Development plans set out a vision for how areas will change and describe where development will take place.
Fife’s development plan now consists of the following:
- NPF4 (National Planning Framework 4)
- Local Development Plan (FIFEplan)
- Supplementary Guidance associated with FIFEplan (Affordable Housing, Low Carbon Fife, Making Fife’s Places, and Minerals)
Planning Applications are assessed against the development plan. Where policies in NPF4 contradict those in FIFEplan and its associated Supplementary Guidance, then NPF4, as the most recent plan, will take precedence.
Our Development Plan Scheme sets out the programme for preparing and reviewing Fife’s Development Plan - Download Fife Development Plan Scheme.
FIFEplan
Fife Council adopted FIFEplan (Fife’s Local Development Plan) on 21 September 2017.
FIFEplan is supported by:
- Supplementary Guidance which explains in greater detail how planning policies will be used.
- FIFEplan Delivery Programme 2024 is a step change to a more comprehensive and informative Delivery Programme to be used for new local development plans. Future iterations of the Delivery Programme will look to include information regarding costs to the Council as a result of development and other relevant financial implications.
- FIFEplan Delivery Programme 2024 Text only version
- FIFEplan Delivery Programme 2024 Data Download
Fife's Place Plan (new Local Development Plan)
We are preparing a new Local Development Plan. This will be known as Fife's Place Plan. Once adopted, Fife's Place Plan will replace the existing Local Development Plan (FIFEplan). It will also replace the Supplementary Guidance on Affordable Housing, Low Carbon Fife, Making Fife’s Places, and Minerals.
Along with the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), it will form the statutory development plan for Fife. It will set out the planning policies and proposals for the use and development of land across Fife for the next 10 to 20 years.
Public consultation on the Proposed Plan will run for a minimum of 12 weeks and will give everyone the opportunity to comment on the content of the Plan. Consultation on the Proposed Plan will begin in 2027 (see Key stages and timescales below for further details on plan timescales).
Watch out for further updates here, or register using the link at the foot of this page to receive a copy of our e-newsletter.
Evidence report
Planning authorities must prepare an Evidence Report to support a Local Development Plan, which is independently assessed by the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Directorate (DPEA) through a ‘Gate Check’ process.
Fife’s Evidence Report was resubmitted in February 2026 and has now successfully passed the Gate Check. The DPEA concluded in their Gate Check report that the report provides sufficient evidence for Fife Council to proceed with preparing the Proposed Plan for public consultation.
Place matters
The ‘Place Matters’ Call for sites and ideas consultation ran for 14 weeks from 18 November 2024 to 24 February 2025. We have been reviewing and assessing all the sites and ideas submitted. A comprehensive and detailed process is being used to determine which of these are suitable for inclusion in the Proposed Local Development Plan.
Key stages and timescales
The above timetable for the plan preparation shows the programmed dates for each plan stage. The Gate Check report was received two months later than anticipated in the Fife Development Plan Scheme 2026. The impact of this delay on the Local Development Plan programme is currently being assessed.
For further information, see Scottish Government - DPEA - Case Details (scotland.gov.uk).
- Evidence gathering took place throughout 2024 to early 2026.
- Plan preparation, at its various stages, will take place between 2025 and 2027. Earlier preparation on the call for sites and ideas and the assessment of sites commenced 2024.
- Delivery of the Adopted Plan and the Delivery Programme will take place 2028-29, with Monitoring and Delivery continuing into 2029.
The date convention used is in accordance with local development planning regulations and guidance: 1Q = April - June; 2Q = July - September; 3Q = October - December; 4Q = January - March.
The latest edition of the Fife Development Plan Scheme 2026 also provides further information about Fife’s Local Development Plan and its preparation timetable.
How to get involved
The plan will be shaped by the views and aspirations of all interests across Fife (including communities, investors, businesses and other stakeholders) and the Council’s plan for Fife .
Details of consultations to date, which have helped inform the Evidence Report, can be found in the Evidence Report Summary of Engagement.
Communities can also inform the Local Development Plan of community views and aspirations through Local Place Plans. Local Place Plans are plans for local communities that have a focus on development, land use, and ‘place-making’. Our new Local Development Plan will take account of registered Local Place Plans, to allow communities to have a more direct role in the decisions that influence their place.
How to get in touch
You can keep in touch with the Policy & Place team preparing the new Local Development Plan using the options below:
Register for our planning e-newsletter
Contact us: fife.devplan@fife.gov.uk
Follow Fife Council page on Facebook @FifeCouncil
