The principles of sustainable development underpin the Conwy LDP. Sustainable development means achieving economic stability and removing social inequalities whilst at the same time protecting and enhancing the environment. The Development Principle Policies aim to ensure that the location, scale and type of development allowed follows sustainable development principles and achieves environmental, economic and social gains for current and future generations of Conwy.

High levels of new development are proposed, in particular, within the accessible Urban Development Strategy Areas of Conwy over the Plan period. This is not the direct result of the past development completions and trends within the coastal belt area, but as a result of its links and importance for employment, its accessibility and demand and its attractiveness as a good place to live.  The Urban Development Strategy Area is supported by a Rural Development StrategyArea setting out the approach to meeting the needs of the rural settlements within Conwy. The predominantly rural character and past generic design of the County Borough makes it particularly important that new development is sensitively located and designed to a high quality in order to contribute to meeting the above objectives.

All proposals for the development and use of land must be sustainable and contribute to meeting the needs of the local community.  To ensure sustainability, growth will be located in the main urban coastal belt locations within the Urban Development Strategy Area as being the most accessible and sustainable locations. This is also in line with the Spatial Strategy and in accordance with the DP/2 ‘Overarching Strategic Approach’.  In ensuring sustainable development, each of these allocations have been assessed against the sustainable development criteria in Strategic Policy DP/1 ‘Sustainable Development Principles’ and deemed the most appropriate locations for development. The Council will focus on these areas.

The Main Village’s service function role to the Minor Villages and Hamlets will be protected, sustained and further developed. The character and vitality of the Minor Villages and Hamlets will be protected, with small scale development being acceptable subject to it being 100% AHLN, and a high standard of sustainable inclusive design, which responds to, and enhances, the local context and distinctiveness of the place.

All development proposals will be assessed in terms of the County Boroughs’ identified needs and their potential impact on communities and the environment.  Development proposals will be expected to make efficient use of land and take a sequential approach that gives priority to accessible locations and PDL. Proposals in the Plan Area should seek to promote sustainability by demonstrating that the following criteria set out in Policy DP/1 ‘Sustainable Development Principles’ have been taken into account.

The principles of sustainable development are fundamental to international obligations and to national, regional and strategic planning policy. These principles also underpin the strategy and all policies and proposals of the Conwy County Borough Council LDP. It is of key importance to the continuing success of the County Borough that development is sustainable and contributes to achieving environmental, economic and social gains for current and future generations.

This key policy draws together sustainability issues to ensure that the fundamental principles of sustainable development underpin all development proposals. The issues dealt with are covered in greater detail in the later subject chapters. It also includes references to key sustainability issues of building methods and materials, which will be part of the overall consideration of the development proposal, but are not directly related to the planning system.

All planning applications for development are required to submit a Sustainability Appraisal Statement (SAS) to demonstrate that they have addressed sustainability issues in their development proposals. Exceptions to the submission of a SAS are detailed in the Sustainable Development SPG. The SAS may cross reference information in the Design and Access Statement and elsewhere in the application. However, a summary of this information should be provided in the Sustainability Statement to assist in assessing the information against the sustainability Checklist contained in LDP7 – ‘Sustainable Development’SPG.

To assist in the preparation of a SAS, further guidance is provided in Sustainable Development Supplementary Planning Guidance.

The Overarching Strategic Approach defines the framework for the location of development. This is necessary to ensure that the countryside is protected from gradual encroachment on the edges of villages and to help guard against incremental growth in unsustainable locations. However, the efficient re-use of previously developed land within development frameworks will generally be supported, subject to the satisfaction of relevant policies, in the interests of sustainability. Frameworks have been defined to take into account the present extent of the built-up area, development committed by planning permissions and other proposals included in the Local Development Plan.

The Community Strategy’s vision for Conwy is to create ‘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 and people who celebrate diversity and who are intent on securing a vibrant and thriving future for all’.

To contribute to achieving the priority issues of protecting the natural and built environment and providing land to meet AHLN, the Council is promoting a level of development over the Plan period which looks to play a part in delivering these priority issues. It is accepted that the Plan can only promote a more balanced age structure. However, to encourage our existing and future younger population to remain and work in the area, the Plan promotes a diverse employment offer, high design standards, and the right type and tenure of affordable housing for local need.  In tackling these issues facing Conwy, development will be focussed in the most sustainable locations, in line with policy DP/2 ‘Overarching Strategic Approach’ in the Urban Development Strategy Areas of Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Llandudno Junction.

The suitability of sites for new residential, business or town centre development has been assessed by adopting a plan, monitor and phasing approach to provision. This has included:

• Identifying strategic requirements for that form of development and undertaking local assessments of need and potential supply.
• Allocating appropriate sites for development to meet those requirements by adopting a sequential approach, giving highest priority to land and buildings within urban areas. Where needs can not be met in this way, consideration has been given next to sites which extend these settlements and are accessible by good quality public transport and finally, where necessary, to sites around nodes in good quality public transport corridors, giving first priority to the re-use of previously developed land and buildings before the use of suitable greenfield land is considered, giving priority to sites which are accessible by public transport, walking and cycling and by rail and water for uses generating large freight movements, and avoiding sites which have an adverse impact on Conwy’s environmental assets and resources.
• Phasing the allocations and subsequent contingency sitesin accordance with the sequential approach set out above and in ‘Housing Delivery and Phasing Plan’ (section 5) and giving priority to the release of sites that come earlier in the search sequence.

