The following vision sets out where we want to be in 2022.  The objectives that follow address the issues that have been identified in Section 1 and the supporting Background Papers.

The LDP vision is set firmly in the Conwy Community Strategy (CS). The Community Strategy for Conwy 2004 – 2014 is the product of a partnership effort between the Council and members of the community, public bodies, businesses and the voluntary sector.  Unitary authorities have a duty under the Local Government Act 2000 to prepare community strategies to act as the overarching strategic framework for all other related plans and strategies. The three key overarching objectives set out in the CS are:

• A County of outstanding natural beauty, which will respect, protect and enhance its environment and heritage
• A community which supports those in need and offers a warm welcome to its many visitors
• People who celebrate diversity, and who are intent on supporting a vibrant and thriving future for all

The Community Strategy follows five themes.   They are:

• A Healthy Place
• A Prosperous Conwy
• Strong and Safe Communities
• Encouraging Learning and Creativity
• A Quality Environment

The Conwy County Council Corporate Plan also concentrates on what is important to the communities in Conwy.  It sets out what the Council are going to do and will be supported by the LDP in its Vision, Objectives, Policies and Monitoring.

The main aim is to revitalise our communities so that they can be proud of where they live. The Corporate Plan focuses its commitments on:

• People – you, our customers.
• Places – the communities where you live.
• Partnerships – when we can’t provide the service on our own and need to work with others.

The Corporate Plan identifies 12 commitments to the communities of Conwy. The land-elements of such are identified below:

1. If you are older, we will support you to maintain your independence and place in your community by developing extra care housing schemes in Llanfairfechan, Llanrwst, Llandudno and Abergele.
2. We will make sure our children get the best educational and social start by developing and putting in place a primary school modernisation programme that looks at education standards, whether our buildings and equipment are fit for purpose, unfilled places and access to resources.
3. The quality of our environment and the street scene of our communities will be reviewed and protected.
4. We will increase the number of allotments available in communities.
5. Working with housing associations and housing developers we will develop affordablehousing solutions for local people.
6. As a Council we will work with local businesses to identify skills gaps. We will then support people to increase their skills and get into work so that they are less dependent on out of work benefits, have improved mental and physical wellbeing and increased disposable income.
7. We will lead the way in making sure we contribute towards a sustainablefuture.
8. Leisure and cultural provision will be reviewed in each locality and we will proactively support clubs, groups and projects which promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles.
9. We will modernise the way we work and make our services more accessible.
10. We will work with businesses to set up a business forum and then develop a package of measures to support businesses in areas in need of regeneration..
11. We will talk to communities about the likelihood and possible consequences of flooding and coastal erosion, working to understand and manage their expectations of us and supporting them to be prepared for flooding, to minimise the consequences of incidents and to be able to revert to normality as quickly as is possible after flooding..
12. We will make sure that the safety and efficiency of all forms of transport is improved and social exclusion is tackled by making employment, education, health and services for all communities more accessible

"By 2022, the communities of Conwy will be more sustainable, offer a higher quality of life and be supported by a more balanced age structure. The housing needs of the area will be better met, with greater access to affordable housing. The area will be more prosperous, with greater access to high quality, better paid jobs, particularly in high value service industries and supported through skills development. Commuting will have been reduced. Through the promotion of an Urban Development Strategy Area, the urban coastal belt areas, particularly Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Llandudno and Llandudno Junction will have become the economic, social and cultural focus of the Plan Area. The natural and built environment will be protected and enhanced, and development will be concentrated in the most accessible and sustainable locations. The special character of the rural areas as places to live and work will be fostered through a Rural Development Strategy.  Within these communities, development will have supported and sustained the long-term wellbeing of the Welsh Language.

A greater emphasis on affordable housing for local need, energy generation and efficiency, higher quality and well designed buildings and skills development will have contributed to a more prosperous economy and balanced age structure.

An improved public transport, walking and cycling network and interchange facility at Llandudno will have lessened congestion problems, provided essential links to key facilities and services and contributed to the delivery of housing and employment need.

Through the implementation of a Rural Development Strategy Area, the Main Villages will have reflected their functional ties with the urban areas and Snowdonia National Park, but also their supporting role to the Minor Villages and Hamlets.  Reflecting their character, limited sustainable growth will have contributed to the delivery of a combination of market and affordable housing for local needs.  They will have contributed to the provision of essential services and facilities to the Minor Villages and Hamlets by providing local residents with easy access to shopping, employment and services. Limited sustainable growth in the Minor Villages and Hamlets will reflect their character, contribute to meeting the needs of the community, including affordable housing for local needs, open space and key services.

