Development Management Handbook

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Achieving high quality in new developments and delivering a high standard of customer service are key aims of the City Development Department. The advice contained in the Development Management Handbook is an important step towards achieving these aims.

If you are making a planning application, you should refer to the procedural and policy guidance in the Handbook.

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Guidance to Applicants

Edinburgh Planning Guidelines

Transport Guidelines

Guidance to Applicants

These notes and information sheets will assist you if you are submitting a planning application. Planning applications have to be made on a particular form and have to be accompanied by additional information, including plans and drawings. This Guidance explains these requirements.

If you are submitting an application electronically, guidance is available for completion of the application forms.

Edinburgh Planning Guidelines

The Edinburgh Planning Guidelines provide detailed guidance on a range of topics. When making decisions on applications, the Planning authority must have regard to the development plan (i.e. the Structure Plan and Local Plans. The policies in these plans tend to be broad in scope, and in order to give greater clarity, more detailed guidance has been devised – the Development Management Guidelines. These are non-statutory, but are regarded as material considerations in the determination of planning applications.

The guidelines give clear advice about how proposals can be drawn up to comply with planning policy, and you should consult them before making a planning application.

You should also consult them if you have a planning query on a particular topic. All guidelines contained in the Handbook are subject to continual review and updating, on an annual basis, taking account of policy changes. Any changes are generally subject to consultation.

The following standards must be taken into consideration:

Edinburgh Standards for Streets

Edinburgh Standards for Sustainable Building

Edinburgh Standards for Urban Design

Bus Friendly Design Guide

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Transport Guidelines

These provide detailed policy guidance on transport matters. Two guidelines are included - Parking Standards and Movement and Development. If you are submitting a planning application and have a query relating to parking, access or any other roads-related issue, you should consult these.

Revised Parking Standards were approved by Committee in December 2009.  Please note that some minor rewording and revision of the document layout will be made in the near future prior to final publication.  The current standards are therefore marked "Draft Approved for Use".

Copies of the Development Management Handbook are available for inspection in all local libraries and at the City Development Department at Waverley Court.

You may purchase a hard copy of the complete Handbook for £50 (plus £8.50 P&P) from the City Development Department, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG. A two year subscription service is available for £75. Cheques should be made payable to the City of Edinburgh Council.

The introduction of a tram system into Edinburgh will bring significant change to the city. The system must make a positive contribution to the environment and to this end a Design Manual has been prepared.

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Parking standards (2 MB)

Movement and Development (867 kB)

Bus Friendly Design Guide (1 MB)