The Council will protect existing urban employment industrial estates, for example at Mochdre Business Park and Tre Marl Industrial Estates, and promote further growth where demand has been demonstrated. This approach will protect our villages and countryside by minimising the amount of development occurring on greenfield land. It will also help improve transport in the County Borough by locating housing, employment and services at easily accessible locations. This will contribute to the reduction in the need to travel by car as well as making good use of existing infrastructure and Previously Developed Land (PDL).

To protect and, where possible, enhance the character of the Main and Minor Villages, Hamlets and countryside, there will be limited sustainable growth which provides for the needs of the residents and promotes sustainable communities.  The implementation of exception sites and 100% allocated sites for AHLN will form the basis of delivering the AHLN in the Rural Development Strategy Areas.

All new development will have an impact on its surroundings, an understanding of the context in which that development is placed is therefore essential in order for it to respond to its surroundings and the perception of an area. Any development, from an urban extension to an extension to an existing household, must respond to its context, including existing buildings, open spaces and village edges, and ensure an integrated scheme that does not harm local amenity and, wherever possible, brings benefits to the area. High quality design is a priority issues for the Council to encourage the younger population to remain and return to the area to work and live. Sustainable development can be achieved where attractive and functional places are created that have substantial benefits for the development itself, the residents, the environment and community. Poorly designed developments are unacceptable, they can reduce the perception of safety, increase crime, discourage recycling, increase energy consumption and discourage residents from exercising and using local open spaces. Low quality designed developments will not be accepted in Conwy County Borough. To assist good design, a Household Design SPG has been prepared and a Design SPG will be prepared in line with the monitoring section to support Policy DP/3.

All new buildings should be of high quality, sustainable design and must respect and enhance their surroundings without harming local amenity. They should protect and enhance local distinctiveness and character. They should be of an appropriate scale, design and materials which are appropriate to their location including landscaping. Public art may make a significant contribution to enhancing local character and identity, and will be supported where appropriate in accordance with DP/4 ‘Development Criteria’ and the supporting Planning Obligations SPG. The Council is committed to enhancing Conwy’s unique natural and historic character which is highly valued by residents and a vital tourist attraction. Buildings, archaeological sites, parklands, rivers and other features that contribute positively to the character of the built environment shall be protected from demolition or inappropriate development.

It is important that development proposals make proper provision to meet the needs generated. Read together with Policies DP/1 and DP/3 on ‘Sustainable Development Principles’ and ‘Promoting Design Quality and Reducing Crime’, this policy provides a check-list for developers to help ensure that all requirements are met. To avoid an overly lengthy and complex policy, many of the criteria cross-refer to other policies in the Plan, which provide the full detail.

Proposals for development in Conwy will be supported which have made suitable arrangements for the improvement or provision of on-site and off-site infrastructure, services and facilities made necessary by the development and for their future maintenance.

It is important that provision is made for additional infrastructure, services and facilities resulting from new development and for their future maintenance, as well as for suitable access, parking, drainage, design, renewable energy and landscaping within the site.  All new development contributes to demands on existing infrastructure, community facilities and public services. Developers will, therefore, be expected to contribute towards the necessary improvements or new provision to serve needs arising from their development. Development should not take place before the infrastructure needed by its occupants is in place. Development will only be permitted when agreement has been reached between the relevant parties on the funding and programmed implementation of required on-site and off-site provision as set out in the Planning Obligations SPG.  However, it is apparent that some sites experience considerable constraints which could have an impact on the deliverability of a site financially.  In these cases, a degree of flexibility will be applied.

A Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Guidance supports the policy and other policies in the Plan and provides the pre-negotiation material for developers. However, in terms of viability not all obligations will be sought as detailed above. The contributions will be sought in line with priority mechanisms set out in the Planning Obligations SPG.

The regime for this new charge now allows local authorities to impose charges upon most new development via CIL. The CIL has been the subject of lengthy consultations. In essence, CIL has been designed to replace the current system of planning obligations. However, the Government has set out transitional rules for a period of 4 years from 6^th April 2010, following which Local Authorities may not seek contributions for pooled resources, for example play-space contributions, via Section 106 agreements.  It is the intention of the current Plan to secure contributions via Section 106 Agreements until work begins on the CIL (potentially early 2013). The LDP policy and any related SPG provided in the interim will be monitored annually through the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) and amended where required.

The Assembly Government’s national land use planning policies are set out in Planning Policy Wales and Minerals Planning Policy Wales supplemented by Technical AdviceNotes and Circulars and by Ministerial Interim Planning Policy Statements. Authorities inWales must have regard to national policy, including the Wales Spatial Plan, in the preparation of LDPs. A key element of the new planning system is to avoid unnecessary repetition of national policy in LDPs. LDPs are intended to be shorter and more focussed documents that do not unnecessarily repeat national policy as was the case in past Local Plans and Unitary Development Plans.

