Caerphilly County Borough Local Development Plan up to 2021 Appendices to the Written Statement Adopted November 2010 Pat Mears - BSc. (Econ) (Hons); Dip. T.P; M.R.T.P.I Chief Planning Officer List of Appendices 1. Special Landscape Areas 2. Visually Important Local Landscapes 3. Green Wedges 4. Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation 5. Statutory Protected Sites (SAC, SSSI, LNR, Historic Environment etc) 6. Minerals and Waste Management Handling Facility - Site Description 7. Housing Site Descriptions 8. Survey Requirements for Housing sites 9. Employment Site Descriptions 10. Principal Town and Local Centre Development Sites – Site Descriptions 11. Commercial Boundaries 12. Leisure Proposal Descriptions 13. Tourism Proposal Descriptions 14. Community Facilities Proposal Descriptions 15. Transportation Proposal Descriptions 16. Road Hierarchy and Movement Restrictions 17. National Core Output Indicators 18. Sustainability Objectives and Monitoring Indicators 19. Monitoring Strategic Policies: Targets and Indicators 20. Delivery and Implementation Appendix 1 Special Landscape Areas NH1.1 Upper Rhymney Valley Consensus It relates very closely to an existing SLA Relevance against Strategic Criteria designated under the Rhymney Valley Need Landscape Strategy. The area represents one of the most open Professional stakeholders have supported the upland areas within the County Borough, designation. abutting the Brecon Beacons National Park. The dualling of the A465 Heads of the Valleys Primary Landscape Qualities and Features has changed part of the character of the area, Cultural Landscapes and will increase development pressures with It is a simple, open landscape with a number increased accessibility. of recent regeneration projects in the area, Whilst this has certain negative effects upon the primarily in the form of the improved A465 quality of the landscape it reinforces the need to corridor, which has both increased in scale and ensure the quality of the remainder of the area is size. maintained. An important example of industrial heritage, In terms of landscape structure it forms the with areas of reclaimed land and spoil tips. northern edge of the coalfield and shows There are examples of various historic evidence of historic mine workings. and contemporary human occupation and exploitation in the form of prehistoric Coherence monuments, redundant industrial workings and The area covers the northern part of the Upper transport systems. Rhymney Valley, primarily to the north of the A465 corridor. Landscape Habitats It provides a distinctive upland landscape unit, Despite largish areas of improved grassland formed primarily by the boundaries of adjacent being present there are also large areas of local authorities. valuable grassland present. There is a good It abuts the Brecon Beacons National Park and mixture of marshy, neutral and acid grasslands. forms a natural buffer zone to further protect Areas of semi-improved and unimproved the Park’s nationally important landscape grassland are fragmented within the wider character and quality. improved grassland landscape. Uniform improved grassland is present resulting from reclamation of former mine workings. Upland river corridor and enclosed upland pasture. Also riparian woodland / scrub. Geological Landscape It exhibits the results of glaciation and forms the northern edge of the pennant sandstone A1.1 outcrop that underpins the South Wales which together with the water management coalfield. With broad, moderately steep-sided features represent a significant concentration valleys controlled by south-dipping mud- of 19th Century industrial water-management dominated coal measures (upper carboniferous). features of considerable historical importance. Valley floor contains alluvium and glacial sand / gravel. Key Policy, Management and Numerous derelict mine workings, shafts, Development Control Issues adits, colliery waste tips and partially Long Term reclaimed opencast workings present within Future development proposals should not and immediatley adjoining the landscape, see the loss of any historic environment or which gives it a particularly industrial feel and geological or geomorphological features character. present within the landscape. Undertake mine spoil and post industrial land Visual and Sensory reclamation schemes where necessary and in Strong visual links with the Brecon Beacons. circumstances where it will benefit the overall Views of the upland area are extensive and landscape. The significant historic and cultural very open with minimal field boundaries and aspects of the landscape should not be lost as a patterns. Adjacent upland areas dominate views result of a reclamation scheme. into the landscape. Encourage appropriate management of notable Strong