The Forum received a presentation from the Group Manager - Planning & Development Services on the Local Development Plan, National Planning Policy and Placemaking. 

The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services explained that the Local Development Plan (LDP) is a statutory, high level strategy which must be prepared and sets out in land-use terms the priorities and objectives of the Council.  The current LDP is due to expire and the preparation of a replacement plan is underway.  He stated that the plan is at a critical stage and the Council has published the Replacement LDP Deposit Draft for public, with an 8 week consultation held over Summer. 

He informed the Forum that the Deposit Draft builds upon the Preferred Strategy, previously consulted on in 2019.  The purpose of the consultation is to seek the views of all of communities on the next stage of the LDP process.  Once finalised and adopted, the Replacement LDP will replace the existing LDP (2006-2021) as the statutory Development Plan for the County Borough and will remain in place until 2030.  He stated that the Deposit Draft consists of a Written Statementwhich outlines local planning policies, land use allocations and associated justification based on the supporting evidence.  The Proposals Mapillustrates the land use allocations, settlement boundaries and planning designations proposed in the LDP in a plan form.

The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services informed the Forum of the 4 strategic objectives, which sought to reflect national policy and legislation and address issues facing the County Borough.  He stated that public consultation on the Deposit Draft had given the opportunity to all members of the community and key stakeholders to give their opinion, with 1200 responses having been received.  The responses were being reviewed by officers as to whether changes are required to the Deposit Plan.  A new Delivery Agreement with would then be prepared with Welsh Government to set out an appropriate timescale towards formal adoption of the replacement LDP.    

The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services set out the principles of Future Wales 2040 (The National Plan), which is a national land use Development Plan for Wales, replacing the Wales Spatial Plan.  It outlines where investment in infrastructure and development should be for the greater good of Wales and its people and linked to the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.  It is a framework built on by Strategic Development Plans (SDPs) at a regional level and Local Development Plans (LDPs) at local authority level, which must be in conformity with Future Wales.  He stated that the National Plan together with Planning Policy Wales 11 (PPW11) placed a strong emphasis on regional planning through SDPs and more weight to placemaking.  Future Wales 2040 is also seen by the Welsh Government as being the first national scale development plan.  National growth areas have been defined, with Bridgend identified as a strategically important location as a significant town within the region and being part of South East Wales National Growth Area. 

The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services outlined the concept of Placemaking, which is the way places are planned, designed, developed and managed has the potential to positively shape where and how people will live, work, socialise, move about and engage.  It is also about ensuring that each new development contributes positively to creating or enhancing environments within which people, communities, businesses and nature can thrive.  He stated that the concept has been developed in response to ‘placelessness’ within the built environment whereby new development lacks a distinct identity, character, sense of community or collective ownership.  It is about doing things better, creating vibrant, sustainable and good quality communities and improving the overall standard of design with people at the heart of the process.  The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services stated that the local planning authority is in the best position to control and improve development and make the necessary interventions for the benefit of all and this can be achieved through the Local Development Plan and through sound master planning.  The development control system will challenge developers by seeking improvements and added quality.  He stated that placemaking has considerable backing through national policy and is aligned with Council strategies, such as the decarbonisation strategy. 

He informed the Forum that the Minister for Housing and Local Government had launched the Placemaking Charter Wales, developed in collaboration with stakeholders within the built and natural environments.  He stated that Town and Community Councils may sign up to the charter. 

A member of the Forum referred to the 1,200 responses to the draft LDP and asked whether the response rate is on a par with previous consultations on the LDP.  The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services informed the Forum that the responses to the draft LDP were far greater than for the previous LDP which was the first LDP. 

A member of the Forum highlighted an example of placemaking at the site of the former St John’s School site where the number of residential units were reduced and he thanked Hayley Kemp, Principal Planning Officer for her role in ensuring that a quality development took place at the site. 

A member of the Forum asked whether land in the ownership of the authority is included in the LDP.  The Leader informed the Forum that the authority does submit a number of candidate sites as part of the LDP process.  The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services informed the Forum that candidate sites have to be fully justified and the Council will go through the same process as land in private ownership.  A member of the Forum asked whether vacant school sites would be placed on the LDP.  The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services stated that smaller sites not classed as strategic may not specifically be placed on the LDP, but could be allocated as a regeneration site or be considered as development within the settlement limits.  The Leader highlighted the example of the former Maesteg Comprehensive School site which had gone through a robust process prior to its development as an extra care facility.  The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services informed the Forum that major developments of over 10 houses submitted as a candidate site would be strictly assessed prior to it being included in the final draft LDP.  The Cabinet Member Communities assured the Forum that candidate sites go through a rigorous process and that the responses on the draft LDP had been the biggest to date and he thanked planning officers for their efforts in delivering the draft LDP.  The Leader emphasised that the LDP is a statutory process and that it would be considered by a Welsh Government Inspector and it was a function of Council to make determinations on the LDP.

A member of the Forum asked what the timescale is for the Inspector’s report.  The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services informed the Forum that the next step in the process is to produce a consultation report as to whether the plan needs to be changed and also the evidence base, as well as a revised  delivery agreement.  He stated that the Inspector’s workload would need to be considered and that the LDP would have to be programmed into that workload.  He informed the Forum that the pandemic had delayed the LDP preparation and there could be a further delay of 6 months to the process running into mid-2022. 

A member of the Forum asked whether the impact of the pandemic had

impacted the LDP and changed working practices.  The Group Manager - Planning & Development Services stated that some policies had been impacted by the pandemic and which would be reflected in the LDP.  He stated that the LDP is continually under review to ensure it is delivering. 

RESOLVED:               1. That the Town and Community Council Forum noted the report.     

2. That a progress report on the Local Development Plan be scheduled to a future meeting of the Forum.