Issues related to the rural area of Conwy and, in particular, housing in the countryside have become pressing issues for the Community.  However, planning applications for extensions, replacements or conversions in the countryside, dwellings to support rural enterprise or agricultural and forestry dwellings are covered under national guidance in the form of Planning Policy Wales at paragraphs 7.6.7 to 7.6.10, and Technical Advice Note (TAN) 6: ‘Planning for Rural Sustainable Communities (2010)’. Additionally, sites of biodiversity, geological or historical importance are protected under European and national guidance.  All planning applications will also be subjected to TAN15: ‘Development and Flood Risk’ and, therefore, are not repeated in this LDP.  A thorough scoping exercise has been undertaken of all national guidance as set out in BP1 ‘Related Plans and Strategies’ to understand areas of repetition.  However, to provide the user of the Conwy Revised Deposit LDP with the relevant national guidance related to certain planning applications, the Council will provide regular updates on the public website and provide guidance notes.

Policy DP/6 subjects all planning applications to up-to-date planning guidance to avoid unnecessary repetition throughout the LDP.  Planning Policy Wales (PPW) sets out clear statements of national development control policy which should not need to be repeated as a local policy in LDPs.  Where this revisedDeposit LDP avoids repetition it provides the most up-to-date national guidance at that time.

Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) is non-statutory guidance which supplements LDP policies. Only the policies in the LDP have the special status afforded by S54a of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1990, in deciding planning applications. The Government advises that SPGs may be taken into account as a material consideration. The weight given to it increases if the SPG is prepared in consultation with the public and has been the subject of a Council resolution. The following SPG documents have been prepared and support the Conwy Deposit LDP:

• LDP 1: Householder Design Guide SPG
• LDP 2: Parking Standards SPG
• LDP 3: Shop Front Security and Design SPG
• LDP 4: Planning Obligations SPG
• LDP 5: Biodiversity in Planning SPG
• LDP 6: Welsh Language SPG
• LDP 7: Sustainable Development SPG
• LDP 8: Buildings and Structures of Local Importance SPG
• LDP 9: Design SPG (to be produced 2011)
• LDP 10: Colwyn Bay Masterplan SPG

The Council will also prepare Development Briefs for new major housing sites (50 dwellings or above) and employment sites (5 hectares and above) The purpose of a development brief is to inform developers and other interested parties of the constraints and opportunities presented by a site and the type of development expected or encouraged by local planning policies within this Deposit LDP.

The overarching aim of Masterplanning is to achieve sustainable places. This process identifies the need for consideration of site planning, community integration, sustainable transport, ecology and landscaping. There is also a recognised need to raise the quality of design for new developments in the Plan area, from strategic sites and significant areas of change to some smaller individual sites.

There are a number of such schemes in progress including Masterplans for Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction and Llanrwst which have been progressing in accordance with specific and separate briefs and are all at different stages.  The LDP will support those aspects of the masterplans which meet Policy DP/8.

The majority of masterplans will be Council-led, however, developers or community groups may wish to undertake similar exercises to inform wider development proposals.  In both instances there will be two main aims: to “regenerate town centres and villages and rejuvenate run-down or underused areas” and to “protect, conserve and enhance the natural and built environment”.  Any proposals requiring planning permission will be considered against the Development Principles and other policies in the plan.

In 2008, the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) launched the Strategic Regeneration Area Initiative (SRA) to regenerate coastal communities in Conwy and Denbighshire.  The Council are working in partnership with WAG to promote the comprehensive regeneration of coastal communities, broaden economic activity, address social exclusion and reduce deprivation.  As part of this regeneration initiative, a multi-disciplinary team of consultants has been appointed to prepare a Masterplan for Colwyn Bay to promote the sustainable regeneration of the area to 2025.

The initiative has a 7 year timescale and will identify regeneration areas in these locations on the basis of its previously developed land redevelopment potential, economic and social need, and proximity to sustainable transport links.   The promotion of a mix of employment and retail uses in the town centre, enhancement of the tourism industry and overcoming deprived areas in Colwyn Bay through neighbourhood renewal represent the key objectives of the Plan.  Improved accommodation and a need to diversify the housing stock in order to tackle poor housing conditions, empty homes and the proliferation of Homes in Multiple Occupation is a key land use issue and has links to Policy HOU/10 – ‘Houses in Multiple Occupation and Self Contained Flats’.

Allocating land in the Urban Development Strategy Area and, in particular, housing allocations within Colwyn Bay, will improve and support the objectives of the Colwyn Bay Masterplan and other settlements in the coastal zone which are supported by the SRA.  The Colwyn Bay Masterplan forms Supplementary Planning Guidance, which consists of the final report produced by DPP Shape and supported by evidence set out in BP23: Colwyn Bay Master Plan Baseline Report.

Housing issues remain the key area of concern for many communities within the Plan Area. The shortage of affordable housing to rent or to buy is one of the greater challenges facing many communities in Conwy. Local incomes in the County Borough are generally low and opportunities for higher paid employment limited. The combination of these factors creates difficulties for local people to access the housing market. The accessibility and affordability of housing is an essential factor in securing long term sustainability of our communities. Average household size in the Plan Area has decreased, reflecting a strong trend as more people live alone and young people move from the area, to be replaced by older people moving in. The changing age and social structure of Conwy’s population may threaten the wellbeing of communities and the viability of local schools, businesses, services and facilities. It is crucial to the future of the Conwy that the needs of predicted population change are secured and a more balanced population promoted. Great emphasis must, therefore, be placed on providing housing opportunities to meet the needs of the local community, particularly those of young people and the elderly.