underlying feel of industrial past. habitats - ensure areas of semi-improved, acid Industrial remnants include old railway sidings and marshy grassland are not degraded to and earthworks. improved grassland. Overhead pylons are visual detractors, and the Encourage sympathetic landscape management A465 has both noise and movement impacts. practice including removing Japanese Area is currently predominantly used as rough Knotweed - implement a Japanese knotweed grazing and agriculture. strategy. Protect elements of Dowlais Free Drainage water Historical Landscapes management system. An extensive area of unenclosed open moorland, forming the easternmost outline Medium Term of Merthyr Common, which has remained Prevent further loss of overall landscape quality relatively, unchanged since the 19th Century, in and character on the settlement edge as a result spite of encroachment by industrial extraction of development. The settlement edges are activity, in particular lime and ironstone quarries. sensitive and due care and consideration needs The area contains numerous water management to be given to the wider landscape setting and features that form part of the extensive remains character when making these development of Dowlais Free Drainage System. There are also decisions. quarries associated with the Dowlais Ironworks, Minimise the visual and noise detractors in the A1.2 landscape, including light pollution from the Coherence introduction of road lighting and additional The area is based upon a distinct, upland large scale features such as pylons and wind landscape unit. turbines. The western boundary is formed by the Encourage reduced grazing - stock grazing will boundary with Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council, prevent the grassland from reaching higher along Cefn Gelligaer. levels of ecological value. Possibly introduce The other buffer zones are included to establish the Tir Gofal scheme or current equivalent to appropriate, defensible boundaries and reflect the area. Prevent the further fragmentation of the intervisibility between the two landscape grasslands within the wider improved grassland units. landscape. Restore to natural landscape, maximising natural Consensus regeneration and removing industrial debris. It relates closely to an existing SLA designated under the Rhymney Valley Landscape Strategy. Immediate Professional stakeholders have supported the Prevent continued degradation of habitats designation. and landscape features through appropriate management and development decisions. Primary Landscape Qualities and Features Minimise and remove visual landscape Cultural Landscapes degradation including fly tipping, burnt / The area is included in the Register of Special dumped cars, littering and illegal off roading. Historic Interest in Wales. Gelligaer Common represents a rich and NH1.2 Gelligaer Common increasingly rare upland landscape in South Relevance against Strategic Criteria East Wales, having numerous distinct foci of Need settlement representing continuity of land use The core of the area - Gelligaer Common - from the prehistoric period to the recent past. represents an important and increasingly rare The area includes: Bronze Age funerary and upland landscape within South East Wales ritual monuments, a Roman fort and associated exhibiting continuity of land use over many features including a Roman road and military centuries. This is reflected in the archaeological practice camps; a mediaeval earthwork castle remains from pre Roman times. and a significant concentration of mediaeval platform houses which include some of the first The area offers extensive opportunities for examples of the type to be archaeologically recreation and access although there are signs investigated in Wales. of degradation and loss of quality through fly tipping and litter in general. Upland valley with mix of past industrial remains and relics of local cultural importance. The surrounding, more lowland areas above Penpedairheol, Bargoed and Deri form both Landscape Habitats physical and visual buffer zones to the core SLA. Designated as common land, the majority of the area exhibits typical upland heath vegetation. Unenclosed uplands comprising of unimproved acid grassland, wet dwarf shrub heath, wet heath / acid grassland mosaic flushes, open water, bracken, ephemeral / short perennials on spoil. Many of the fields are improved grassland. Small field pattern, hedgerows with mature A1.3 trees and patches of broadleaved woodland archaeological heritage, demonstrating a long present, particularly in the south of the SLA. continuity of human activity and occupation. Japanese knotweed present. The lower areas are characterised by extensive, There are a number of vegetation lined minor well preserved irregular