Pre-Deposit Plan (Preferred Strategy)

1 Introduction

1.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires a local planning authority in Wales to "keep under review the matters which may be expected to affect the development of their area or the planning of its development". This is done through development plans prepared by each local planning authority for their area. The Caerphilly County Borough Local Development Plan up to 2021 (Adopted LDP) is the current development plan for the County Borough and whilst it is surpassed the end of its plan period, it will remain in force until a new LDP supersedes it.

1.2 The Council commenced work on the 2nd Replacement Caerphilly County Borough Local Development Plan up to 2035 (2RLDP) in October 2020. The background leading to the decision to commence a revision of the Adopted LDP is set out the in the Caerphilly County Borough Local Development Plan up to 2021 Review Report (Review Report). The 2RLDP will cover the period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2035. When Adopted, the 2RLDP will be the Council's statutory land use plan which will set out the Council's land-use strategy to deliver sustainable development and build strong, resilient communities that improve the well-being of current and future generations.

1.3 The 2RLDP will need to:

• Deliver sustainable development based on sound place-making principles;
• Build upon, and add value to the National Development Framework and national planning policies and guidance produced by the Welsh Government;
• Reflect local aspirations for the County Borough, based on a vision informed by key stakeholders;
• Express in land-use terms the objectives of the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (Well-being Act) and priorities of the Caerphilly Public Services Board's Well-being Plan and the Gwent Public Services Board through its emerging Gwent Well-being Plan;
• Provide a basis for rational and consistent development management decisions;
• Guide growth and change, while protecting local diversity, character, and sensitive environments; and
• Show why, how and where change will occur over the plan period.

1.4 Therefore, a key aspect of the 2RLDP will be to identify the nature, scale and spatial distribution of change required to meet the County Borough's needs for the plan period.

1.5 The 2RLDP is being prepared in accordance with the Delivery Agreement (DA) that was agreed by Welsh Government on 17th June 2021, that sets out the timetable for the preparation of the 2RLDP and the approach to community engagement and consultation throughout the plan preparation process. Figure 1 sets out a broad overview of the preparation process for the 2RLDP.

Figure 1 - 2^nd Replacement LDP Preparation Process

Structure of the Caerphilly County Borough 2nd Replacement Local Development Plan Up to 2035: Pre-Deposit Plan (Preferred Strategy)

1.6 The Preferred Strategy is set out in 9 sections:

Section 1: Introduction

This provides a summary of the process for preparing the 2RLDP, the stage that has been reached and what the Preferred Strategy is.

Section 2: National, Regional and Local Context

This provides the legislative and policy background within which the Preferred Strategy has been prepared.

Section 3: Key Land Use Issues

This provides a summary of the key land-use and associated issues that the 2RLDP will need to address.

Section 4: The Strategic Vision

This sets out the Vision, Aims and Objectives for the 2RLDP.

Section 5: Strategic Growth Options

This sets out the population, housing and employment options considered for the 2RLDP, identifying the level of growth to be accommodated in the 2RLDP.

Section 6: Sustainable Settlement Hierarchy

This section sets out the approach to the spatial distribution of the proposed growth considered against the sustainability of development in respect of settlements throughout the County Borough.

Section 7: The Preferred Strategy

This sets out the Preferred Strategy for the 2RLDP and the strategic policies that will deliver the strategy.

Section 8: Next Steps

This sets out what will happen after the completion of the Pre-Deposit Consultation on the Preferred Strategy Document.

Section 9: Appendices

This sets out a series of appendices that will provide information in support of the Preferred Strategy.

What is the Preferred Strategy?

1.7 Regulation 15 of the Town and County Planning (Local Development Plan) (Wales) Regulations 2015 (as amended) (LDP Regulations) requires that, before finally determining the content of its Local Development Plan (LDP) for deposit, the Council must publish its pre-deposit proposals (Preferred Strategy) for public inspection and consultation.

1.8 The Preferred Strategy sets out the Council's Pre-Deposit Plan for managing change across the County Borough up to 2035. It provides the strategic context for the preparation of more detailed policies, proposals and land-use allocations that will assist in delivering sustainable development and building more resilient communities. In summary the Preferred Strategy sets out:

• The key land-use issues for the County Borough;
• The Vision, Aims and Objectives that respond to the key issues, challenges and opportunities;
• The Preferred Strategy for the 2RLDP including the scale of future growth in population, housing and jobs and a the broad spatial distribution for the growth;
• A strategic policy framework that will deliver/implement the strategy and inform the subsequent stages of the 2RLDP preparation.

1.9 It must be noted that the Preferred Strategy identifies the level and broad spatial distribution of growth, but does not identify any site-specific allocations /designations at this stage. This will be undertaken as part of the Deposit Plan preparation process once the Preferred Strategy has been agreed. Only sites that accord with the Preferred Strategy will be considered for inclusion in the Deposit Plan. As such the Preferred Strategy does NOT include:

• Site allocations, unless it is proposed to identify any strategic sites, which are sites of such significance and scale that they would be essential to the delivery of the strategy overall;
• Detailed designations and settlement boundaries;
• Detailed development management policies to manage development;
• Detailed evaluations of the Candidate Sites.

1.10 The Preferred Strategy has been informed by a series of engagement seminars that provided the opportunity for input from key stakeholders and elected members. Figure 2 sets out the general process that has been undertaken in preparing the Preferred Strategy.

Figure 2 - Preferred Strategy Preparation Process

1.11 The stages in the preparation process are summarised in the Preferred Strategy, with the Key Issues being considered under Section 3, the Vision and Objectives under Section 4, the Spatial Strategy under Section 5 and the Strategic Policies under Section 7.

1.12 There are a number of technical and procedural documents that have been prepared that provide the evidence base that has informed the Preferred Strategy. A list of these documents, together with a summary of what they cover and their role in the process is set out in Appendix 2 to this document.

The Consultation

1.13 The Preferred Strategy is the subject of a 6-week statutory consultation period during which time anyone can make comments on it by submitting their comments in writing to the Council during the statutory consultation period.

1.14 This Preferred Strategy was formally published for comment on 19 October 2022 and the period of consultation will close on 30 November 2022. Comments on the Preferred Strategy and its supporting documents must be submitted to the Council by the closing date. It should be noted that any comments received after the closing date will not be accepted and will not be considered.

1.15 The Preferred Strategy and its supporting documents are available for inspection on the Council's websites, and copies of the Preferred Strategy have been placed in each of the libraries throughout the County Borough.

1.16 Comments on the Preferred Strategy can be made through the Council's website, via e-mail to the LDP mailbox at ldp@caerphilly.gov.uk, or by letter to Strategic Planning, Tredomen House, Tredomen Park, Tredomen, Ystrad Mynach, CF82 7WF.