Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Deposit Local
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Foreword Foreword 2013) I am pleased to introduce and recommend this Deposit Local Development Plan (LDP) for Neath Port Talbot (August Plan The LDP sets out the Council's planning policy for the next 15 years and has been designed to make sure that the development of our County Borough over that period genuinely makes Neath Port Talbot a better place as well as complying with national and regional policy guidance. Development The preparation of the LDP has been underpinned by a significant amount of gathered evidence and an extensive programme of community involvement. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their comments and contribution over the course of preparing this Deposit Plan. Local Deposit The quality of our physical environment has a huge impact on our lives. We will continue to encourage high quality development while balancing the need to protect and preserve what is best about the County Borough's built heritage and natural beauty. We want to improve the County Borough as a place to live, work and learn and be able to appreciate and enjoy our environment for Council all our communities. The LDP sets out where and how we want to develop the County Borough. It provides clear messages to those wishing to live, work and invest in Neath Port Talbot as to how the different places Borough in our diverse County Borough are either intended to be developed or protected. County This consultation gives you the opportunity to provide comments on the Plan's suitability to guide development for the next 15 years. This important stage represents the final chance for you to albot T comment on the Plan. Following close of the consultation, this document, along with all comments received, will be submitted to the Welsh Government who will appoint a Planning Inspector Port to carry out an independent Examination of the Plan in public. Neath I would therefore urge you to consider this document and take the opportunity to respond to the consultation. Councillor Anthony Taylor Cabinet Member for Planning 1 eword For Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Deposit Local Development Plan (August 2013) 2 Preface Preface all consultation comments received, will be submitted to the 2013) Welsh Government who will appoint a Planning Inspector to By Post to: This Preface explains the purpose of the Local Development carry out an independent Examination in Public. (August Plan (LDP) and how to comment on the Plan. Nicola Pearce Plan This Deposit LDP has been determined by the Authority to be Note: the Preface will not form part of the final adopted LDP. a sound plan. As the Plan preparation process enables few Head of Planning, changes to be made by the Authority between Deposit and Development The Purpose of this Document Submission to the Welsh Government, what follows is the Plan Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Local the Authority aims to adopt. Part 6 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 The Quays, (1) Deposit requires each authority in Wales to prepare a LDP for its area . The content of this Deposit LDP is underpinned by a range of Brunel Way, supporting documents, including: Council The requirement to prepare the LDP has built upon the Baglan Energy Park, substantive work undertaken by the Authority in developing Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating Strategic Borough the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) which was adopted in Environmental Assessment) [SA(SEA)]; Neath, 2008. The LDP has been underpinned by a significant amount County of gathered evidence, an extensive programme of community Habitats Regulations Appraisal [HRA]; SA11 2GG. albot involvement and policy development. Once adopted, the LDP T Initial Consultation Report [ICR]; and will become the Development Plan for Neath Port Talbot, Port superseding the current UDP, and be the primary document Comments via E-mail or Post will need to be submitted using A range of Topic Papers and Background Studies. Neath for use in the determination of planning applications. the 'Deposit Representation Form'. Copies of the form are available on request or an editable version is available to The LDP will act as the Development Plan over a rolling 15 The Consultation period will run for seven weeks, starting on download from the Authority's website: www.npt.gov.uk/ldp year period (2011-2026) and will comprise a strategy, an Wednesday 28th August and ending at midnight on Tuesday integrated set of policies and site specific proposals that are 15th October 2013. The deadline for comments is midnight on Tuesday 15th linked to an overarching vision. October 2013. Comments received after the deadline will How to Make Comments not be accepted. The Consultation Comments can be submitted: This Deposit LDP is also available in Welsh, either to download This document is the 'Deposit Local Development Plan', or by request. Should you need this document in another