Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan: Progress Report

The Delivery Agreement (DA) approved by WAG on 31st July, 2007 sets out the programme for the preparation of the LDP through to its envisaged adoption in 2012. The DA is a public statement of the Council’s commitment to the LDP. It provides the timetable for the preparation of the LDP and through its Community Involvement Scheme (CIS) details how and when the Council consults and engages with groups, organisations and individuals during the plan’s preparatory process.

The Delivery Agreement consists of the following two key elements:

The timetable for preparation relates to Key Stages in the production of the Plan, each of which detail the work and events to be undertaken during specified dates. The process is not necessarily sequential, there being a degree of overlap, and appropriate progress is being achieved in accordance with the agreed schedule.

Key Stages Timetable

Stage in Plan Preparation

  

Timescale

     

DEFINITIVE

    

Key Key Stage 1 - Delivery Agreement

  

January 2007 –November 2007

Key Stage 2 - Pre Deposit – Preparation and Participation

  

January 2007 – October 2008

Key Stage 3 - Pre-Deposit – Public Consultation

  

June 2008 – January 2009

Key Stage 4 - Deposit LDP

  

January 2009 – September 2010

     

INDICATIVE

    

Key Stage 5 - Submission of LDP to WAG for Examination

  

February 2011

Key Stage 6 - Independent Examination

  

March 2011 – February 2012

Key Stage 7 - Receipt and Publication of Inspector’s Report

  

February 2012

Key Stage 8 - Adoption

  

March 2012

Key Stage 9 - Monitoring and Review

    

As will be noted from the timetable, the current position in the preparation of the LDP relates to Key Stages 2 and 3.

These stages broadly involve:-

EVIDENCE BASE AND KEY ISSUES

Considerable work has been undertaken and is ongoing to achieve the development of a robust and up to date evidence base to ensure that the objectives, strategies, policies and proposals of the LDP are founded on sound information and principles. It is also necessary to ensure that the provisions of the LDP align with the corporate social, environmental and economic objectives of the Council, with its other strategies and with those of other agencies and organisations.

To this effect, study and research in the policy areas that comprise the plan and may be considered as the building blocks of appropriate thematic and spatial strategies is being undertaken. Specific studies relate to population characteristics and projections, economic trends, land availability for housing and for employment, retailing, biodiversity and other topic areas.

Discussion Papers setting the context for the preparation of the LDP through individual topic areas were prepared during spring 2008 and made available for public consultation over a 6-7 week period beginning in the first week in June 2008. They represented an important step in the development of a robust evidence base and of the Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan’s Preferred Strategy. The aim of the Papers was to inform key stakeholders, other relevant consultees and the public of some of the key strategic land use policy issues within the County and illustrate the scope of the plan in order to stimulate discussion and facilitate participation and response.

Some 140 responses were received in total with approximately 50% of these being from Town or Community Councils within Carmarthenshire. Other well represented interests included:


A summary of responses will be posted on the LDP website in due course.

In addition, in order to promote participation and debate, officers have been attending the surgery sessions of the Community Network meetings to discuss the LDP preparation process with interested parties.

It should also be noted that the LDP, particularly at important stages, has been publicised through the media generally and has received regular coverage in Community News.

In respect of the LDP’s direct links with other spatial and thematic strategies and documents including the Wales Spatial Plan, the Community Strategy and the Regional Transport Plan, meetings with relevant parties have been held to achieve integration where applicable and various documents and reports scrutinised and evaluated for compatibility and consistency. In particular, the Council’s commitment to the delivery of its corporate aims and objectives through its strategic and policy documents has been recognised. The development of a corporate relationship between such documents is central to their effective delivery with the LDP fundamental in giving expression to their land use aspirations. Developing on the LDP’s position as a key strategic council document through corporate fit provides an opportunity to adopt a joined up or co-ordinated approach as part of its preparation. For these reasons, such documents form an important element of the evidence base for the LDP.

Similarly, a comprehensive series of meetings have been conducted with appropriate organisations and agencies including other council departments to assist in information gathering and promote participation in the process.

In addition, the South West Wales Regional Planning Group has facilitated consultation and discussion with adjoining authorities and the exchange of information and experiences.

CANDIDATE SITES

An important step in the LDP process is the invitation of Candidate Sites. This was the subject of a consultation period, lasting 9-weeks between 2 July and 5 September 2008, when interested parties were invited to submit information or recommend Candidate Sites for future development or protection. Approximately 1,500 were submitted and have been recorded and plotted. The sites and information thereon will shortly be made publicly available on a Candidate Site Register open to inspection by all and accessible on the LDP website with hard copies also available for inspection at the usual venues.

