What criteria are used during the evidence report gate check process for Local Development Plans, and how these criteria are weighted when …

The criteria used in the evidence report gate check process for Local Development Plans are set out in relevant legislation and Scottish Government guidance. These include the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 as amended by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, the Town and Country Planning (Development Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2023, National Planning Framework 4 (February 2023), and the Scottish Government’s Local Development Planning Guidance (May 2023).Each gate check submission is different and the reporter’s role is to consider the evidence before them. As a result, whilst each reporter undertakes the gate check assessment using the same criteria, some differences in the content of decision reports/letters are to be expected.In relation to assessing proposed housing land targets, the guidance advises that the appointed reporter is expected to consider whether there is sufficient information to establish the indicative Local Housing Land Requirement (LHLR), and whether the evidence provided is presented in a transparent and understandable way.Pages 62–64 of the LDP guidance outline the types of evidence that planning authorities may wish to present when proposing an indicative LHLR. This can include:Minimum All-Tenure Housing Land Requirements (MATHLR) set out in National Planning Framework 4;Any more recent Housing Needs and Demand Assessment (HNDA);The Local Housing Strategy;Evidence on ineffective stock or windfall assumptions; andAny other up-to-date evidence or policy considerations.The reporter considers the sufficiency and clarity of the methodology and figures used, as well as any stakeholder comments, rather than applying any fixed weighting to individual criteria. Where the evidence is not sufficient or clearly explained, the return of the evidence report to the authority allows issues to be addressed before decisions are taken on housing land allocation in the proposed plan.