A distinctive feature of the LDP system is the need to consider various spatial and development options in forming the strategy. A number of development options were considered in relation to levels of housing & employment development (refer to BP/3 ‘Growth Level Options Report’) and the general spatial distribution (refer to BP/37 ‘Growth Distribution Options Report’). These options are assessed in terms of their social, economic and environmental impact. A Hierarchy of Settlements has also been prepared to assist the formulation of the strategy (refer to BP/8 ‘Hierarchy of Settlements and Settlement Boundaries’). The preferred spatial option is promoted through the ‘Urban Development Strategy Area’ which directs approximately 85% of new development to either within or adjacent to existing urban settlements along the coastal belt and the inland market town of Llanrwst. These locations are accessible to key facilities and services, closely linked to employment areas, are supported by a strategic road and rail network, form the key areas of AHLN, and they fully utilise the strategic hub of Conwy, Llandudno, Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay and the strategic hub of Rhyl, St Asaph, Bodelwyddan and Prestatyn, including Kinmel Bay.  They are also the most sustainable locations in terms of their accessibility to such services as Llandrillo College, main hospitals and to the larger shopping centres of Llandudno, Colwyn Bay and Abergele.

The remaining development needs are promoted through a ‘Rural Development Strategy Area’ and are directed at meeting the needs of the Main Villages, Minor Villages and Hamlets.  Collectively, the ‘Urban Development Strategy Area’ and ‘Rural Development Strategy Area’ make up the Spatial Strategy for Conwy as illustrated in Diagram 2.  The approach ensures that all communities have access to housing, employment and key facilities and services through the provision of appropriate sustained growth in all communities, but at the same time contributes to conserving the attractive coastline and landscape and the objective to retain the Welsh culture and language.  Together with encouraging the right type of housing and employment and innovative green building design, provides the framework for contributing to a more balanced age structure and an economically active workforce.

The Spatial Strategy sets out the overall approach for the provision of new homes, jobs, infrastructure and community facilities over the plan period for the Plan Area. It sets the context for the policies in this Revised Deposit LDP and outlines how the Vision and Objectives will be achieved.  The strategy has been derived having regard to the national, regional and local policy context, how comprehensively it tackles the key social, economic and environmental priority issues impacting on Conwy, as set out in Section 1, SEA/SA and the availability and deliverability of land over the Plan period.

The Strategy for Conwy will therefore contribute to tackling the priority issues faced by communities.  Sustainable communities will be promoted through appropriately located developments, primarily through the utilisation of the most accessible locations within the coastal belt of the Urban Development Strategy Area and limited development within the Rural Development Strategy Area.

As detailed in the introduction and Table 1, background evidence base documents have identified a number of key priority issues for the Plan. The level of growth proposed looks to contribute to the impending population and household projections and reduce unsustainable out-commuting levels. The Strategy sets out mechanisms to promote a more balanced age structure and stable economic position through the housing and employment it offers, skills development, jobs creations and creative design. Together with setting out mechanisms for improved affordable housing delivery, protection and enhancement of the natural and built environment and promotion of the Welsh language and culture make up essential elements of this Strategy.

The capacity of the house building industry (refer to BP/31 – ‘Capacity of the House Building Industry’), the availability of suitable and deliverable land (refer to BP/21 – ‘Site Deliverability Assessment’), the views of the community and stakeholders (refer to the Consultation Report) and the social, economic and environmental impacts (refer to BP/10 – ‘Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment’) have all played vital roles in determining the level of growth set out in this Strategy.

Having assessed the key factors determining the appropriate level of sustained growth, the strategy will contribute to the delivery of the priority issues and provide for a maximum of up to approximately:

• 6800new housing units with a contingency level of up to 7900 new housing units to reflect natural population change, household size change and net in-migration
• 3690 new jobs with a contingency level of up to 4650 new jobs to reflect natural population change, household size change and net in-migration
• 1675 jobs with a contingency level up to 1925 new jobs to contribute to reducing out-commuting levels
• 2200 new affordable housing units

Additionally, the Strategy makes provision to accommodate the need for:

• Allotments
• Burial Grounds
• Open space
• Minerals Safeguarding
• Waste Facilities
• Transport Infrastructure

The strategic housing policy is designed to ensure that, over the remainder of the Plan period, sufficient housing will be built in the right places and of the right type to maximise the contribution it makes towards meeting identified needs. The Council will take every opportunity through its policies on housing numbers, distribution and housing types to maximise AHLN provision.