The strategic housing policy is designed to ensure that over the remainder of the Plan period a housing land supply of a maximum of up to 6800 houses (with a contingency level of up to 7900 dwellings) will be built in the right places and of the right type to maximise the contribution it makes towards meeting identified needs.  The key priority is to increase the supply of Affordable Housing for Local Need (AHLN) and the Council will take every opportunity through its policies on housing numbers, distribution and housing types to maximise AHLN provision and contribute to meeting the need through the provision of approximately2200 affordable housing units.  A plan, monitor and manage approach is set out in the Plan to ensure housing delivery.

Targets for the amount of affordable housing to be provided over the Plan period are informed by taking account of risks to delivery and on the likely levels of finance available for affordable housing, including both public subsidy such as Social Housing Grant and the level of developer contribution that could reasonably be secured.  Site capacity thresholds and site specific targets set out in the Plan have been balanced against the need for affordable housing and site viability as evidenced in BP/9 – ‘Affordable Housing Viability Study’ (AHVS). Contributions to both the current and future occupiers of Conwy are provided for, building on evidence in the Conwy Local Housing Market Assessment (LHMA).  Informed by the AHVS, a single target is set at 30% from all housing developments within the Urban Development Strategy Area and Tier 1 Main Villages.  Housing development is restricted to AHLN only in the remaining Rural Development Strategy Areas. An exception site policy supports this approach where 100% AHLN will be permitted in Llanrwst, Main & Minor Villages and Hamlets. 

The policy approach recognises that the improved delivery of AHLN is challenging.  To assist further, an element of flexibility is applied to the policy approach to ensure a viable development is taken forward.  Additionally, the Council proposes to use its own land holdings and establish a register of public owned sites to contribute to meeting AHLN.

The target set out here is consistent with those set by the Snowdonia National Park, based on a recent viability assessment carried out.

The Plan includes a criteria based policy to contribute to meeting any identified site needs for Gypsies and Travellers and in assessing applications to accommodate housing for the elderly.

This section incorporates the necessary detailed policies, supported by the Implementation and Monitoring Section, to ensure this strategy is delivered.

The Welsh Assembly Government requires local planning authorities within each region of Wales to work together and with appropriate stakeholders to apportion the Assembly’s sub-national household projections, or agree their own regional projections. Local planning authorities in North Wales have undertaken an apportionment of the latest Welsh Assembly Government household projections with the involvement of key stakeholders. The apportionment procedure placed an expectation on Conwy to consider options for housing development based around a figure of 5325 dwellings during the Plan period (i.e. 355 dwellings per year).

A new release of sub-national population projections (based on 2005 data) released by the Welsh Assembly in June 2008 suggests higher projections for Conwy over and above this apportionment agreement. Based on these new population projections, the Authority’s Research Services undertook analysis (refer to BP/2 – ‘Population and Household Projections’) to determine the impact on the dwelling requirement having assessed natural population change, migration levels and household change over the Plan period. The Council also commissioned consultants to understand the issues impacting on Conwy and to determine what the sound level of growth should be to overcome them (refer to BP/3 – ‘Growth Level Options Report’). The availability of suitable land, employment need, capacity of the house building industry, current market conditions and sustainability were also considered in drawing up the preferred housing growth level. The Local Development Plan housing requirement is a reflection of all these elements of evidence base. Taking these factors into account, the requirement for new housing during the Plan period has been calculated at approximately 6800 (approximately 453 dwellings a year) with a contingency level up to 7900 dwellings.

This level of housing growth reflects the principal natural population change, household size change, net in-migration and at the same time contributes to tackling the key objectives of AHLN delivery, protection of the natural and built environment and provides suitable housing for the existing and future younger population to remain and work in the area.  Overall, this growth represents past trend builds over the last 5 years (refer to BP/4 – ‘Housing Land Supply’) and reflects the capacity of the house building industry and their ability to deliver over the Plan period (refer to BP/31 – ‘Capacity of the House Building Industry’).

The majority of this housing requirement will be delivered in the Urban Development Strategy Area being the most sustainable location as demonstrated in BP/37 – ‘Growth Distribution Options Report’ and BP/8 ‘Hierarchy of Settlements and Settlement Boundaries’.

The Authority proposes that this housing requirement of 6800 should be met by phased development across the Plan period, split into three time periods (from April to March) as shown in table HOU1b, the Implementation and Monitoring Section BP/30 – ‘Phasing Plan’ and BP/4 – ‘Housing Land Supply’.

Sufficient land, therefore, needs to be allocated in the Local Development Plan to accommodate approximately 6800 dwellings over the Plan period, including the contribution from those already built since 2007, current commitments and the sources of supply from windfall sites(refer to BP/4).  A further contingency land supply from suitable and deliverable sites totalling 1100 dwellings is included in the Plan (6800 + 1100 = 7900 dwellings).  Contingency sites will be released in order of priority where the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) clearly demonstrates that the Plan is failing to meet its requirement of a continued 5 year land supply.

In accordance with national planning policy, development in sustainable and accessible locations on previously developed land (PDL) is preferred to greenfield sites.  In delivering the housing needs in Conwy, it will not be practicable to deliver the whole dwelling requirement on PDL, so some loss of greenfield sites and green wedges will be necessary to ensure deliverability of the Plan. Within this LDP, the strategic housing sites (sites over 100 dwellings) and non-strategic sites (sites under 100 dwellings) are located on the Proposal Map and within the Housing Delivery and Phasing Plan set out in the Implementation and Monitoring section.

