Perth West Development Masterplan
Perth and Kinross Council · 22 April 2026
Back to Economy and Infrastructure Committee — 22 April 2026 and its agenda
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Our vision is a Perth and Kinross where everyone can live life well, free from poverty and inequality ___________________________________________________________________ Committee or Board: Economy and Infrastructure Committee Date of Meeting: 22 April 2026 Report Title: Perth West Development Masterplan Report Number: 26/105 Report Author: Alasdair Finlayson, Developer Contributions Officer (developmentplan@pkc.gov.uk) Organisational Lead: Serge Merone, Strategic Lead - Economy, Development & Planning ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of this Report is to seek approval for a development masterplan for Perth West. 1.2 Sections 1. Purpose 2. Recommendation 3. Background/Context 4. Main Issues 5. Proposals 6. Conclusion 7. Impact Value Assessment 8. Appendices 2. Recommendation It is recommended that the Committee: 2.1 Approves the Perth West development masterplan. 3. Background/Context 3.1 The Perth and Kinross Local Development Plan (adopted 2019) sets out the policies and proposals that guide development across the Council area. It supports a strategy of focusing larger land releases around the area’s main
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settlements. As part of this approach, the Plan identifies a long term strategic development area to the west and northwest of Perth. 3.2 The Local Development Plan identifies approximately 262 hectares for a mixed-use development, including land for housing, employment, community facilities, and medical and educational uses (Proposal MU70: Perth West). It acknowledges that a comprehensive masterplan would be required, addressing site access and the coordinated delivery of individual development phases. The Plan anticipates that this masterplan would cover the full extent of the Perth West proposal and be prepared collaboratively by the relevant developers, landowners and key stakeholders. 3.3 Since adoption of the Local Development Plan, it has become clear that the various landowners within the MU70 Perth West allocation have different ambitions and timescales for bringing their individual sites forward. While this is not unusual for a development of such scale, it has created challenges in coordinating a single masterplan that sets out unified phasing and design proposals for the entirety of MU70. 3.4 In response, one of the principal landowners—The John Dewar Lamberkin Trust—submitted an application for planning permission in principle for a mixed-use development covering roughly half of the MU70 Perth West allocation (application 20/00667/IPM). The scale of the MU70 site was so substantial that the development of almost half the site by a single landowner was of a strategic scale in its own right and could be supported as a departure from the Development Plan. Permission was granted on 3 November 2023, subject to conditions and a Section 75 Planning Agreement. 3.5 The Section 75 Agreement stipulates, among other requirements, that before submission of the first ‘matters specified in conditions’ application, a Development Design Team must be established to prepare a draft Development Masterplan for the land covered by the Planning Permission in Principle. The Team comprises the landowner’s appointed consultants, officers from Perth and Kinross Council, and representatives from selected Key Agencies invited to participate. Preparation of the masterplan is to be funded by the landowner. 3.6 The Section 75 Agreement also set out the role of the Development Design Team, and the procedure to be adopted when preparing the draft Development Masterplan. 3.7 The Development Masterplan is defined as: ‘…a masterplan setting out the land use structure, mix and density of the Development, including, without prejudice to the foregoing generality, the locations and layout of inter alia (i) the residential areas for Housing Units, (ii) the Employment Land, (iii) the Structural Planting Land, (iv) the Open Space Land, and (vi) the road layout and access to and from the local public road and footpath networks…’
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3.8 The role of the Development Design Team was to work collaboratively with the landowner during preparation of the Development Masterplan, to review and provide comments on the draft Masterplan, and to consider and provide feedback on the proposed phasing and design programme for the required public infrastructure. 3.9 A draft Development Masterplan has now been prepared by the landowner in line with the requirements of the Section 75 Agreement. It has been reviewed by members of the Development Design Team. Among the Team’s Key Agencies, both Historic Environment Scotland and Transport Scotland examined the masterplan. Transport Scotland recommended an amendment to reinforce that provision of the proposed grade separated trunk road junction to the A9 at Tibbermore is required as mitigation. Historic Environment Scotland welcomed the retention of the proposed heritage park but raised concerns about the potential for drainage ponds to adversely impact areas of high archaeological sensitivity, noting that avoidance or mitigation would be required at design stage. The other two Key Agencies invited to join the Team – NatureScot and SEPA – had already contributed extensively to earlier stages of the masterplanning process through the Key Agencies Placemaking Group for Perth West. They therefore directed the Team to their previous comments, while confirming their willingness to re-engage should any matters arise that fall within their respective areas of responsibility. 