Foreword Foreword As Executive Board Member for Regeneration and Leisure, I am pleased to present the Carmarthenshire County Council Local Development Plan (LDP) as adopted by the County Council on December 10 2014. Whilst taking account of national plans, policies and programmes, the Carmarthenshire LDP provides a locally distinctive means of shaping the future use of land within our County. As such, the Plan takes account of our County’s unique characteristics and qualities and it gives me pleasure to see the emphasis placed on sustainable development as a central principle. I am also pleased to note the close working relationship that the Plan demonstrates with the Integrated Community Strategy. In noting that the LDP is one of only two plans that the Authority is statutorily obliged to produce, I consider that this Plan provides a robust mechanism for delivering the Council’s ambitions over the coming years. I particularly welcome the Plan’s recognition of the importance of promoting a sustainable distribution of growth and regeneration within the context of approaches in regional working. The LDP considers a wide range of issues and presents a vision for the future of the County. The Plan’s Strategy will help realise this vision by identifying the level and distribution of growth and development needed in accordance with the diverse character of the County’s communities. The Plan will deliver its Strategy via the implementation of a range of policies and land use allocations, including provision for new homes and employment over the plan period. I also note that the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) have both provided important roles within the Plan making process and that all regulatory requirements have been adhered to. The LDP has been subject to a rigorous independent Examination and I warmly welcome the Inspector’s report. Furthermore, the preparation of the LDP was informed by extensive consultation, and to this end I would like to note my gratitude to those of you that provided valuable assistance in terms of evidence gathering, consultation feedback and participation in the Examination. My thoughts now turn to the delivery of the Plan, and in this respect I would refer to the statutory requirements placed upon the Authority in terms of Monitoring and Review along with the production and adoption of Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG). Such SPG provides an opportunity to consolidate and elaborate upon the policies and provisions of this Plan and I personally place particular importance on the production of site specific guidance to developers in the form of development briefs. Cllr Meryl Gravell Executive Board Member for Regeneration and Leisure Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan Adopted December 2014 Contents The Local Development Plan: Contents Page Policy Index i List of Tables and Figures iv Abbreviations v 1. Introduction 1 2. Policy Context 5 3. Key Issues and Drivers 17 4. Vision and Strategic Objectives 21 5. Strategy and Strategic Policies 26 5.1 The role of Sustainability 26 5.2 County Context 27 5.3 Sustainable Development and Climate Change 28 5.4 Population and Housing 29 5.5 Spatial Framework and Settlement Hierarchy 31 5.6 Areas for Protection 34 5.7 Strategic Sites 34 5.8 Strategy Components 35 5.9 Strategic Policies 37 6. Specific Policies 74 6.1 General Policies 74 6.2 Housing 81 6.3 Economy and Employment 110 6.4 Retailing 117 6.5 Transport and Accessibility 126 6.6 Environmental Qualities- Built & Natural Environment 131 6.7 Renewable Energy 140 6.8 Environmental Protection 147 6.9 Recreation and Leisure 155 6.10 Tourism 159 6.11 Minerals 166 6.12 Waste Management 173 7. Implementation and Monitoring 176 7.1 Implementation 176 7.2 Monitoring 182 8. Glossary of Terms 197 Appendices 205 Appendix 1 – Settlement Hierarchy 205 Appendix 2 – Strategic Sites 220 Appendix 3 – Supplementary Planning Guidance 227 Appendix 4 – Special Landscape Areas 228 Appendix 5 – Minerals Sites 236 Appendix 6 – Waste Management Facilities 237 Appendix 7 – Primary and Core Road Networks 239 Appendix 8 – Related Documents and Strategies 240 Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan Adopted December 2014 Contents Policy Index Page Strategic Policies SP1 Sustainable Places and Spaces 37 SP2 Climate Change 39 SP3 Sustainable Distribution- Settlement Framework 40 SP4 Strategic Sites 43 SP5 Housing 48 SP6 Affordable Housing 50 SP7 Employment- Land Allocations 52 SP8 Retail 55 SP9 Transportation 58 SP10 Sustainable Mineral Development 60 SP11 Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency 61 SP12 Waste Management 62 SP13 Protection and Enhancement of the Built and Historic Environment 64 SP14 Protection and Enhancement of the Natural Environment 68 SP15 Tourism and the Visitor Economy 69 