The Conwy LDP will allocate sites that are capable of providing 10 or more dwellings for housing.  As shown from the 2009 Housing Land Availability Study refer to BP/5), Conwy has already delivered 737 new homes between 2007 and 2009. The outstanding commitments (those with current planning permission but not yet built) and projected windfall (development likely to come forward on unallocated sites) totals 3044 homes (refer to BP/4 – ‘Housing Land Supply’), which are likely to be built over the Plan period. This figure includes bringing back into use a projected 325 empty homes over the Plan period and developing out sites totalling approximately 199 dwellings becoming available from the School Modernisation Programme. The Council will consider serving a completion notice to reduce that uncertainty and ensure deliverability of the needs facing the communities of Conwy.

Taking into account all these sources of housing supply, land is allocated in this Plan to accommodate approximately 2497houses and further 1100 for contingency as shown below:

As part of the process to investigate where housing land might be made available to meet future housing needs, all the settlements within the Plan Area have been subjected to a sustainability test to assess their capacity for housing and in formulation of the Settlement Hierarchy (refer to BP/8 – ‘Hierarchy of Settlements and Settlement Boundaries’). As detailed in the Strategy (section 3), a greater scale of development is proposed within the Urban Development Strategy Area to reflect the sustainability of the area in terms of adequacy of facilities and the capacity of the local environment. These locations have a strong range of community facilities offer with good access to new and existing jobs, key services and infrastructure.  The target for housing developments in each settlement tier between 2007 and 2022 is set out in Table HOU1a.

Housing development in the open countryside will be strictly controlled unless it can be fully justified by reference of robust supporting evidence. One of the few circumstances in which new isolated residential development in the open countryside may be justified is when accommodation is required to enable rural enterprise workers to live at, or close to, their place of work.  In line with policy DP/6, rural enterprise dwellings include:

• A new dwelling on an established rural enterprise (including farms) where there is a functional need for a full time worker and the business case demonstrates that the employment is likely to remain financially sustainable.
• A second dwelling on an established farm which is financially sustainable, to facilitate the handover of the management of the farm business to a younger farmer.
• A second dwelling on an established farm which is financially sustainable, where there is a functional need for a further 0.5 or more of a full time worker and at least 50% of a Grade 2 Standard Worker salary, as defined by the latest version of the Agricultural Wages Order, is obtained from the farm business.
• A new dwelling on a new rural enterprise where there is a functional need for a full time worker.

A rural enterprise comprises land related businesses including agriculture, forestry and other activities that obtain their primary inputs from the site, such as the processing of agricultural, forestry and mineral products together with land management activities and support services (including agricultural contracting), tourism and leisure enterprises.

New permanent dwellings will only be allowed to support established rural enterprises providing the required functional, time and financial tests are met in line with Policy DP/6 and demonstrated through a Rural Enterprise Dwelling Appraisal.

In general, preference will be given to the re-use or replacement of existing buildings over those which propose the erection of a new dwelling in order to avoid further development in the countryside. Where new buildings are proposed to be erected they should be sited and designed to minimise impact on the countryside, and where possible be grouped around existing development and meet the Development Principles and other related policies of the Plan. The erection of a further dwelling would not be justified where an existing dwelling serving the unit, or closely connected with it, has either recently been sold off or in some way separated from it.

The Plan encourages younger people to manage farm businesses and promote the diversification of established farms. To support this policy objective it may be appropriate to allow a second dwelling on established farms that have met the financial and functional tests as set out in Policy DP/6.  The two exceptions to the policy are:

• Where there are secure and legally binding arrangements in place to demonstrate that management of the farm business has been transferred to a person younger than the person currently responsible for management, or, that transfer of management is only conditional upon grant of planning permission for the dwelling. The younger person should demonstrate majority control over the farm business and be the decision maker for the farm business; or,
• There is an existing functional need for an additional 0.5 or more of a full time worker and that person obtains at least 50% of a Grade 2 Standard Worker salary, as defined by the latest version of the Agricultural Wages Order, from the farm business.

In line with Policy DP/6, a new dwelling will be permitted where it can be demonstrated through evidence base that it is essential to support a new rural enterprise.  It will be essential for applications to further demonstrate that there is a clear evidence of a firm intention and ability to develop the rural enterprise concerned, that the new enterprise needs to be established at the proposed location and it meets the functional, time and financial tests.  These forms of evidence base should be supported though the submission of a Rural Enterprise Dwelling Appraisal at the application stage in line with Policy DP/6.

Extensions to dwellings in the countryside need particularly careful consideration in terms of their impact on the landscape in the generally open countryside of Conwy. In addition, housing needs in the County Borough make it important to impose some limitation on the proportionate increase in dwelling sizes as a result of any extension, with the aim of preventing a gradual reduction in the stock of smaller and medium sized dwellings in countryside areas.  Applications for extensions to dwellings in the Countryside will be assessed against Policy DP/6 and other related policies within the Plan.

Where it can be shown that the use of a dwelling has not been abandoned, replacement on a one-for-one basis may be permitted. As a new dwelling, it is likely to have a greater impact on the countryside than the dwelling it replaces and will benefit from permitted development rights when completed and occupied. Thus replacements ought to be similar in size and height to the original structure. The Council may control the further expansion of replacement dwellings by the use of planning conditions to remove the rights under the General Permitted Development Order.  Applications for replacement dwellings in the countryside will be assessed against Policy DP/6 and other related policies within the Plan.