3.10 A copy of the finalised draft development masterplan is attached as Appendix 1. 4. Main Issues 4.1 This section of the report provides an assessment as to whether the draft Development Masterplan submitted by the landowner meets the definition provided in the Section 75 Agreement (reproduced at Section 3.7 above). 4.2 The requirement for a Development Masterplan to set out the land use structure, mix and density of the proposed development has already been noted in section 3 above. 4.3 The Section 75 Agreement suggested that the masterplan includes the locations and layout of residential areas, the employment land, the structural planting land, the open space land, and the road layout and access to and from the local road and path networks. 4.4 The draft Development Masterplan addresses this requirement by setting out a series of development principles. It recognises the need to strike a balance between providing certainty and allowing flexibility, presenting the site layout in a way that identifies key areas and highlights the broad alignment of main routes. In some instances, individual features are shown using coloured markers to indicate their general location rather than a fixed position. 4.5 This is considered an appropriate approach at this stage, as precise boundaries and detailed layouts cannot yet be defined and will emerge later in the development process. The masterplan’s development principles include:
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The Quantum and Type of Land Uses 4.6 The masterplan highlights only those land uses that were permitted by the Planning Permission in Principle would be developed at the site. These include: residential development (up to 1,500 houses), including shops and financial and professional and other services (Class 1A) commercial development of up to 26 ha of land, which may include business (Class 4), general industry (Class 5), storage and distribution (Class 6) infrastructure comprising a bus depot, car parking, the Perth Innovation Highway, a hydrogen fuelling/electric charging centre, and also including the greenspace, landscaping, road and path networks. 4.7 These uses listed in the masterplan are within the terms of the Planning Permission in Principle and are therefore acceptable. Land Use Structure, Mix and Density 4.8 The draft Development Masterplan continues by setting out where the types of development proposed would be developed across the site. This includes a land use structure plan indicating the residential areas, employment land areas, and general locations of the healthcare facility land and primary school land. 4.9 The principles of the land use structure, mix and density shown in the masterplan are acceptable. Access and Movement 4.10 The masterplan illustrates how the development site would be accessed, including its connections to the surrounding road and path network. Initial access would be taken from Tweed Place and through a new underpass beneath the A9 trunk road. Subsequent phases would introduce a link to the remaining Perth West land allocated in the Local Development Plan to the north, as well as a direct connection to the A9 at Tibbermore. 4.11 The principles of how access would be taken to the site as shown in the masterplan are acceptable. Open Space, Structural Landscaping and Heritage Park 4.12 Locations and layout of the open space land, the Heritage Park, and the structural landscaping are set out on a plan. A potential location for sports facilities is also shown. 4.13 The principles of the open space, structural landscaping and heritage park as shown in the masterplan are acceptable.
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Subsequent applications for ‘Matters Specified in Conditions’ approval 4.14 It is important to note that while Planning Permission in Principle has been granted, the Section 75 Agreement sets out that no ‘Matters Specified in Conditions’ planning applications may be submitted until the Development Masterplan has been approved by Perth and Kinross Council. This restriction aims to ensure that such applications comply with the Development Masterplan. 4.15 Having an approved Development Masterplan in place for this part of the Perth West site is therefore critical to progressing the comprehensive development of the site. A Matters Specified in Conditions application for the underpass and platforming/servicing for the first 11 ha of employment land is currently being prepared for submission this year. 5. Proposals 5.1 The Committee is asked to approve the finalised draft Perth West Development Masterplan. 5.2 The preparation and content of the masterplan have been assessed to be in accordance with the terms of the Section 75 Agreement: the draft Development Masterplan has been prepared by the landowner; a development design team was formed to engage with the landowner, and to review and comment on the draft Development Masterplan; the draft Development Masterplan includes the defined criteria set out in the Section 75 Agreement; and it has been submitted to the Council for approval. 5.3 The Development Masterplan will come into effect once the document is approved. 6. Conclusion 6.1 Following a grant of planning permission in principle, and in accordance with the terms of the associated Section 75 Agreement, a Development Masterplan for that part of Perth West owned by The John Dewar Lamberkin Trust has been prepared and submitted to the Council for approval. 6.2 Once the Development Masterplan has approved status, this will allow work to progress on the delivery of development at the site. 7. Impact and Value Assessment Perth West masterplan Impact and Value Assessment 8. Appendices 8.1 Appendix 1 - draft Development Masterplan: Perth West
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