Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Local Development Plan (LDP)

‘DEPOSIT’ – STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

AFAN VALLEY SPATIAL AREA

Content:

• Part 1 – Introduction:What is a Local Development Plan?Key Stages in Plan PreparationPurpose of the Meeting

• Part 2 – The Emerging Strategy:Key IssuesThe Level of GrowthThe Spatial Strategy

• Part 3 – Emerging Proposals in the Afan Valley:HousingEmploymentOther Key Topic Areas

PART 1: Introduction

What is a Local Development Plan?

• The Council is required to prepare a LDP.• The LDP will set out the Council’s strategy,

objectives and policies for the development and use of land in Neath Port Talbot – or more simply, ‘identify what can be built and where’.

• When adopted the LDP will be the primary document for use in the determination of planning applications and appeals.

• It will have a major influence on the future shape of Neath Port Talbot and its individual communities.

How will the LDP be prepared?

• In accordance with the Delivery Agreement.

• The Council is committed to engaging with you the stakeholders and the community throughout – to ensure that the Plan reflects the needs of the area and its communities.

• Council Members will act as local champions:Being careful not to express definitive views at this stage but identifying the issues and passing on local aspirations & opinion to officers.

LDP Spatial Areas:

• The County Borough has been split into 8 Spatial Areas – based on what we regard as identifiable communities:

NeathPort TalbotPontardaweAmman ValleySwansea ValleyDulais ValleyNeath ValleyAfan Valley

Key Stages in Plan Preparation:

• Pre-Deposit Plan (or ‘Preferred Strategy’):Stakeholder Engagement – completed May 2011.6 week formal consultation – completed Sept / Oct 2011.

• Full Deposit Plan:Stakeholder Engagement – Sept / Oct 2012.6 week formal consultation – Feb / March 2013.

• Examination in Public (EIP):March 2014.

• LDP Adoption:November 2014.

Purpose of the Meeting:

• Before we finalise the Deposit LDP Strategy & Policies, we need to:

Present, discuss and gain your views on the emerging picture; andConsider the implications for the County Borough.

• Ultimately, you can either agree or disagree or perhaps suggest additional alternative proposals…

Either way – your views will be recorded and considered!

PART 2: The Emerging Strategy

Our Work Programme (since October 11):• We have assessed new guidance, updated our evidence base and considered and

assessed all the Pre-Deposit consultation responses received from key consultees, stakeholders and the wider community.

• The following key studies / assessments have been completed:Economic Assessment & Employment Land Provision Study (prepared jointly for NPT and City & County of Swansea)Affordable Housing Viability StudyLandscape Assessment

• The following key studies / assessments are ongoing:Strategic Housing Market Assessment (prepared jointly for NPT and City & County of Swansea)Retail StudyGypsy & Traveller StudySettlement Boundary ReviewStrategic Flood Consequences AssessmentInfrastructure Delivery PlanRenewable Energy ToolkitOpen Space & Greenspace AssessmentWelsh Language Impact Study

Key Issues for the LDP to address:

• KI1 (Population) – The proportion of the population who are of working age is projected to decline over the LDP period.

• KI2 (Housing) – There is a need for additional affordable housing units throughout the County Borough.

• KI3 (Housing) – Average household size is projected to decline over the LDP period which is one of the factors which is driving the need for new homes.

• KI4 (Health) – Residents in Neath Port Talbot experience some of the worst health in Wales.

• KI5 (Climate Change) – The need to minimise the causes of climate change.

• KI6 (Flooding) – Due to the topography of Neath Port Talbot, tidal and river flooding pose particular threats.

Key Issues for the LDP to address:

• KI7 (Economy) – Sufficient land and premises needs to be provided over the LDP period to meet the requirements of new and expanding businesses.

• KI8 (Economy) – Only 69% of the working age population are economically active compared to the Welsh average of 73%.

• KI9 (Economy) – Economic growth in Neath Port Talbot has stagnated over the last 10 years, with in particular low levels of market demand in the Valley areas.

• KI10 (Retail) – There are concerns over the vitality / viability of our town, district and local centres.

• KI11 (Natural Heritage) – Continuing loss of habitats and species.

• KI12 (Natural Heritage) – The impact of mineral and energy resource development on our landscape.

Key Issues for the LDP to address:

• KI13 (Natural Heritage) – Brownfield (previously developed) land requiring remediation.

• KI14 (Natural Heritage) – Air Quality.

