Simplified Planning Zone

To help contribute to the delivery of new homes, North Ayrshire Council took part in a Scottish Government pilot to make a Simplified Planning Zone (SPZ).

North Ayrshire’s SPZ aims to deliver a major housing development by providing planning consent upfront, the first of its kind in Scotland.

The SPZ is located within an existing residential area in Irvine called Montgomerie Park. The SPZ scheme was adopted in December 2019.

Montgomerie Park, once complete, will have a capacity for around 950 new homes.

The SPZ scheme:

• grants permission upfront for residential development
• provides a framework for the delivery of new homes by allowing developers flexibility and certainty whilst, through conditions, safeguarding amenity
• guides development and place standards through a concept masterplan and development conditions to deliver a high quality place

Developers complying with the parameters and conditions of the SPZ Scheme do not need to apply for planning permission.

Bellway Homes submitted plans to satisfy the terms of the SPZ.

View proposals from Bellway Homes on our Online Planning Information System. Enter reference 21/01071/SPZ.

Or view Montgomerie Park site plan document

For more information on the SPZ please contact the Strategic Planning Team.

The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 introduced Masterplan Consent Areas as a new proactive consenting mechanism.

North Ayrshire Council will in future be able to use prepare Masterplan Consent Area schemes as part of a placemaking approach to planning and consenting. It is a new way for the Council to shape new development in our area – enabling the type and quality of development we wish to come forward through a consenting masterplan, and to support delivery of development that can support local needs, priorities and outcomes. Unlike planning applications which are typically led by a developer, the preparation of MCA schemes will be led by the planning authority but can be taken forward through collaboration.

The new provisions will allow North Ayrshire Council to prepare a MCA ‘Scheme’ setting out for particular places, the detail of what they are giving consent for, through the MCA scheme. There will be requirements for publicity and consultation on individual schemes.

MCA schemes can streamline consent, allowing issues to be considered as part of a joined up approach, they can grant:

• planning permission
• roads construction consent
• listed building consent
• conservation area consent

Within adopted MCA areas, development could be brought forward without the need for a full application as long as it is in line with the agreed scheme.

More details about Masterplan Consent Areas are available in the Consultation Paper on the draft MCA Regulations (the Scottish Government’s consultation closed on 22 May 2024).

Part 2 of the 2019 Act (Section 15) sets out the legal framework for preparing MCAs. The full provisions from the Act relating to MCAs and the associated regulations are not yet in force. We anticipate the MCA provisions being fully in place later in 2024.

However, Schedule 5A Paragraph 5 is in force and requires planning authorities to consider whether it would be desirable to make a scheme for a part or parts of their district, and to publish a statement as to their consideration of that, by 25 July 2024.

As the MCA regulations are not yet in place, we have not yet identified or assessed potential locations for which it may be desirable to bringing forward an MCA scheme. We intend to reconsider this once the legal basis for preparing MCAs is in place.

The Scottish Government has indicated that MCAs could be used to support delivery of the local development plan. We will consider whether it would be desirable to make any Masterplan Consent Areas as part of our work on delivery linked to the Local Development Plan’s Delivery Programme.

This Statement fulfils the Council’s legal requirements under Schedule 5A Paragraph 5 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, as amended.