As a result of reducing household sizes and projected net in-migration there is a greater need for new housing and, in particular, an increasing AHLN requirement over the Plan period. Population projections indicate that the housing market will need land to provide between approximately 5,500 and 8,150 new housing units by 2022 and the demand for AHLN of approximately 8460 units over the Plan period.  Having assessed the above factors in determining the appropriate level of housing to contribute to the key issues, in particular the capacity of the house building industry (refer to BP/31 ‘Capacity of the House Building Industry’), the Council need to deliver approximately 6800new dwellings by 2022 with a contingency level of up to 7900 dwellings.  The Council can take account of other sources of housing supply in delivering this need as detailed in BP/4 ‘Housing Land Supply’.  These include dwellings already built since 2007 (known as completions), those currently with planning permission (known as committed) and those that are likely to be built over the LDP period that are not allocated within this Plan (known as windfall). In taking into account these sources of supply, the Council need to allocate land to accommodate approximately 2500 new dwellings with a contingency level of 1100 new dwellings up to 2022. This level of housing development will contribute significantly to the AHLN representing the delivery of approximately 2200 new affordable dwellings at the higher growth range, inclusive of completion and commitments.

To encourage the existing and future younger population to remain and work in the area and promote an economically active workforce, the Council will insist that the housing is of the right type, size and tenure and is built to a high quality of design which incorporates renewable energy technologies.  At the same time, the Council will adjust to an ageing population in terms of housing type.  Additionally, to ensure deliverability and contribute to the AHLN, the Council will implement the development of appropriate Council owned sites to achieve, where possible, a higher level of AHLN on site.

The capacity of the house building industry and the viability of proposed sites have been key factors in determining the appropriate and deliverable level of growth in Conwy.  Whilst BP/2 ‘Population and Household Projections’ clearly demonstrates that the proposed level of growth takes account of natural population change, household change and in-migration over the Plan period, it is paramount that this level can be delivered.  BP/31 demonstrates that the level of growth proposed by the Council of 6800 dwellings (453 dwellings a year) is in line with what the house building industry are likely to be able to deliver.  Any greater growth than this level would seriously undermine the deliverability of the Plan.

The Council need to ensure that serviced employment land is available to meet the level of growth projected of a maximum of3690 jobs, with a contingency level of up to 4650 jobs.

The number of people residing in the County Borough who out-commute, to work in locations outside of the County Borough, is unsustainable. Evidence indicates that out-commuting levels can be reduced through the accommodation of additional jobs. As detailed in BP/3 ‘Growth Level Options Report’ a further 1800 jobs, with a contingency levels up to 2070 jobs, should be accommodated within the plan to reduce out-commuting levels. There is no impact on the need for further housing development as those out-commuting reside in the County Borough.

To encourage a more economically active population and overcome the predicted decline in the economically active workforce, the Council will promote higher value employment offer and skills development within Conwy County Borough.  The type of employment offer and skills development is crucial to attracting a healthier workforce, a more balanced age structure and contributing to a younger population overall. To ensure a strategic and holistic approach to development and support the housing strategy, the employment land will be allocated predominantly in the strategic hub locations within the accessible Urban Development Strategy Areas. 

Overall, the strategy promotes a sustained level of housing and employment growth. Supported by the promotion of a higher value employment offer, skills development, appropriate housing type and creative housing design, provides the necessary mechanisms to encourage a more balanced and economically active age structure.

This approach will contribute to the promotion of a sustainable, integrated and accessible transport system, a protected natural and historic environment, greater focus on energy generation and efficiency and improving the delivery of higher quality and well designed buildings.

It is recognised that new economic growth will require a comparable level of homes to support population growth, specifically the growth of economicallyactive residents (labour supply).  As detailed in BP/2, BP/3 and BP/37, the Plan promotes a consistent and coherent growth strategy which ensures a holistic approach to employment and housing growth. This is supported by a number of mixed-use employment and housing sites that are phased to ensure delivery.

The plan makes assumptions that a high degree of housing and employment development will come forward from permissions, windfall and allocations as a source of supply over the Plan period. However, whilst these sites have been thoroughly appraised to assess their deliverability, some may not come forward over the Plan period for a number of reasons. To accommodate this possibility, an element of additional housing and employment land has been appraised and included within this Plan as a contingency. The contingency will also be released where the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) demonstrates that the strategy is compromised and actions need to be implemented to rebalance provision in a way that aligns with the objectives of the Plan.  Therefore, contingency sites will be released where the AMR demonstrates:

Contingency Release A: that projected cumulative employment and housing targets as set out in the implementation and monitoring section are undermined in a way that impacts negatively on the strategy of the Plan;

Contingency Release B: that the objectives and related targets of the Plan (e.g. affordable housing delivery, promotion of a younger population, higher value employment) are not being delivered.

Where the AMR demonstrates a need for the release of contingency sites, the priority for the release will be implemented in line with the hierarchy of settlements and sequential test as set out in Policy DP/2 and Strategic Policy HOU/1 of the Plan.  It will be essential to ensure that the release of sites under ‘Contingency Release B’ are satisfactorily delivering the priority objectives of the Plan.