format, produced for the purposes of Consultation in accordance with then please contact the LDP team at [email protected] or Regulation 17 of the Town and Country Local Development Directly Online at: www.npt.gov.uk/ldp/consultation [01639] 686421. Plan (Wales) Regulations (2005). This consultation gives you the opportunity to provide Alternatively: comments (or representations) on the Plan's 'soundness' and 3 suitability to guide development for the next 15 years. Following close of the consultation, this document, along with By E-mail to: [email protected] 1 Section 62 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. eface Pr Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Deposit Local Development Plan (August 2013) 4 Contents 1 Introduction and Background 1 2013) 1.1 Neath Port Talbot Context 2 (August 1.2 The National, Regional and Local Policy Plan Context 4 1.3 Key Issues in Neath Port Talbot 11 Development 2 The Strategy 13 Local 2.1 Vision 13 Deposit 2.2 Objectives 13 Council 2.3 Development Strategy 15 2.4 Growth Strategy 16 Borough 2.5 Spatial Strategy 18 County 3 Overarching Policies 25 albot T 4 Area Based Policies 31 Port 5 Topic Based Policies 37 Neath 5.1 Communities and Housing 37 5.2 The Economy 48 5.3 Environment and Resources 58 5.4 Transport and Access 72 5.5 Culture and Heritage 76 6 Implementation and Monitoring 81 6.1 Delivery and Implementation 81 6.2 Monitoring and Review 87 7 Supplementary Planning Guidance 119 Abbreviations and Acronyms i Glossary iii Contents Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Deposit Local Development Plan (August 2013) 1 . Introduction and Background 1 Introduction and Background out by the Council. This information, referred to as the Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) 2013) 'evidence base', has been used to identify the key issues and 1.0.1 The Council is required under the Planning and challenges facing the County Borough. 1.0.9 The LDP has also been the subject of a Habitats (August Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 to prepare a Local Regulations Appraisal (HRA). The HRA has assessed whether Plan Development Plan (LDP). 1.0.5 In addition, the Council has carried out an extensive the Plan is likely to have a significant effect on any European programme of community engagement, involving both the Sites (also known as 'Natura 2000' Sites) directly or indirectly 1.0.2 A LDP guides the future development of an area, public and a variety of stakeholder organisations. At the various either alone, or in combination with other plans and projects. Development providing a clear vision for the County Borough setting out stages of Plan preparation, a series of engagement events were How To Use This Document Local where, when and how much new development can take place arranged to identify the issues that exist, establish the over the next 15 years (2011-2026). The aim is to provide community's aspirations for the future, discuss the strategic Deposit developers and the public with certainty about the planning direction of the Plan and consider the emerging policies and framework for Neath Port Talbot proposals for the Deposit Plan. The LDP must be read as a whole. All policies are Council interrelated and must be read together to understand their The Local Development Plan Process 1.0.6 All the elements of engagement have been documented combined effect upon any planning proposal. Borough and form an integral part of the evidence base. The views 1.0.3 The LDP process comprises the following stages: expressed at each stage have all helped to inform the LDP. In County addition, the Council has worked closely with neighbouring Structure of the Document albot Developing and reviewing the evidence base; T Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to ensure cross boundary 1.0.10 The LDP is structured as follows: issues have been taken into account. Port The Delivery Agreement; Sustainability Appraisal (incorporating Strategic 1. Introduction and Background: provides a broad Neath The Pre-Deposit Plan; Environmental Assessment) [SA(SEA)] introduction to the area and the key economic, social and environmental characteristics of the County Borough, Deposit Plan; 1.0.7 The LDP has been the subject of a Sustainability including background information, the policy context and Appraisal (SA) incorporating Strategic Environmental identified key issues for the area. Submission and Examination; Assessment (SEA)(2). 2. The Strategy: outlines the Vision and Objectives for the Inspector's Report; 1.0.8 The appraisal has been an iterative process throughout Plan providing an explanation of the overall growth and Plan preparation and policies and proposals contained within spatial strategies to meet the identified objectives, including Adoption; and the Plan reflect the outcome of that process. The scope of the the differentiation between the Coastal Corridor Strategy appraisal evaluates the Plan to ensure that it reflects sustainable Area and the Valleys Strategy Area and the differing Monitoring and Review.