There has been considerable pressure to convert barns and vacant rural buildings into residential units in the County Borough, but this is clearly contrary to the general policy of restricting housing proposals outside established settlement limits. The Council supports the conversion of appropriate buildings for employment uses, and this remains the preferred use for such buildings in line with Policy DP/6.  If this cannot be achieved the second preference is for a residential unit to be directly tied to operation of a rural enterprise, often referred to as a live-work unit. This would be more sustainable than a conversion for a purely residential use, due to the reduced implications for commuting. Conversion purely for residential use will only be permitted as a last resort, particularly to secure the future of buildings of particular architectural quality or character or to meet AHLN in line with Policy DP/6 and other related policies in the Plan.

Residential conversion, particularly on a large scale involving several residential units, will only be appropriate in locations close to local services and facilities.  Development must also be in a location with, or capable of providing, a sufficient standard of accessibility to offer an appropriate choice of travel by non-car modes, in accordance with Strategic Policy STR/1 – ‘Sustainable Transport, Development and Accessibility’.  Applications for the conversion of buildings in the countryside will be assessed against Policy DP/6 and other related policies within the Plan.

One Planet Development is development which, through its low impact, either enhances or does not significantly diminish environmental quality. One Planet Development is potentially an exemplar type of sustainable development which should initially achieve an ecological footprint of 2.4 global hectares per person or less in terms of consumption. They should also be zero carbon in both construction and use.

One Planet Developments may take a number of forms. They can either be single homes, co-operative communities or larger settlements. They may be located within or adjacent to existing settlements, or be situated in the open countryside. Where One Planet Developments involve members of more than one family, the proposal should be managed and controlled by a trust, co-operative or other similar mechanism in which the occupiers have an interest. Land based One Planet Developments located in the open countryside should, over a reasonable length of time (no more than 5 years), provide for the minimum needs of the inhabitants in terms of income, food, energy and waste assimilation. Where this cannot be demonstrated, they will be considered against policies which seek to control development in the open countryside as set out in this Plan.

Planning applications for land based One Planet Developments located in the open countryside need to be supported by robust evidence. In line with Policy DP/6 a management plan must accompany planning applications for this type of development. The management plan should set out the objectives of the proposal, timetable for development of the site and timescale for review. It should be used as the basis of a legal agreement relating to the occupation of the site should planning consent be granted. The management plan should include a Business and Improvement Plan, Ecological Footprint analysis of the development, Carbon analysis of the development, Biodiversity and landscape assessment, impact assessment to identify potential impacts on the host community, and a Transport Assessment and travel plan to identify the transport needs of the inhabitants and propose sustainable travel solutions.

Setting a target which aims to meet a large proportion of the overall shortfall of 8460 affordable dwellings through the development of new housing wouldn’t be achievable due to the constraints present within the County Borough, the issues of viability and level of predicted population change.  Meeting the overall shortfall in total would release significant amounts of greenfield land and would greatly increase the rate of development causing a noticeable impact on the County Borough.

The Welsh Assembly Government guidance on undertaking Local Housing Market Assessments states that in the context of rural settlements an additional survey at the community level is the practical way to proceed to assess housing needs in rural areas as housing need can be highly localised in rural areas. In order to improve the information on local housing needs and help deliver affordable housing in Conwy, the Authority part funds Rural Housing Enablers. The role of the Rural Housing Enablers is to act as independent, impartial brokers working on behalf of local communities to assist communities to come up with tailor-made solutions to meet identified local housing need and to help communities carry out housing need surveys.

Local housing needs surveys carried out by the Rural Housing Enablers consistently reveal the local need for affordable housing. From the rural Town and Community Councils surveyed to date a total of 301 are in need of affordable housing within the Rural Development Strategy Area to be met within 5 years. Not all the rural settlements to date have been surveyed.  However, if it is assumed that the surveys carried out to date are typical of Conwy’s and the Snowdonia National Park’s rural community surveys, the level of need is increased to 541 people in need as demonstrated in BP/36 – ‘Affordable Housing Needs Calculation’

The Rural Housing Enabler Studies only provide a guide to the general level of affordable housing need in Conwy and means that longer term projections are extremely difficult. The scale of need will be kept under review through the Local Housing Market Assessment and the Rural Housing Enabler’s Local Housing Needs Surveys as the Plan progresses.

The definition of affordable housing in the Welsh Assembly Government ‘Technical Advice Note 2’ has been used as the basis for the Authority’s definition which is : ‘Housing where there are secure mechanisms in place to ensure that it is accessible to those who cannot afford market housing, both on first occupation and for subsequent occupiers. Affordable housing includes social rented housing and intermediate housing’.

The concept of affordability is generally defined as the ability of households or potential households to purchase or rent property that satisfies the needs of the household without subsidy. The North West Wales Local Housing Market Assessment has defined affordability of owner occupation by applying the following calculation: ‘Using a 3.5 times income multiple and assuming a 10% deposit’. Conwy is an area of high demand for housing, which is exacerbated by high levels of inward migration and household size change.  At the end of this period (2008), Conwy’s average house price stood at £155,850 and Conwy’s average income stood at £22,750 a year, giving a price/income ratio of 6.9, which is far in excess of the government’s recommended affordability ratio of 3.5.

