FORWARD PLANNING ONLY LIBRARY COPY MID GLAMORGAN COUNTY STRUCTURE PLAN APPROVED PLAN INCORPORATING PROPOSALS FOR ALTERATION NUMBER 1 SEPTEMBER 1989 A. J . Williams, M.A.(Manc.), D.H. Thomas, Dip.T . p.(Manc.), F.R.T.P.I ., county Clerk and Co-ordinator F.B.I.M., Chartered Town Planner, County Planning Officer CONTENTS PAGE 1 • Introduction 2 . Secretary of State· s Letter of Approval 2 3 . Employment 14 4. Transportation 16 5 . Housing 19 6 . Land Reclamation 20 7 . Minerals 21 B. Retailing 25 9. Landscape and Conservation 27 10. Recreation and Tourism 29 11 • Waste Disposal 31 12. Public Utilities 32 13. Agriculture 33 14. Settlement 34 General Settlement Policies 34 Cynon Valley 36 Merthyr Tydfil 37 Ogwr 3B Rhondda 39 Rhymney Valley 39 Taff Ely 40 15 . Appendix A 42 Key Diagram Introduction This document contains the County Structure Plan Alterations Number 1 policies and key diagram which have been approved by the Secretary of State for Wales, together with his letter of approval which forms part of the new approved plan. It also lists the County Council policies which are considered to be relevant to the structure Plan but were not submitted to the Secretary of State for his approval . Such policies are indicated by capital letters instead of numbers and are included in Appendix A. The first Approved Structure plan came into force on 11th March, 1982 . The Structure Plan Proposed Alterations Number 1 , written Statement and Explanatory Memorandum were submitted to the Secretary of State for Wales in May 1985 and an Examination in Public was held in June 1986. The Secretary of State then published a list of proposed modifications during April 1989 . The plan documents, the report of the Examination in Public and the schedule of proposed modifications were placed on deposit at public libraries and County and District Council Offices throughout the County for a period of statutory public consultation during April, May 1989 and comments from all relevant parties were reported back to the Welsh Office. Modifications to the Structure Plan Alterations were approved and published by the Secretary of State for Wales on 22nd August, 1989 , and the new Approved Structure Plan Alterations Number 1 became operational on 12th September, 1989 . To help understand the reasons for many of the modifications made by the Secretary of State, it is useful to read the Approved Alterations Number 1 in conjunction with the panels report as well as the letter of approval. The County Structure Plan Approved Alternations Number 1 currently forms part of the Development Plan for the County area. The remaining major part consists of adopted local plans normally produced by the District Councils . It is important to note that the adopted local plans which were in force on the date when this plan became operational are still considered to be in general conformity with the revised structure plan. However, a number of these local plans will shortly need to be updated or rolled forward to cater for the period up to and beyond 1996 in line with the revised Structure Plan. Already some District Councils are using this opportunity to begin the rationalisation of their existing local plans into plans which cover the whole of the district area . Where no adopted local plan exists either for the whole or part of a district area, the County Structure plan remains the statutory planning policy document. 1 Y SWYDDFA GYMREIG WELSH OFFICE PARC CATHAYS CATHAYS PARK CAERDYDDCF13NQ CARDIFF CF1 3NQ Telephone fSwitchboard) 0222 82511' (Oirect Line) 0222 82 GTN 2064 Telex 498228 A J Williams Esq 50A16/AWGRlMP County Planning Officer Mid Glamorgan County Council PLS5/19 County Council Offices Greyfriars Road, Cardiff, CF1 3LG 2.~ August 1989 Sir TOWN ARD COUHt'RY PLIRIIDIG ACT 1971 (AS AHENDED) MID GLAMORGAII STRUCTURE PLlII: PROPOSALS FOR ALTERATION NO 1 1 • INTRODUCTION 1.1 I am directed by the Secretary of State to say that, having considered objections (including objections to proposed modifications) and representations and the Panel's report of the Examination in Public (EIP) on selected matters held in June 1986, he has today approved the above-named Proposals for Alteration with modifications. The modified Proposals for Alteration as approved are enclosed. 1.2 The Explanatory Memorandum submitted by the Council, giving reasons for policies and general proposals for the development and other use of land contained in the Proposals for Alteration and stating the relationship of the proposals to general proposals for the development and other use of land in neighbouring areas, has been noted. The Explanatory Memorandum does not form part of the approved alterations. 1. 3 In considering the Proposals for Alteration regard has been had in particular to the relationship of the policies and general proposals to national policies and the policies of neighbouring planning authorities; to the reconciliation of any conflict between the individual policies and general proposals of the proposed alterations; and to the resolution of matters of substantial controversy. 