Brecon Beacons National Park Authority Local Development Plan
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Brecon Beacons National Park Authority Local Development Plan Part One Report Hay Assessment May 2009 Contents Introduction Preferred Strategy and Settlement Hierarchy Community Overview Part One: Hay-on-Wye in context Part Two: Land Availability Study Part Three: Key Stakeholder Comments Conclusion Key Issues for Hay-on-Wye Objectives for the LDP Hay-on-Wye Vision Proposed policy and land allocations Introduction This paper is one of a series of Settlement Assessment papers prepared by the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority (BBNPA) as part of the review of the evidence base for the Local Development Plan (LDP). This paper considers the Settlement of Hay-on-Wye in detail. The overall purpose is to establish, through a combination of desk surveys, consultations and site surveys, a set of policies and land allocations which are able to respond to the needs of each community whilst taking into account the special qualities of the National Park To do this we carried out a ―3 step‖ survey Step 1—‖paint a picture‖ of the place and its qualities Step 2—find out how much growth the place could take without harming the special qualities of the National Park Step 3—take into account what people told us technical experts (water, highways, drainage etc) Local Residents and Town and Community Councils This is summarised into a three part report for the settlement Part one provides an overview of the settlement in context, drawing on diverse range of evidence to consider constraints and opportunities for future sustainable development of the area. The findings of this review of the evidence base is then summarised into a set of key issues for the area. From this position it will be possible to define settlement specific objectives for the area for the LDP to address. Part two is a broad survey of the land available within Hay-on-Wye for future development. All land considered to be available for development has been assessed to determine its suitability. This survey is not intended to be prescriptive, not all land surveyed will be needed or relevant within the LDP; rather the survey is intended as an audit to determine the available land for development and to consider its potential to accommodate the levels of growth set out in part one of the document. The survey considered both land submitted as candidate sites to the Authority and areas of potential expansion to current development boundaries. In some cases the survey also considers land within current development boundaries which can accommodate development, but at time of survey is undeveloped. It is possible therefore that there is land included within this survey that was not formally submitted as a candidate site. The inclusion of this land is important in order to establish a clear view of the capacity of the whole settlement, rather than just the identified sites. It was also considered important to ensure that all land was surveyed at the time of the survey visit, in order that alternative options were immediately available should the identified candidate sites prove to be unsuitable. Where land has been identified that was not submitted as a candidate site, then further investigations will be made into land ownership and availability. By carrying out this additional work is intended that the plan will be able to respond quickly to the possible scenario where a community has indicated that they are in favour of some growth for a settlement, but there are no suitable candidate sites available. Part three: Consultation Responses will contain the results of consultations with communities and technical experts (such as Local Authority Highways Departments, Welsh Water, Environment Agency) to be conducted in Autumn 2009. This part of the report is currently in draft and contains only the results of the initial Town and Community Consultations conducted in 2008. Report conclusion The report concludes by summarising the findings from both parts of the assessment as follows: Key issues for the settlement, Translating these issues into objectives for the LDP to address Defining a vision for the future of the area Setting out policy and land allocation solutions necessary to achieve the objectives for the settlement The conclusion will form the basis of future consultation with communities and key stakeholders to be conducted in August 2009. LDP Preferred Strategy and Settlement Hierarchy The LDP Preferred Strategy contains a policy which governs how future development should be spread across the Park. How a place is ―classified‖ in this Policy will determine the level of growth this it will receive over the 15 year plan period The LDP Preferred Strategy overarching aim is as follows We want to ensure that all the communities in the Park are assured of a vital and sustainable future and are able to meet their day to day needs within the local community In order to ensure that this overarching objective is achievable we aim to provide land for a moderate level of growth (approximately 1500-1650 households within the Park Area over the plan period) to be distributed in accordance with a defined sustainable settlement hierarchy Development within Primary Key Settlement Brecon is identified by the Wales Spatial Plan as a Primary Settlement which is ―strategically placed to serve its surrounding communities.‖ Brecon will become the spatial hub to support opportunities for new employment and housing. Development options will contribute to the regeneration of Brecon in line with the vision of the Wales Spatial Plan. Development within Key Settlements The Wales Spatial Plan identifies Talgarth, Hay on Wye and Hay-on-Wye as Key Settlements. These areas will fulfill a role in serving both their resident population and surrounding settlements. They also provide links and influence to larger service areas outside of the Park. Within Key Settlements development will be focused to meet housing requirements, near to facilities and services to reduce over reliance on the private car. Employment opportunities will be focused within Key Settlements servicing the needs of the wider surrounding communities. Other Listed Settlements: Outside the ―Key Settlements‖ there are a number of settlements which have a limited range of facilities which are able to meet the day to day needs of residents. These settlements may have capacity to accommodate some appropriately scaled development for housing, employment opportunities or community facilities which would support the vitality and viability of the area. This could be in the form of extended development limits for infill of one or two development limits for infill of one or two dwelling or an allocation for a number of dwellings. Such settlements may also be identified as suitable locations for allocations for employment use. Level 4 Settlements These are settlements which are not appropriate locations to accommodate the general population growth or to provide employment land. However in response to community consultations, a need for development to support the long term sustainability of the settlement has been identified. In these settlements land may be identified for affordable hosing to meet local needs Development outside of listed settlements Development will be restricted to that which can be proved to be necessary in a given location. This could be development which is seeking to consolidate/diversify an existing, established business (including agriculture) or to produce wider identifiable community benefits. In all cases proposals must reflect and respect the character of the locality both in terms of its design and associated levels of activity. It‘s location in relation to existing settlements and facilities and to road access will also be carefully considered. Such development will be of a small scale and will be subject to meeting rigid criteria in order to protect the special qualities of the National Park. Hay-on-Wye is identified as a key settlement for the area, the evidence set out below examines how this vision for the area can be translated into action. Part One Hay-on-Wye Overview Hay-on-Wye Past Planning Policy and Previous Development Hay-on-Wye Key Statistics Hay-on-Wye Sustainability Questionnaire Hay-on-Wye and National Park Special Qualities Hay-on-Wye Natural Environment Conservation Issues Landscape Character Hay-on-Wye Cultural Heritage Historic Landscape Nature of the Built Environment Hay-on-Wye Vitality and Viability Employment Opportunities Previous Development History Hay-on-Wye Connectivity Road Network Sustainable Transport Options Relationship to Other Settlements Hay-on-Wye Resilience to Climate Change Flooding Carbon Footprint Hay-on-Wye and Tourism Hay-on-Wye Community Defined Issues Summary of Part One Key Issues Objectives to be addressed by the LDP Hay-on-Wye Overview Hay-on-Wye as a settlement dates back to Norman times, having grown up around the castle and St Mary‘s church. It is located beside the Black Mountains at the north eastern tip of the National Park, and is bordered by the National Park boundary to the north, east and west, by the River Wye to the north, and the English/Welsh border directly to the east. The historic town contains a number of notable buildings including St. John‘s Chapel, the Cheese Market and the Butter Market, and a wealth of listed buildings, some dating as far back as the 16th century. More recently Hay has achieved fame – and attracts significant numbers of visitors – as a result of its second-hand and antiquarian book shops. This reputation has led to the town hosting a number of literary-based festivals, notably the renowned Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts, currently in its fifth year and drawing substantial tourists to the town during May and June. A traditional market, held on Thursdays in the Memorial Square, the Butter Market and around the Town Clock, provides locals and visitors with the opportunity to purchase locally sourced produce.