The Corporate Director – Communities submitted a report, the purpose of which was to update the Development Control Committee on the Replacement Local Development Plan.

The Strategic Planning Policy Team Leader advised that the current Bridgend Local Development Plan (LDP) was adopted by Bridgend County Borough Council on 18 September 2013 and sets out the Council’s objectives for the development and use of land in Bridgend County Borough over the 15 year plan period 2006 to 2021 and its policies to implement them.

He advised that an up-to-date LDP is an essential part of a plan-led Planning system in Wales. The Council is statutorily required (under Section 69 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004) to undertake a full review of the adopted LDP at intervals not longer than every 4 years from the date of adoption. As such, a full review of the adopted LDP was triggered in September 2017.

LDPs also have to be based on robust evidence to ensure that critical land-use issues are identified and properly addressed. Some of the evidence base studies that underpin our existing LDP policies are out-of-date and need to be updated and/or replaced in order to fully understand the land-use requirements of the County Borough up to 2033. The material weight attached to the existing LDP and its evidence base will progressively diminish from 2021 onwards as the contextual local situation evolves thereby placing the Council in an increasingly tenuous position and open to challenge from the development industry. Similar circumstances in other Local Authorities (RCT and Caerphilly) have recently resulted in certain sites being granted planning permission at appeal despite being out of accord with the extant Development Plan.

The Strategic Planning Policy Team Leader advised that The Minister for Housing and Local Government had written to all Local Planning Authorities in Wales on 24 September 2020 regarding the end date of LDPs. The Minister had confirmed that LDPs adopted prior to 4 January 2016 will remain extant and the basis for determining planning applications until replaced by a further LDP. However, in view of the considerations set out in the above paragraph, the Strategic Planning Policy Team Leader advised that, whilst the Minister’s letter does confirm that the existing LDP will remain the basis for determining planning applications until it is replaced, this factor alone does not override the urgent need to address the shortfall in the County Borough’s housing land supply and to refresh the evidence base. The existing LDP still needs to be reconsidered and replaced if it is to deliver future housing requirements for the County Borough up to 2033.

The Replacement LDP would avoid ‘planning by appeal’ and ad hoc development coming forward outside the development plan system and not in accordance with the Plan’s strategy. The latest population and household projections have been duly considered and a Local Housing Market Assessment, Infrastructure Delivery Plan and Employment Study are being produced. Consideration has also been given to the policy aspirations linked to the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, together with wider contextual matters and other evidence based studies.

The Officer continued by stating that consultation on the Deposit Plan is due to commence in early 2021 following conclusion of detailed technical scrutiny of candidate sites proposed for development. As well as delivering new homes to meet the needs of newly forming households, the LDP will also provide the scale of growth needed to secure investment in infrastructure, facilities and additional benefits for local communities including recreation provision, employment opportunities and affordable housing. The planned increase in housing supply will also act as a key driver of economic growth across Bridgend and the wider region.

The Welsh Government has advised that it is of paramount importance that progress on the Replacement LDP continues at pace in order to ensure that the County Borough has an up-to-date Development Plan, for the reasons given in paragraph 3.9 of the report.

A Member asked if the timetable for the introduction of the new LDP was on target.

The Strategic Planning Policy Team Leader confirmed that consultation on the Deposit Plan would take place between January and March 2021. This meant that there had been a delay in the original planned timetable, but the delay had been unavoidable due to the current pandemic.  It was anticipated that the new LDP would be introduced in mid-2022.

A Member made the observation that she was aware that, as part of the proposals for the new LDP, there would be an increased amount of S106 funding contributed by site developers for proposed new developments. She hoped that there would not be an influx of developments from housing developers, prior to the deadline date for this increased funding, for the likes of new schools and open space play areas/equipment.

The Strategic Planning Policy Team Leader confirmed that the new drafts of Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG’s), including a revised formula for the calculation of S106 contributions for new proposed housing developments and education facilities etc, had been forwarded onto known developers, so that they were able to accommodate these in their necessary Viability Appraisals. The revised SPG’s for the new calculation of S106 monies would only be accounted for in the new LDP he added, as opposed to the one currently in existence. 

RESOLVED:                                That the Development Control Committee noted the contents of this report that detailed Welsh Government’s advice that it is of paramount importance that progress on the Replacement LDP continues at pace in order to ensure that the County Borough has an up-to-date Development Plan:

• for assessing planning applications and preventing speculative planning applications (i.e. avoiding ‘planning by appeal’);

• to ensure sustainable economic growth and assist in the post Covid recovery; and

• to ensure delivery of affordable housing and critical new infrastructure.