The Corporate Director – Communities submitted a report to Council, to advise of the outcome of the consultation exercise on the Bridgend Local Plan (2013) draft Review Report, and seek Council’s approval to submit the final Bridgend LDP Review Report (attached at Appendix 1 to the report) (in conjunction with the Replacement LDP Delivery Agreement to Welsh Government before the end of June 2018.

The Development Planning Team Leader advised that any revision to an LDP must be preceded by a Review Report which is a statutory part of the full LDP Review process.

The Review Report sets out the proposed extent of likely changes to the existing LDP (2006-2021) and seeks to confirm the revision procedure to be followed in preparing a replacement LDP. 

In terms of ‘procedural route’, in the case of Bridgend, the plan is already the subject to a statutory required 4 year full review, and as such all aspects of the plan will need to be assessed to consider if they remain sound and fit for purpose.  This will include the LDP vision, objectives, spatial strategy, policies and land-use allocations, broadly following the same preparation process and stages as the original plan. 

He confirmed that the Review Report covers the following topics:-

• Contextual Changes
• Assessment of Likely Changes Required to the Current LDP
• Review of the Evidence Base
• LDP Review Options

In terms of public consultation, Members will recall that a report was presented to Council on the 25th April 2018 seeking authorisation to undertake targeted consultation on the draft Bridgend LDP Review Report between 30th April 2018 and 25th May 2018. The Consultation on the draft Review Report was undertaken in conjunction with the draft Delivery Agreement.

The Development Planning Team Leader confirmed that consultation was advertised in the following ways:-

·         The consultation documents were available for inspection with representation forms at the Civic Offices, Angel Street;

·         Information on the consultation, including all the documentation, representation forms and the facility to make representations electronically was placed on the Council’s website; and

·         E-mails and letters were sent to approximately 190 targeted consultees including Community Councils, planning consultants, house builders, housing associations and other relevant external organisations with details on how to respond.

By the end of the consultation period 11 individuals and external organisations had submitted comments on the draft Review Report.

In response to this, the Council has produced a Consultation Report (which is included as Appendix 7 in the final Review Report) that provides the Council’s response to the representations received. However, it has not been necessary to make any significant amendments to the document as a result of comments from the public consultation.

He concluded his submission, by advising that copies of the full representations can be viewed by Members at the Planning Department.

RESOLVED:                     (1)   That Council approved the final Review Report and authorised the Group Manager Development, Communities Directorate to submit the final Bridgend LDP Review Report attached at Appendix 1 to the report (in conjunction with the Replacement LDP Delivery Agreement to Welsh Government before the end of June 2018.

                                         (2)   That Council gives delegated authority to the Group Manager Development, Communities Directorate, to make any factual corrections or minor amendments to the Review Report, as considered necessary.