SP16 Community Facilities 71 SP17 Infrastructure 72 SP18 The Welsh Language 73 Specific Policies General Policies GP1 Sustainability and High Quality Design 74 GP2 Development Limits 76 GP3 Planning Obligations 77 GP4 Infrastructure and New Development 78 GP5 Advertisements 79 GP6 Extensions 80 Housing H1 Housing Allocations 82 H2 Housing within Development Limits 98 H3 Conversion or Subdivision of Existing Dwellings 99 H4 Replacement Dwellings 100 H5 Adaptation and Re-use of Rural Buildings for Residential Use 101 H6 Residential Care Facilities 103 H7 Gypsy and Traveller Sites 103 H8 Renovation of Derelict or Abandoned Dwellings 104 H9 Residential Caravans 105 H10 Home Working 106 Affordable Housing AH1 Affordable Housing 106 AH2 Affordable Housing- Exceptions Sites 107 AH3 Affordable Housing- Minor Settlement in the Open Countryside 108 Economy and Employment EMP1 Employment- Safeguarding of Employment Sites 111 EMP2 New Employment Proposals 112 EMP3 Employment- Extensions and Intensification 112 Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan Adopted December 2014 i Contents EMP4 Farm Diversification 113 EMP5 Mixed Use Sites 114 Retailing RT1 Retailing Hierarchy 118 RT2 Principal Centres (Growth Areas): Primary Retail Frontage 119 RT3 Principal Centres (Growth Areas): Secondary Retail Frontage 120 RT4 Principal Centres (Growth Areas): Town Centre Zone 121 RT5 Town Centres (Service Centres) 122 RT6 Town Centres (Service Centres) - Convenience Stores 122 RT7 District Centres (Local Service Centres) 123 RT8 Local Shops and Facilities 123 RT9 Regional Centres (Retail Parks) 124 Transport and Accessibility TR1 Primary and Core Road Networks 126 TR2 Location of Development- Transport Considerations 126 TR3 Highways in Developments- Design Considerations 127 TR4 Cycling and Walking 128 TR5 Gwili Railway 130 TR6 Redundant Rail Corridors 130 Environmental Qualities- Built Environment EQ1 Protection of Buildings, Landscapes and Features of Historic 131 Importance EQ2 Enabling Development 132 Environmental Qualities- Natural Environment EQ3 Regional and Local Designations 134 EQ4 Biodiversity 135 EQ5 Corridors, Networks and Features of Distinctiveness 136 EQ6 Special Landscape Areas 137 EQ7 Development within the Caeau Mynydd Mawr SPG Area 139 Renewable energy RE1 Large Scale Wind Power 140 RE2 Local, Community and Small Wind Farms 143 RE3 Non-Wind Renewable Energy Installations 145 Environmental Protection EP1 Water Quality and Resources 147 EP2 Pollution 150 EP3 Sustainable Drainage 152 EP4 Coastal Management 153 EP5 Coastal Development 153 EP6 Unstable Land 154 Recreation and Leisure REC1 Protection of Open Space 156 REC2 Open Space Provision and New Developments 157 REC3 Proposed New Open Space 157 Tourism TSM1 Static Caravan and Chalet Sites 160 Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan Adopted December 2014 ii Contents TSM2 Touring Caravan and Tent Sites 161 TSM3 Small Scale Tourism Development in the 162 Open Countryside TSM4 Visitor Accommodation 163 TSM5 Major Tourism proposals in the Open Countryside 164 Minerals MPP1 Mineral Proposals 168 MPP2 Mineral Buffer Zones 169 MPP3 Mineral Safeguarding 169 MPP4 Coal Extraction Operations 170 MPP5 Aggregate Alternatives 171 MPP6 Restoration and Aftercare of Mineral Sites 172 Waste Management WPP1 Nantycaws Waste Management Facility 174 WPP2 Waste Management Facilities outside Development Limits 174 Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan Adopted December 2014 iii Contents List of Tables and Figures Table Page Number 1 Issues and Drivers 17-20 2 LDP Strategic Objectives 22-24 3 Strategic Site Allocations 44 4 Settlement’s Housing Provision 46-47 5 Employment Land Provision 52 6 Employment Land Allocations 53 7 Carmarthenshire Road Network – Road Length 56 8 H1 Housing Allocations 82-97 9 Wind Farms in Carmarthenshire 143 10 Implementation of Strategic Policies 177-181 11 Monitoring Framework 184-196 12 Settlement Hierarchy – Role and Function of 205-219 Settlements 13 Supplementary Planning Guidance 227 14 Mineral Sites – Active / Inactive Sites 236 15 Mineral Sites – Dormant Sites 236 16 Waste Management Facilities 237 - 238 Figure Page 1 Pembrokeshire The Haven – Spatial Strategy and 6 Settlement Framework 2 Swansea Bay and the Western Valleys – Spatial 7 Strategy and Settlement Framework 3 Central Wales – Spatial Strategy and Settlement 9 Framework 4 The Local Development Plan Vision 21 5 The Vision and Local Development Plan Process 24 6 Carmarthenshire LDP – Key Diagram 36 Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan Adopted December 2014 iv Abbreviations Abbreviation List AA Appropriate Assessment ALC Agricultural Land Classification AMR Annual Monitoring Report AQMA Air Quality Management Areas BBNP Brecon Beacons National Park BGS British Geological Survey BREEAM British