Architecture and Masterplanning in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Sites we take on near Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Our Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire coverage takes in 5 towns and cities, centred on Aberdeen and including Stonehaven, Peterhead and Inverurie. Next door, we also cover Moray, Angus & Dundee and Perth & Kinross.

Projects we can take on around Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire include land with an expired or ageing consent, fields that need a masterplan before an application and in-principle consents that still need detailed approval. As Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire is in Scotland, applications are judged against National Planning Framework 4, and the buyer of land pays Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).

Send us the site address near Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire and we will tell you what we think the planning route is.

What we offer in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

Clear plans for landowners

We explain drawings in plain terms, so you can see how your land would be used, where the access runs and what land might be left over.

Capacity studies

We test several layouts to show what a site could realistically take, allowing for access, open space, drainage and the separation distances councils expect between homes.

House types that suit the place

Homes designed to reflect local materials, scale and character, with layouts people want to live in, rather than a standard pattern book dropped onto the site.

Funded on promotion

Where we promote your land, the design work is part of the planning work we fund, recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning.

How the rules work in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

If you own land on the edge of Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, its prospects in Scotland depend largely on the Local Development Plan, which allocates sites for housing, and on NPF4 policies such as those on local living, infrastructure and quality homes. An option or promotion agreement lets a partner fund the planning case while you keep ownership until a sale. With Land to Homes, your reasonable legal fees on these agreements are covered, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms.

In Scotland, National Planning Framework 4 sets out the qualities of successful places, and Designing Streets guides how residential streets are laid out. Building standards are approved through a building warrant from the council, and the New Build Heat Standard means new homes generally need zero direct emissions heating, such as heat pumps.

Key rules in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire
National planning policy	National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), which forms part of the statutory development plan
Local planning document	Local Development Plan (LDP)
Who decides applications	The council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area)
In-principle consent	Planning permission in principle (PPP), followed by approval of matters specified in conditions
Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer)	Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT)
Land registration	Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland)
How a sale becomes binding	Land sales are concluded through missives, formal letters exchanged between solicitors that become a binding contract once concluded, followed by settlement on the date of entry and registration in the Land Register of Scotland.
Developer contributions	Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments

Your questions answered for Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire

What is a design and access statement?

It is a short report submitted with certain planning applications that explains the design principles behind a scheme and how people will get to and move around it. In England and Wales it is usually needed for major development and for some smaller schemes in sensitive areas. Scotland and Northern Ireland set their own requirements for design statements.

How do you make new homes fit in with existing streets?

We study the scale, materials, building lines and spaces of the surrounding area and design homes and streets that respond to them. On a village edge that might mean lower density and more landscaping; in a town, homes that follow the existing street pattern. Early talks with planning officers and neighbours help shape the design.

Do new housing schemes need sustainable drainage?

In most cases, yes. National and local policy usually expects new developments to manage rainwater sustainably, for example with swales, ponds and permeable paving. In Wales, most new developments need separate approval from the local SuDS approving body. We design drainage into the layout from the start, because it can take up a real share of the site.

Can a layout keep part of my land free from development?

Yes. A layout can be drawn to leave a paddock, a garden or a buffer next to your own home outside the development, and the boundary can be fixed in any agreement. We will explain how that choice affects the number of homes, the access and the value of the land being sold.

Can you manage a site in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire from planning to build?

On land we take forward ourselves across Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire, including Aberdeen, Inverurie and Fraserburgh, we manage planning, design and construction. Tell us about the site and we will explain how we would approach it.