• KI15 (Built Environment) – Dereliction and loss of character in our settlements and urban centres.

• KI16 (Open Space & Indoor Leisure) – There is a shortfall in provision of open space in some communities.

• KI17 (Welsh Language) – The erosion of the Welsh language is a concern in some of the valley communities.

• KI18 (Transport) – The accessibility of Neath Town Centre to ensure the delivery of the proposed regeneration scheme; the interchange in Port Talbot; critical bridge links and Park & Share schemes.

Growth Strategy (Change):

• At the Pre-Deposit stage, the preferred Strategy was for the LDP to deliver a ‘Moderate’ level of growth – i.e. 6280 houses / 420 houses per year.

• A number of objections were received (most notably from the Welsh Government) who stated that this was simply not enough.

• In response, a study was commissioned to analyse NPT’s future level of economic growth and to link this to the number of houses needed.

• The study concluded that there is a need for more houses but a reduced need for employment land.

Growth Strategy (Change):

• The level of growth to be delivered has therefore increased to 8227 houses / 548 houses per year – this is now based on and linked to:

The projected levels of population growth; and The projected levels of economic growth over the Plan period.

• However…in order for the LDP to deliver 8227 houses, an additional ‘contingency’ has to be added to ensure that the Plan is flexible and able to deal with changing circumstances – as a result a total of 8844 houses will be provided over the Plan period.

How will this be Delivered?

• The housing land provision will be made up of the following components:

Landbank Sites – sites with planning permissionNew Allocations – sites that can accommodate 10 or more dwellingsSmall Sites – sites within settlement limits that can accommodate between 1 and 9 dwellingsWindfall Sites – sites within settlement limits that are by their very nature ‘unknown’

• All sites allocated for housing have to be rigorously assessed and evidenced that they will be delivered within the Plan period – this information will be contained within the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP).

• The housing provision will be delivered through a mixture of ‘brownfield’ (or previously developed) land and ‘greenfield’ sites – this will ensure that there is an even delivery of sites over the life of the Plan (i.e. in the short, medium and long term).

The Spatial Strategy (No Change):

• To focus growth on the coastal / M4 corridor whilst reinvigorating the Valley communities.

• This will:Focus majority of development along the M4 corridor and in the urban areas of Neath, Port Talbot & to a lesser extent Pontardawe.Support small businesses and tourism.Prioritise Pontardawe & Glynneath as growth points in the valleys.Support for more limited growth (housing and employment) within the remaining valley communities.

Housing: Land Provision & Share-Out

SPATIAL AREA

LANDBANK (i.e. Sites with

Planning Permission)

NEW ALLOCATIONS

(10+Houses)

SMALL SITE ALLOWANCE

(1-9 Houses)

WINDFALL ALLOWANCE(Unknown Sites)

TOTAL / SHARE-OUT

AFAN VALLEY

0 0 40 42 82(0.93%)

AMMAN VALLEY

10 0 36 84 130(1.47%)

DULAIS VALLEY

84 0 34 112 230(2.6%)

NEATH 2230 1046 162 414 3852(43.59%)

NEATH VALLEY

114 180 110 38 442(5%)

PONTARDAWE 200 347 92 225 864(9.77%)

PORT TALBOT

861 1542 135 380 2918(32.96%)

SWANSEA VALLEY

172 0 59 95 326(3.69%)

COUNTY BOROUGH

3671 3115 668 1390 8844(100%)

The Emerging Strategy:

• Your views?

Do you agree or disagree?

If you disagree – tell us why?

Do you have any alternative proposals?

PART 3: Emerging Proposals in the

Afan Valley

Afan Valley Spatial Area:

Communities:

Pelenna;Cymmer;Gwynfi;Glyncorrwg.

Emerging Proposals – Housing:

• The housing provision in the Afan Valley (i.e. 82 houses) will be delivered through a combination of small sites and windfalls – there will be no new allocations.

• Settlement Limits are defined to ‘steer development towards the most appropriate and sustainable locations’.

• To achieve this we have developed the following ‘Settlement Hierarchy’…

Level of Hierarchy

Expected Facilities & Services Settlement Limit?

Classification of Settlement

Town These are of regional importance and are hubs of activity, providing the widest and most diverse range of functions.

Yes – provides the most sustainable locations for new

development

District Centre[1] Providing a wide range of retail, services, facilities and

functions to serve the immediate & surrounding area; [2] A range of community facilities (e.g. library, park, health

centre, schools, community hall and place of worship); [3] Several types of employment.