In order to define affordability in relation to the private rental sector the North West Wales Local Housing Market Assessment turns to the Welsh Assembly Government definition, that is: ‘A household should be taken as being able to afford market housing in cases where the rent payable would constitute no more than 25% of their gross household income’.

To assist the Council in progressing the LDP and in the formation of policy in the revised Deposit LDP, detail of affordable housing need at settlement level and the type and tenure has been informed via other sources of information  gathered through the other Council’s Social Housing and First Steps Registers and Rural Housing Enabler Studies as set out in BP/36 – ‘Affordable Housing Need Calculation’.

Conwy CBC appointed Three Dragons Consultancy to prepare an Affordable Housing Viability Study (AHVS) (refer to BP/9 – ‘Affordable Housing Viability Study’) compliant with the requirements of the Welsh Assembly Government’s Technical Advice Note 2 (TAN2) which emphasises the importance of viability testing policy targets. The study supports the Council’s LDP providing a key piece of evidence on the viability of housing development by setting deliverable affordable housing targets and by assessing an appropriate threshold which should trigger affordable housing contributions.  The study is robust to the period of the LDP, although recognises that the Council will closely monitor delivery through the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) should there be significant market change.

The AHVS sets a target of 30% affordable housing from all housing developments within the Urban Development Strategy Area and Tier 1 Main Villages and 100% affordable housing provision within the Tier 2 Main Villages, Minor Villages and Hamlets.

The future occupier cannot afford to rent or buy ‘open market’ accommodation in the locality and conforms to one of the following criteria:

• Currently homeless.
• Establishing a new household for the first time.
• Has been living in rented accommodation for at least three years.
• Their current house is deemed by the Housing Authority to be in sub-standard condition and it can be proven that the current house cannot be converted or upgraded to meet their need.
• Their existing house is too small for the family and it can be proven that the present home cannot be converted or upgraded to meet their need.
• Has an essential need to live close to another person who meets Priority A, B or C below in the qualifying area.
• Has special needs (the elderly or disabled).
• Is providing key work or service and has a full time permanent job offer in the qualifying area.
• Is leaving tied housing on retirement.

In addition to being in housing need, proposed occupiers of new affordable housing must satisfy the definition of a local person. A definition of a local person in respect of the Urban Development Strategy and Rural Development Strategy Areas is as follows:

• Priority A: A person is local if he or she has lived or worked in full time permanent employment for a minimum and continuous period of fifteen years within the ‘settlement area’.  Where a person(s) does not meet this criterion the Priority B definition will be implemented.
• Priority B:  Where a person has lived or worked in full time permanent employment for a minimum and continuous period of ten years within the ‘settlement area’.  Where a person(s) does not meet this criterion, the Priority C definition will be implemented.
• Priority C:  Where a person has lived or worked in full time permanent employment for a minimum and continuous period of five years within the ‘settlement area’.

In line with national guidance, it is important to ensure that affordable housing is allocated to local people, thus ensuring that the housing effectively meets its purpose in providing for local need. The definition of local need shall initially be based on the local definition above.

When a property, subject to the condition, is advertised for sale the Authority would require it to be made available to an occupier within the settlement who meets the eligibility criteria specified within the original consent. That being the case the property must be advertised at an affordable price for a minimum of twelve months.

If after twelve months the property, having been marketed as required above, remains unsold the Authority can, upon certification, relax the conditions relating to the occupancy of the property which will allow the property to be offered to other persons in housing need who meet the ‘local’ definition above starting with a given neighbouring settlement.

If, after a further six months of advertising, the property still remains unsold, it can be offered, after certification by the National Park Authority, to a person in housing need who has lived or worked in full time permanent employment for a minimum and continuous period of ten years within the National Park or any neighbouring Local Authority. At the time of writing the Plan the Council’s revised occupancy condition was not finalised. The Plan will be reviewed upon adoption of the Council’s new occupancy condition.

Housing development boundaries have been provided for all settlements falling within the Urban Development Strategy Area and the Tier 1 and 2 Main Villages. These settlements are better equipped with the services and employment opportunities to support new housing. They are also considered to have the capacity to accommodate development without detriment to the position of the Welsh language.  Within the Tier 2 Main Villages, Minor Villages and Hamlets, all housing development will be restricted to affordable housing for local needs only. The Authority has also allocated sites for 100% affordable housing in the Tier 2 Main Villages, whilst the delivery in the Minor Villages and Hamlets will rely on exception sites only. It will be vital to monitor the delivery of this ambitious target in the more rural settlements in terms of exception site take-up.

As an exception to policy, affordable housing on exception sites immediately adjoining housing development boundaries in Llanrwst and the Tier 1 and 2 Main Villages will be permitted subject to other policies within the Plan. Within the Minor Villages and Hamlets, exception sites will be considered appropriate where they form a development within the confinements of the built settlement or represent an element of rounding off directly adjacent to the settlement. Within the countryside, the conversion of suitable traditional buildings to affordable housing for local needs will be considered provided it meets stringent development control criteria. Proposals for new dwellings in the open countryside will be assessed against the criteria set out in national planning guidance.

