communities and key stakeholders, in identifying a town's strengths, weaknesses, as well as opportunities to help mitigate the social, environmental and economic challenges, towns across Scotland are facing. In total, five charrettes were undertaken, each of the reports can be accessed below:

• Aberfeldy Community Charrette (PDF, 8 MB) 
• Auchterarder Community Charrette (PDF, 9 MB)  
• Bridgend Community Charrette (PDF, 7 MB)  
• Blairgowrie Community Charrette (PDF, 19 MB) 
• Crieff Community Charrette (PDF, 8 MB) 

Other studies & research 

The Perth & Kinross Retail Study (PDF, 4 MB) was updated in February 2023. We regularly commission studies to ensure we understand the shopping and leisure habits of residents and visitors and that the supply of floorspace is sufficient to meet our needs. We also use this study to monitor the health and function of our centres and their qualitative needs for improvement. This study provides an evidence base to assist PKC with its work on the Local Development Plan review and related economic development frameworks.

The Employment land and Property Market analysis (PDF, 3 MB) was finalised December 2022. Perth & Kinross Council commissioned this study to provide analysis of the employment land and property markets, including analysis of market transactions, the Perth & Kinross's current Local Development Plan employment allocations, and the Council's Commercial portfolio. Th employment land and property market analysis will inform and underpin the development of the new Local Development Plan (LDP), the review of Perth & Kinross Council's Investment Property Strategy, its Commercial land and property portfolio, and Commercial Property Investment Programme.

Savills were appointed to undertake research and provide recommendations on the issue of increasing residential capacity and occupancy in each of the seven Scottish city centres. The cities included in the study are Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Perth and Stirling. Individual reports have been prepared for each of the seven Scottish cities. There is a Perth Reduce Vacant & Derelict Land Report (PDF, 840 KB), a Perth Increase Resident Capacity report (PDF, 2 MB) and a Summary Final Report (PDF, 372 KB)which provides an overview of the topic across the seven cities.

The Perth & Kinross Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (PDF, 13 MB) was finalised February 2025. Local development planning guidance requires that Local Development Plans (LDPs) are informed by a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA), which should be prepared at the Evidence Report stage. A SFRA is a simple, high-level, primarily map-based overview of the scope and nature of all sources of existing and future flood risk within the local development plan area. This SFRA has been prepared in accordance with Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) guidance (2023) and in consultation with SEPA and flood risk specialists within Perth and Kinross Council. Please note that Perth and Kinross Council is also working on producing an online interactive SFRA, and all being well this online SFRA, will inform the Call for Sites and Ideas which is programmed for April/May 2025.