Yes – provides significant potential

for development

Large Local Centre

[1] Providing one or more retail units clustered together supporting a small range of services;

[2] One or more community facilities (e.g. community hall, place of worship, park, school);

[3] Either employment land or larger community facilities serving the needs of the wider community (e.g. Comprehensive

School or Leisure Centre).

Yes – provides some development

potential

Small Local Centre

[1] Providing at least one shop or several dispersed shops; and/or[2] Several community facilities (e.g. community hall, church,

park, school).

Yes – provides some development

potential

Cymmer; Croeserw; Glyncorrwg;Blaengwynfi / Abergwynfi;

Tonmawr

VillageProviding at least one community facility and having adequate

public transport links to the nearest local centre.Yes – but limited

infill opportunities only

Pontrhydyfen / Efail Fach;

Dyffryn

Dormitory Settlement

Providing minimal or no services / facilities and having minimal or no public transport links.

No – no development

potential

Cwm Ifan Bach;Cynonville;Abercregan

Factors Influencing Development:

Emerging Proposals – Housing:

• Gypsy & Traveller – proposal to adopt a ‘management solution’ to accommodate the estimated growth of the existing population of the Authority.

• This need will be met by expanding the existing site at Caegarw, Margam.

• In regard to any potential migrants into the Authority, a criteria based policy will be developed to judge any future applications on their individual merits.

Emerging Proposals – Housing:• Affordable Housing – the following targets have been

identified for each submarket area:The targets only apply to developments of 3 or more dwellings.The intention is to enhance the ‘viability’ and ‘deliverability’ of development in the valley areas.The targets will be monitored every year and if necessary subject to a full review on a 5-year basis.

Submarket Area Target

Neath 20%

Port Talbot 20%

Pontardawe 5%

Neath & Dulais Valley 0%

Swansea & Amman Valley 0%

Afan Valley 0%

Emerging Proposals – Employment:

• The LDP will promote economic activity and employment opportunities through:

Focusing development on strategic sites.

Retaining and safeguarding a variety of existing employment sites.

Allowing land to be released from within settlement limits for the development of small businesses and live-work units.

Applying a flexible approach to development for employment uses in the valley areas where they meet the strategic objectives of the Plan and encourage tourism.

Emerging Proposals – Employment:

• Coed Darcy Urban Village and Port Talbot Harbourside are proposed for allocation as ‘Strategic Regeneration Areas’.

• Baglan Bay Energy Park is proposed for allocation as a ‘Strategic Employment Site’.

• The following existing employment sites are to be safeguarded:

Croeserw Industrial Estate (Map Ref: EM2/18)Glyncorrwg Workshops (Map Ref: EM2/19)

Emerging Proposals – Retail:

• The LDP strategy and policies will:Identify ‘primary shopping streets’ in the town centres – supported by policies to protect their retail function.

Restrict the type of development in the District Centres in order to protect their retail function.

Support the regeneration strategies and proposals.

Support residential uses above shops.

Promote the development of Out of Centre Retail Parks in advanceof other sites in less appropriate locations.

Apply a flexible approach to retail applications in the valley areas –i.e. support for retail uses, where appropriate, outside of the identified retail centres.

Emerging Proposals – Retail:

• A ‘Retail Hierarchy’ has been developed which seeks to “…enhance the current retail offer, support the existing centres and improve the vitality, viability and attractiveness of the retail offer and centres in the County Borough”.

• The following designation is proposed in the Afan Valley:

Local Centre – Croeserw (Map Ref: LC/10)

Emerging Proposals – Minerals:

• NPT has a wealth of mineral resources that are significant on a National scale and in line with National Policy…

• The following resources will be safeguarded:

Primary & Secondary Coal ResourcesAggregate Resources (hard rock / sand & gravel)

• Buffer Zones are identified around permitted or proposed mineral workings where new development which would be sensitive to the adverse impacts of mineral development will be resisted (Coal – 500m; Hard Rock Quarries – 200m).

• 500m Settlement Protection Zones are identified to protect communities from the adverse impact of mineral development where new mineral development will be resisted.

Any groups of houses or individual properties not defined within settlement limits will be protected by a criteria based policy.

Mineral Resource Map of Wales:

Resources to be safeguarded:

Primary Coal Resources.

Secondary Coal Resources.

High Quality Aggregate (i.e. Sandstones).

Sand & Gravel.