The natural environment, countryside and coastline will have been protected and their enhancement promoted. Green spaces will have been secured to contribute to the recreational, health and economic needs of Conwy. New ‘Green Wedges’ will have been created to protect and enhance the natural environment and the identity of existing settlements.  Development will have contributed to protecting the biodiversity and amenity value of the countryside and coast, and will have minimised the use of natural resources through promotion of sustainable energy sources”.

A number of LDP objectives have been formulated as a means of realising the vision and tackling the priority issues within the Plan Area. The origin of the objectives is detailed in BP/1 ‘Related Plans and Strategies’.   The Spatial Objectives are:

SO1:   Ensure the needs of the community are met, whilst at the same time protect the natural and built environment, by promoting adequate and appropriate levels of development, locating development where practicable on previously developed land and primarily in the larger urban coastal settlements and along existing and proposed infrastructure networks, identifying and protecting key environmental assets, and ensuring an efficient density of development compatible with local amenity.

SO2    To promote the comprehensive regeneration of Colwyn Bay, Abergele, Towyn and Kinmel Bay to broaden economic activity, address social exclusion and reduce deprivation through the Strategic Regeneration Area Initiative.

SO3.   To provide land to enable an adequate and diverse supply of housing to contribute to needs, including affordable housing for local need, and to meet the need for Gypsies and Travellers, at a scale that is consistent with the ability of different areas and communities to grow.

SO4.   Identify and safeguard adequate land to meet the community's needs for more jobs and greater economic prosperity and reduced out-commuting levels focussing, in particular, on higher value employment opportunities and skills development within and around the strategic hubs of Conwy, Llandudno, Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay and the strategic hub of Rhyl, St Asaph and Prestatyn including Kinmel Bay.

SO5.   Encourage the strengthening and diversification of the rural economy that is compatible with the local economy, community and environment.

SO6.   Develop vibrant town centre destinations for shopping, business and commerce, culture, entertainment and leisure through the protection and enhancement of the vitality, viability and attractiveness of Llandudno as the strategic sub regional retail centre, and regeneration of Colwyn Bay town centre and other key shopping centres.

SO7.   Concentrate development along existing and proposed infrastructure networks and, in particular, at locations that are convenient for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport.

SO8.   Assist tourism through the protection and enhancement of coastal and rural based tourism attractions and accommodation and further exploit the potential to develop, strengthen and encourage an all year round tourism industry.

SO9.   To encourage efficient patterns of movement and to recognise the strategic role that the A55 and therail corridors will play in meeting the Boroughs development needs, and to give particular attention to development locations that are convenient for pedestrians, walking and cycling in Conwy to aid the reduction of transport CO2 emissions.

SO10. Ensure that good, sustainable, inclusive design is delivered which includes the opportunity to design out crime, to develop strong, safe and locally distinctive communities and encourage the younger population to remain and return to the area.

SO11.Reduce energy consumption through the careful siting and design of buildings and the promotion of renewable energy developments where they have prospects of being economically attractive and environmentally and socially acceptable.

SO12.Safeguard and enhance the character and appearance of the undeveloped coast and countryside, sites of landscape/conservation importance, features of historic or architectural interest and ensure the conservation of biodiversity and protected species.

SO13.To improve accessibility to essential services and facilities, including open space, allotments, health, education and leisure.

SO14.To promote the prudent use of resources through the minimisation of waste and assist in providing an integrated network of waste management facilities consistent with the needs of the area and the waste hierarchy.

SO15.Contribute to regional and local mineral needs in a sustainable manner.

SO16.Ensure that development supports and sustains the long-term wellbeing of the Welsh language and the character and linguistic balance of communities within the County Borough.

BP/1 on Related Plans and Strategies shows how these objectives relate to the five themes of the Community Strategy, the five themes of the Wales Spatial Plan and the four sustainability principles listed in Planning Policy Wales.

Tables 2 & 3 below list the LDP Spatial Objectives and sets out how they relate to the objectives of the Community Strategy and the Corporate Plan. Most of the LDP Objectives and policies contribute to the achievement of more than one of the Community Strategy and Corporate Plan Objectives.