Outcome of Gatecheck Review - FINAL 20 01 26
Renfrewshire Council · 20 January 2026
Back to Planning and Climate Change Policy Board — 20 January 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PUBLIC ___________________________________________________________________ To: Planning and Climate Change Policy Board On: 20 January 2026 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Renfrewshire Local Development Plan 3 – Outcome of Gate Check Review ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 The Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (LDP3) Evidence Report was approved by Council on 25th September 2025. This report was then submitted to the Scottish Government Planning and Environmental Appeals Division for the Gate Check review. 1.2 On 19th December 2025 the Council received notification that the Gate Check process was complete and that the appointed Reporter was satisfied that the Evidence Report contains sufficient information to enable the planning authority to prepare the next Local Development Plan for Renfrewshire. ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: • Notes that the Gate Check process is now complete and that the appointed Reporter has concluded that the Council’s Evidence Report contains sufficient information to enable the planning authority to prepare the next Local Development Plan for Renfrewshire. ___________________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 The Renfrewshire Local Development Plan 3 Evidence Report was approved by Council on 25th September 2025. The Evidence Report sets out the baseline information that will inform the preparation of the new Local Development Plan and contains a summary of what the evidence means for emerging plan.
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PUBLIC 3.2 The Evidence Report was informed by extensive consultation and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders including residents, young people, community councils, government agencies, local businesses and developers, Council services, OneRen and HSCP. 3.3 Following approval of the Evidence Report, the Council was required to submit the report to Scottish Ministers for the Gate Check review process. Scottish Ministers appointed an independent Reporter to review the evidence and assess whether the report includes a sufficient evidence base to inform the preparation of the new Local Development Plan. 3.4 The Gate Check process is a key step and requires to be passed before the Council can prepare their new Local Development Plan. 4. Outcome of Gate Check Review 4.1 On 19th December 2025 the Council received notification that the Gate Check process was complete. In completing the assessment, the appointed Reporter concludes that the Evidence Report is comprehensive and easy to navigate and contains sufficient information to enable the planning authority to prepare the next Local Development Plan for Renfrewshire. 4.2 This is a significant milestone in the preparation of the new plan. The new process of Preparing an Evidence Report is proving to be a significant challenge for planning authorities across Scotland, with only six of the seventeen Evidence Reports that have been through the Gate Check process so far found to be ‘sufficient’ when initially submitted for Gate Check. 4.2 The Reporter does highlight some parts of the evidence where there is some remaining uncertainty or need for minor clarification in preparing the new Local Development Plan. These largely relate to evidence gaps that the Council identified in the Evidence Report together with steps that will be taken by officers to address these in preparing the Proposed Plan. 4.3 The Reporter’s assessment is available to view online at Scottish Government - DPEA - Case Details. 5. Next Steps 5.1 Officers will now proceed to prepare the next Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (LDP3). Further information on the preparation process is included in the Development_Plan_Scheme_2025.pdf which was approved by the Planning and Climate Change Policy Board on 4th November 2025. Implications of the Report 1. Financial – The Scottish Government Division for Planning and Environmental Appeals have confirmed that the cost of the Gate Check is £6,831.36.
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PUBLIC 2. HR & Organisational Development – None. 3. Community/Council Planning – The Local Development Plan is a wide- ranging document and is considered to support the priorities of the Renfrewshire Community Plan and the Council’s strategic outcomes. 4. Legal – The preparation of a Local Development Plan is a statutory requirement for planning authorities. The Council is following statutory procedures in preparing the plan. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights – The new Local Development Plan will be assessed in relation to its impact on equalities and human rights. The impact assessment undertaken to date, which will be updated, has highlighted the need to ensure that certain groups with protected characteristics and from areas of socio-economic disadvantage are involved in the local development plan process. Equalities monitoring of the local development plan participant database and engagement processes will be undertaken to monitor and highlight groups or areas where targeted consultation may be required. A full copy of the Equality Impact Assessment undertaken is available from the report author. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk – None 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. Climate Risk – The Evidence Report includes an evidence base on climate related factors and risks. The Local Development Plan will have regard to and support the implementation of the Council’s Plan for Net Zero. 13. Children’s Rights – None. 14. Cosla Policy Position – None _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (LDP3) Evidence Report submission - Evidence Report Submission | Renfrewshire LDP3 Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (LDP3) Evidence Report: Gate Check Review Reporter’s recommendations - https://www.dpea.scotland.gov.uk/Document.aspx?id=1147340
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PUBLIC Renfrewshire Local Development Plan (LDP3) Development Plan Scheme and Participation Statement 2025 - Development_Plan_Scheme_2025.pdf ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Alan Williamson, Strategy & Place Manager, alan.williamson@renfrewshire.gov.uk, 07811 053968