Emerging Proposals – Waste:

• The Materials Recovery & Energy Centre (MREC) at Crymlyn Burrows and the Pwllfawatkin Landfill Site at Abernant will continue to treat and manage the waste arisings within the County Borough.

• All employment land (either allocated or safeguarded) is considered suitable in principle to accommodate new ‘in- building’ waste treatment facilities – proposals will be judged against a criteria based policy.

• Baglan Bay Energy Park will however be favoured to meet the regionally identified need for additional in-building treatment capacity.

Emerging Proposals – Renewable Energy:

• The TAN8 ‘Strategic Search Areas’ (SSAs) form part of national policy and will continue to be considered as the starting point for assessing large scale windfarm proposals.

• Criteria based policies are being developed to assess large, medium and small scale proposals.

• In regard to large scale proposals any application received will be expected to be accompanied by assessments which examine locations in a sequential order – i.e. firstly within the SSAs and then areas outside of the SSAs.

Emerging Proposals – Natural Environment:

• Policies are being developed which seek to “…protect and wherever possible enhance the natural environment”.

• The following network of designated sites of international, national and local importance is identified and will be protected:

Natura 2000 Sites (e.g. Special Areas of Conservation)Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)National Nature Reserves (NNRs)Local Nature Reserves (LNRs)Sites of Interest for Nature Conservation (SINCs)

• New developments will be required to take full account of the implications of the development on wildlife and habitats and where negative effects cannot be avoided, mitigation and compensation will be required.

Emerging Proposals – Natural Environment:

• NPT has high value landscapes in terms of the underlying geology, cultural & historical heritage; ecology, visual amenity, tranquillity & sense of place.

• The landscape has been assessed and the following landscape designations are proposed within the Afan Valley:

Special Landscape Areas at Mynydd Y Gelli (Map Ref: SLA/5) and Foel Trawsnant (Map Ref: SLA/6) – where the exploitation of resources (mineral & wind) will be balanced against the wider landscape interests.

Emerging Proposals – Built Environment:

• Policies are being developed which seek to “…conserve, preserve or wherever possible enhance the built and historic environment and its setting”.

• This will be achieved through:Targeted design policies.The retention of important features and buildings in key centres / locations.The safeguarding of features of historic and cultural importance.

Emerging Proposals – Urban Environment:

• Policies are being developed to “…protect and enhance existing community facilities and promote the provision of such facilities wherever suitable opportunities arise” – including outdoor sports facilities, children’s playing space, allotments and informal open space.

• This will be achieved through:Safeguarding existing open space.All new development will be required to make a contribution to open space in accordance with the appropriate standard and basedon identified need.The promotion of multiple use, co-location and joint use of facilities.

Emerging Proposals – Transport:

• Policies are being developed which seek to “…reduce congestion and provide enhanced facilities for walking, cycling and public transport”.

• This will be achieved through:Construction of new roads (e.g. PDR / Coed Darcy Southern Link).Providing improved infrastructure to enhance access to existing employment areas and communities.Directing new development to the most sustainable locations.Regulate the access, design and layout of new development to guide traffic flow safely and efficiently.Encourage travel by more sustainable methods (e.g. Park & Share).Improve public transport and interchange facilities.

Emerging Proposals – Climate Change:

• The various elements of the Climate Change Strategy will be implemented through a range of LDP policies and strategies – including the following:

Settlement Strategy – by locating development in the most sustainable locations.Transport Strategy – through encouraging modal shift (i.e. from the car to more sustainable forms of travel).Renewable & Low Carbon Energy Strategy – by ensuring that there is an appropriate contribution to renewable energy generation.Flood Risk Strategy – through ensuring that development is not located in areas at risk of flooding.Environment Strategy – through minimising adverse effects of development on public health and the wider environment.

Emerging Proposals – Health:

• The LDP will address the issue of poor health through a number of ways:

Settlement Strategy – by locating development in the most sustainable locations which offer more efficient use of existing facilities, encouraging co-location and joint use of facilities with sustainable modes of travel.Improving the Housing Stock – using policies such as affordable housing contributions and the Code for Sustainable homes.Open Space – policies to require new provision and the safeguarding of existing provision.Environmental Considerations – policies relating to pollution, air quality and quiet areas can help address health issues.

Emerging Proposals in the Afan Valley:

• Your views?

Do you agree or disagree?

If you disagree – tell us why?

Do you have any alternative proposals?

Our Contact Details:

Website: www.npt.gov.uk/ldp

E-mail: ldp@npt.gov.uk

Phone: [01639] 686421

Thank You