A considerable amount of these needs are accounted for through completions and existing permissions. The Spatial Strategy guides the location of development and the provision of services and infrastructure towards the achievement of the vision and objectives, which are then delivered through policies in the next Section.

Supported and directed by Strategic Policy DP/1 ‘Sustainable Development Principles’ and DP/2 ‘Overarching Strategic Approach’, the Plan directs development towards the most sustainable locations within Urban Development Strategy Areas, as illustrated in the Key Diagram, detailed in Strategic Policies HOU/1 – ‘Meeting the Housing Need’ and EMP/1 – ‘Meeting the Employment Need’.  These locations are accessible to key facilities and services, closely linked to employment areas, supported by a strategic road and rail network and the priority areas of affordable housing need.  The Urban Development Strategy Area is supported by a Rural Development Strategy Area setting out the approach to meeting the needs of the rural settlements within Conwy.  In general, it is not anticipated that the relative size of settlements will change significantly but,  in some cases, their functions need to be enhanced or strengthened, particularly where this enables needs to be met locally, leading to the creation of more sustainable communities.  

In some areas, the level of development will not be possible without improvements in infrastructure, particularly utility provision, and development may therefore need to be delayed until improvements are made. Additionally, it is essential that a 5 year housing land supply is provided within the Plan. The Plan also proposes a number of mixed-use employment and housing sites which require phasing. The Implementation and Monitoring Section details where certain phasing is required in order to achieve delivery.  This is supported by Strategic Policies HOU/1, EMP/1 and BP/30 ‘Phasing Plan’.

In line with national guidance, the Strategy seeks to ensure that development takes place on Previously Developed Land (PDL), where possible, in order to contribute to protecting Conwy’s natural and built environment. Where PDL sites are available and the development of these will not prejudice other strategic objectives (such as the retention of an adequate supply of employment land) the Council will favour the identification of PDL sites before the development of greenfield land. However, within the accessible urban coastal areas, large scale PDL sites are not available and therefore greenfield releases will be necessary on the fringe of some urban settlements in order to contribute to achieving the objectives of the Plan and, in particular, the delivery of AHLN.

The Council considers that the proportion of AHLN delivered on greenfield allocations is likely to exceed that on PDL, where higher development costs may reduce the viability of providing AHLN.  To contribute further to meeting the AHLN, the Council will allocate appropriate Council owned sites to achieve greater provision where possible.

By ensuring that the allocation of sites are large enough to accommodate ten or more dwellings, the strategy will ensure that a greater proportion of new development contributes towards providing AHLN and essential facilities (see Policy DP/5 ‘Infrastructure and New Developments’) with less impact on the areas natural and built assets.

The urban areas offer the greatest range of employment, facilities and services. These areas have a high degree of accessibility by public transport and other sustainable modes, and have the greatest need for AHLN. They benefit from a strong strategic rail and road corridor running through North Wales connecting the key hubs as recognised in the Wales Spatial Plan, which play an important role in sustaining the local economy. To enhance their roles and tackle the communities needs and issues, the Council will focus the majority of future housing and employment on a combination of Previously Developed Land (PDL) and greenfield land in these locations, primarily through existing commitments, windfall development and new allocations. To accommodate the new allocations for housing, the settlement boundaries have been extended. Development outside the new settlement boundaries will not be allowed in these locations in order to protect the natural and historic environment, except in exceptional circumstances for employment development and for AHLN need on exception sites adjoining Llanrwst.

The Plan focuses the majority of future development in the strategic hub of Conwy, Llandudno, Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay and surrounding urban settlements. However, it is essential that development is well designed, contributes to energy efficiency and is supported with transport and utilities infrastructure, open space and community facilities. As the strategic sub-regional retail centre, Llandudno’s vitality, viability and attractiveness will be protected and enhanced. Through the Strategic Regeneration Initiative, the Colwyn Bay Masterplan will contribute to physical regeneration through improved housing stock, the control of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO), higher employment offer, accessibility to services and the overall environment. Through the Llandudno Junction Masterplan, Llandudno Junction will see development improvements to create sustainable mixed uses and residential neighbourhoods with a mix of housing types and workplaces. The Council will collaborate and work with key partners to deliver the infrastructure and facilities needed to support this development.

Over the period of the Plan, the Urban Development Strategy Areas will accommodate approximately 85% of the housing requirement up to 2022.   Approximately 80% of employment requirements (B1, B2 & B8) will also be accommodated in these accessible urban areas predominantly through the consolidation and delivery of commitments and existing allocations in the Llandudno Junction area.

