Pre-application advice

Pre-Application Enquiry and Planning Duty Officer services

Should you wish to submit a pre-application enquiry (this is a free service we provide) you may do this in writing and submit to us at:

Development Management
Development Services,
8 North Ness Business Park,
Lerwick,
Shetland,
ZE1 0LZ

or email us at development.management@shetland.gov.uk

The Development Management Team also provides a free Planning Duty Officer service each weekday (excluding public holidays) between 9am - 10.30am at 8 North Ness Business Park. This service is available both in person, and by telephone on 01595 744293.

There are lots of on-line resources which may help to answer your queries on the Planning Service website and the Scottish Government website, please see links below:

Planning Service Website: https://www.shetland.gov.uk/planning-applications

Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/policies/planning-architecture/

The Scottish Parliament approved National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) on 11 January 2023. NPF4 has now formally been adopted by the Scottish Ministers on 13 February 2023. On adoption, it became part of the statutory development plan, giving it increased status when compared to its predecessor, and NPF now has a stronger role in day-to-day planning decision making. NPF4 has incorporated and updated what had previously been a stand-alone document Scottish Planning Policy (2014). NPF4 now contains detailed national policy on a number of planning topics and for the first time, spatial and thematic planning policies are addressed in one place.

Shetland’s development plan now consists of the following:

From 13 February 2023 planning applications will be assessed against the above. Where policies in NPF4 contradict those in the Shetland Local Development Plan 2014 and its associated Supplementary Guidance then NPF4, as the most recent plan, will take precedence.