1.4 To the extent considered appropriate, set out below are the reasons for approving or modifying the policies and general proposals submitted by the County Council . 2. fJlPLOYlmNT 2.1 Modifications Policies E1 and E2 have been modified for clarification. 2. 2 The strategy which formed the basis for the approved structure plan, seeking to maintain substantial valley communities and exploit the development potential of areas at the heads and mouths of the valleys, remains central to 2 the proposals for alteration. Although the strategy was not discussed at the ElP consideration was given to its implications for population levels and the provision of land for industry and commerce. There was acceptance that its successful implementation would result in population levels in parts of the county significantly higher than those which might otherwise be expected and that this in turn would affect land requirements. 2.3 It became clear during the ElP that Policy E1 was based upon the supply of land considered suitable for industry and commerce. While concern was expressed about the proposed scale of land provision in the policy, there were no requests to reduce it and there was recognition that changing economic circumstances and employment characteristics limited the value of estimates of land need based on assumed densities of jobs per hectare linked to population forecasts. The arguments rehearsed at the EIP have been accepted and Policies E1 and E2 are approved with minor modifications for clarification. 2.4 Modification Policy E4 has been deleted 2.5 Policy E4 made provision for a large contingency site for development in the longer term by a single industrial user at Penmarch in the heads of the valleys. Despite its acknowledged problems, the County Council regarded Penmarch as the only feasible location for such a site in the county. 2.6 Support for the policy came from Ogwr Borough Council (OBC), Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council (MTBC) and Rhymney Valley District Council (RVDC) which had allocated land at Penmarch as an industrial site in the adopted local plan for the Upper Rhymney Valley . The Brecon Beacons National Park (BBNP) authority was concerned about the likely impact upon the landscape but accepted that detailed definition of the site could appreciably reduce its impact. 2.1 Gwent County Council (GCC) opposed identification of Penmarch and drew attention to both the lack of interest shown in another large site at Pengarnddu, which had been available since 1982 and was already partly serviced, and to its own promotion of a site for large scale industry on 48.5 hectares at Bryn Serth near Tredegar. The Welsh Development Agency (WDA) had no objection to Policy E4 but recognised that development at Penmarch could only be regarded as a long term possibility. 2. 8 The Panel concluded that Penmarch, while not well placed to take advantage of the main road and rail links which serve South Wales, was nevertheless readily accessible to areas in the heads of the valleys, where its existence could act as a morale booster to the local economy. Even though it could be the only site of this size available in Mid Glamorgan for the next decade the Panel noted that Penmarch could have land acquisition problems, be expensive to service and, depending on its detailed location and layout, have an adverse impact on the BBNP . They were concerned that its identification could raise false hopes of jobs in the area and inhibit the search for other sites for large scale industry elsewhere in the county. For these reasons they recommended that the policy be deleted, and this was accepted in the Secretary of State's proposed modification. 2. 9 The proposed deletion of the policy resulted in objections and representations from most local authorities in the county expressing concern that, despite its disadvantages, the site is the only one of its size likely to be available in the foreseeable future, that there appears to be less land available at Bryn Serth than was once anticipated, and that the likely impact of development on the Brecon Beacons National Park could be reduced by site design and landscaping works. 3 2. 10 The conCerns expressed have been carefully noted. With the exception of information about the likely availability of land at Bryn Serth the points made essentially rehearse arguments considered at the EIP. The disadvantages associated with the identification of Penmarch lend continued support for the Panel's recommendation that the policy should be deleted in the hope that this will encourage the search for other such sites elsewhere in the county. 2 . 11 Modification Policy E5 has been modified to clarify the guidance provided; to include a site at Cornelly and to modify references to sites at Abercynon, Miskin Manor and Mid Glamorgan Science Park, Bridgend.