While each of the Urban Development Strategy Areas have their own characteristics, a number of the urban locations experience close links and roles:

The Town Centre of Llandudno will not accommodate any further major convenience or comparison retail up to 2011, but will be protected and, where possible, enhanced to ensure a balanced mix of uses that sustain activity throughout the day and evening. To improve accessibility and relieve congestion, an interchange facility will be provided at Llandudno Rail Station.   The serviced tourism accommodation offer within Llandudno will be protected and, where possible, enhancement supported to cater for increasing demand, but will further diversify towards all year round tourism, including business tourism, and take advantage of our strategic links to Snowdonia National Park.

Llandudno Junction is promoted as a key economic hub at the heart of North Wales. The completion of the Welsh Assembly Government relocation to the area and the realisation of proposed mixed use sites will further advance the town as a gateway location in the future. The area’s connectivity between the residential element and Llandudno Junction town centre to the north of the rail line and the employment and retail land uses to the south will be improved, in particular through a new footbridge from the railway station to the leisure and entertainment area.

Within Conwy Town, convenience stores are overtrading which may be detrimental to local choice and quality of retail experience. Whilst there would be a qualitative benefit in the development of a retail facility that provides ‘top-up’ shopping on a day to day basis, it is recognised within this Plan that there are no appropriate sites within the town walls and the retention of the historic environment will take precedence over fulfilling the retail need.

The town of Colwyn Bay will have realised its full potential through the implementation of the Colwyn Bay Masterplan. The area will have been regenerated, protected and enhanced to ensure a balanced mix of uses that create a thriving town centre and attractive environment that sustains the day and evening.

To realise the development potential in Abergele and lessen impact on the town centre, construction of a Traffic Improvement Scheme will begin to minimise the volume of traffic, congestion and prevent pressure on the surrounding road network.  Greater sustainable and safer cycle links will be realised through the completion of the SUSTRANS National Route 6 and new cycle/pedestrian bridge at the new Foryd Harbour development in Kinmel Bay.

Towyn and Kinmel Bay are subject to high flood risk levels which will result in limited development opportunities for the future. The Plan recognises that such a lack of development is likely to be at the detriment of the area due the possibility of a number of brownfield sites becoming and remaining vacant in these locations. To assist in preventing further decline, the Plan identifies landscape/environmental enhancement areas in order to achieve enhancements to the natural/built environment, including the creation of wildlife habitats. The identified areas concentrate on principle links, gateways and landmarks which attract more attention from residents and tourists.

The strategy for the rural area is to promote a sustainable rural economy and contribute to meeting AHLN in the Main Villages, Minor Villages and Hamlets, to eliminate any social disadvantages whilst at the same time conserving their natural and built character.  A numberof the rural settlements within the Settlement Hierarchy (see Policy DP/2) have distinctive individual roles, but at the same time support and provide essential links to other communities.

Farming remains a vital part of the rural economy and is important in protecting the character and appearance of the landscape. Over the years there has been some diversification from the traditional rural activities primarily by the reuse of farm and other buildings for business purposes.  This has not only helped to retain employment within rural areas but has also enabled some farms to remain operational as the diversified activity supports the farming business. By allowing suitable conversions of buildings for business use or live work enterprises, including tourism, the Council aims to support the rural economy.  However residential conversions may be more appropriate in some locations and for some types of building to support business and AHLN.

The Council will continue to support a balanced approach to diversification through the conversion of rural buildings provided that it does not result in unacceptable environmental impacts and the character of the countryside is not adversely affected.

The Plan Area is an important area for tourism. The countryside is itself an attraction with plenty of opportunities for recreation.  The strategy will support improved access to, and enjoyment of, the countryside throughout the rural Plan Area.

Over the plan period, approximately 680 dwellings (10%of the housing requirement) will be distributed between these settlements (inclusive of the Minor Villages and Hamlets) through existing commitments, windfall sites and new allocations primarily in the Tier 1 settlements.   Approximately 20% of the employment requirement (B1, B2 & B8) will be allocated and permitted in these locations to support sustainable development.  However, the Plan recognises the development constraints in Dolgarrog, Tal y Bont and Trefriw and the links with Snowdonia National Park.  In Dolgarrog, the existing employment site at the former Aluminium Works will have been safeguarded for mixed use (employment/leisure/tourism) uses.  There will be no further development outside the settlement boundary of Trefriw over the Plan period as a result of the flooding and topographical constraints.

*Falls partly within the Snowdonia National Park

The Key Diagram provides a diagrammatic interpretation of the LDP Strategy, which illustrates the LDP Strategy at a County Borough-wide scale. This is supported by an additional key strategic diagram on transport strategy, retail hierarchy and Proposals Map. This diagram, supported by the diagrams above, outline the broad spatial principles of the Strategy and are not intended to be detailed or site specific. The preferred policy directions are reflected in the diagrams, to facilitate community consultation and sustainability appraisal.