Candidate Sites are intended to assist in the formulation of the spatial strategy by indicating where land is readily available. By definition, they are supposed to be strategic in nature to fulfil this purpose. Work is progressing on an Assessment Methodology, which will be made public to maintain openness and transparency, to enable the selection of appropriate sites and the identification of those which are not. It is important to note that sites which may be allocated in the LDP will not necessarily have been submitted as a candidate site.

SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL

The requirement to undertake a Sustainability Appraisal (SA) is an integral part of the process of plan preparation and is mandatory under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The SA considers the LDP’s social and economic effects as well as the environmental aspects. A SA may be defined as follows:

“A systematic and interactive process undertaken during the preparation (and review) of a plan which identifies and reports on the extent to which implementations of the plan will achieve the environmental, social and economic objectives by which sustainable development can be defined and identifies opportunities for improving plan performance in relation to these”.

In addition to the SA, authorities are also required to comply with the European regulations in the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment, known as the Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive (SED). Directive 2001/42/EC requires that a formal environmental assessment be undertaken during the production of certain plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment. The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) regulations require the Authority to undertake an SEA of the plan’s strategy and policies as part of the preparatory process associated with the LDP.

The SA process has been combined with the requirements for an SEA into a single appraisal process. This integrated approach informs the preparation of the plan from the outset. Statutory consultees have a key role in the SEA process particularly environmental consultees (Cadw, Countryside Council for Wales and Environment Agency). Table 1 sets out the key stages of the SA/SEA process.

SA/SEA Stages

Stage A – Setting the context and objectives, establishing the baseline and deciding on the scope.

 

Stage B – Developing and refining options and assessing effects.

 

Stage C – Preparing the Sustainability Appraisal Report.

 

Stage D – Consulting on the preferred option of the development plan and SA Report.

 

Stage E – Monitoring significant effects of implementing the development plan.

The SA, therefore, catalogues the opportunities and challenges facing Carmarthenshire and evaluating the means by which the LDP will address these issues. The SA Scoping Report is the first stage of an integrated SA/SEA process which will examine the LDP for its impact on environmental, social and economic matters within the County.

A Draft Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Scoping Report has been produced on which consultation commenced on 3rd September and closed on 8th October 2008. Responses are still being analysed and will be made available for perusal in due course.

THE VISION, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIC OPTIONS

In accordance with the regulations governing LDP preparation, a Key Stakeholder Forum has been established to assist in the plan process. The Key Stakeholder Forum has an important role to play in the key stages of the preparation of the Plan, in particular in the consideration and assessment of the vision, objectives and options. The purpose of the Forum is to act as a sounding board throughout the preparation process and will require regular involvement.

Membership of the Key Stakeholder Forum is based on the existing Community Strategy Partnership and also includes representatives from key partnerships, together with selected representatives from groups and forums such as Community and Town Councils and designated consultation bodies for the SA.

The first meeting of the LDP Key Stakeholder Group took place at the Gwenllian Court, Kidwelly on Tuesday 29th October 2008. Planning Aid Wales (PAW) were engaged to assist in facilitating the event, which lasted from 10am – 3pm and included presentations and group workshops with the aim of drawing up a Vision, Objectives and Strategic Options for the LDP.

Discussion focused on the main LDP topic or policy areas as elements in the formulation of a spatial strategy for the LDP. The spatial strategy is very broad-brush and seeks to pull together all the issues relating to the future provision of land for housing, employment, shopping, tourism, recreation, etc, into a framework which conforms with the principles of sustainable development. Issues covered included:-

The principles of sustainable development were identified as the foundation of a spatial strategy and discussion centred on the role of the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) in linking together the differing policy areas by building on compatibilities and by resolving conflicts and inconsistencies.

The outcomes of the meeting in developing the vision, identifying objectives and considering spatial options are being compiled with a view to feeding back to participants for further consideration and dialogue within their member organisations. A report of the meeting is being prepared for publication.

A further Stakeholder Forum is to be convened in early 2009 to move forward on these matters. The second Key Stakeholder Forum workshop will facilitate consideration and debate by on which of the outline strategic options, or mix of options, identified during the first forum workshop (or following the workshop via key stakeholder feedback) should be used to shape the preferred strategy

THE NEXT STEPS

Work will continue to concentrate on the development of the evidence base in parallel with further consultations and meetings with appropriate parties. In addition to the second Stakeholder Forum, an event with ‘One Voice Wales’ is being considered and seminars for Community Councils are being arranged.

It is intended to produce a Preferred Strategy in the spring of 2009 which will be the subject of extensive consultation and the assessment of candidate sites and work on other site specific matters will be progressed.