The Council expects developers to purchase land for housing in the future having taken into account the need to provide affordable housing on-site, the potential planning obligations and any abnormal costs (e.g. contamination costs).  This step change in purchasing land over time will further assist the delivery of affordable housing as it is anticipated that this reduction in the value of the land will make such sites attractive to Housing Associations seeking to provide affordable housing.  However, it is inevitable that changes to the economic climate, site specific issues and the level of need will change over the period of the Plan which could warrant sites being unviable or indeed more viable to seek a higher provision.  Therefore, a flexible approach is applied to Policy HOU/2 and trigger points have been put in place in the Monitoring and Implementation section for when actions need to be taken to release contingency sites or warrant a review of the Plan.

In line with Policy HOU/2 a lower provision of affordable housing will be acceptable on-site where the developer can clearly demonstrate this through supporting evidence base. Therefore, ‘sufficient justification’ should be provided by developers where the policy can not be met, making reference to the constraints (flood risk, archaeological remains, design, affordable housing, etc) on-site which make the delivery of the policy unachievable. To assist developers, a Financial Viability Assessment Pro-Forma is set out in the Planning Obligations SPG which should be submitted as part of any planning application to demonstrate the justification for not meeting policy HOU/2.

AHLN must be balanced with other requirements for transport infrastructure, community facilities, open space and sustainable construction. The viability of housing delivery also needs to be maintained.  The Council will take full use of the Three Dragons Appraisal Toolkit to assess the viability of a scheme and the percentage of AHLN provision.

As set out in Planning Policy Wales and DP/3 ‘Promoting Design Quality and Reducing Crime’, good design can protect the environment and enhance its quality, help to attract business and investment, promote social inclusion and improve the quality of life. These objectives apply equally to market housing and to AHLN with the overriding principle being to establish a sense of place and community. For small sites the visual integration of old and new development is of particular importance. Affordable housing should also be indistinguishable from market housing provided on the same site, in terms of external design quality and materials.

In the light of local circumstances and sustainability, the Plan phases development over the period of the LDP. The Phasing is justified by considerations relating to physical or social infrastructure, or to the adequacy of other services, which may indicate that a particular site cannot be released for development until a particular stage in the Plan period (refer to BP/30 – ‘Phasing Plan’).  As set in BP/30, where phasing is included in an LDP it should take the form of a broad indication of the timescale envisaged for the release of the main development areas or identified sites, rather than an arbitrary numerical limit on permissions or a precise order of release of sites in particular periods.

In line with government guidance, higher density developments are encouraged.  This approach is supported by BP/9 – ‘Affordable Housing Viability Study’ where it is shown that increasing the density to 40 dwellings per hectare (dph) will improve residual values and overall affordable housing delivery. For example, in the lower value areas of the County Borough, increasing the density from 30dph to 40dph will make the difference between having a scheme which has negative residual value to one where the residual is positive and affordable housing is provided.  Evidence as shown in BP/9 demonstrates that housing density at 50dph and above decreases the viability of schemes resulting in a lesser affordable housing provision.  The main reason for the apparent decrease in viability is that the 50dph and above scheme includes a significantly higher proportion of smaller units, notably flats.  Smaller units, in a location such as Conwy, will normally have a depressing impact on overall viability since they do not generate a significant surplus of sales value relative to costs.  When affordable housing is included in these schemes, residual value can quickly become negative or viability marginal. In general terms however, BP/9 demonstrates that residual value will be maximised between 40dph and 50dph.  The Council has, therefore, sought higher density developments of up to 50dph on a number of Urban Development Strategy Area sites in sustainable locations to ensure a higher level of affordable housing delivery.  It will be essential to test the viability of a housing scheme at planning application stage in line with policy HOU/2 but the Council also recognise that lower densities, of below 30dph, may be necessary in exceptional cases to achieve a satisfactory design and amenity. To this point, low cost market dwelling schemes built at a price affordable to those in need, enabled through the level of density proposed, design, layout and materials, will be supported where affordable housing is delivered and retained in perpetuity. The Housing Delivery and Phasing Plan (section 5) details those sites which will accommodate higher housing density.

Building at moderate to high densities also enables best use to be made of development sites, and helps safeguard the countryside from unnecessary development. Where building occurs on a large scale, dense forms of development can also support the critical mass of people that may be needed to support local facilities. There is no reason why higher densities should compromise the quality of new development.

As set out in Planning Policy Wales it is desirable in planning terms that new housing development in both urban and rural areas should incorporate a reasonable mix and balance of types and sizes of affordable housing to cater for a range of housing needs and contribute to the development of sustainable communities. The PPW also states that for affordable housing it is important that authorities have an appreciation of the demand for different dwelling sizes and types of housing (i.e. intermediate and social rented) in relation to supply, so that they are well informed in negotiating the required appropriate mix of dwellings for new developments. The Council will implement the LHMA and the Affordable Housing Registers in negotiating the appropriate mix of housing type to meet the needs of the community. This applies especially to housing estates which, because of their size, have the potential to contribute significantly to the community’s need for a wider range of dwelling sizes and types. As with HOU/4, all policy implications relating to density and development mix issues need to be tested at a scheme specific level taking into account the viability of the scheme in line with HOU/2.

National policy allows for exception sites when meeting affordable housing need within, or adjoining, villages in circumstances where planning permission would not normally be given and where there is a demonstrable local need for affordable housing that cannot be met in any other way. These ‘rural exception’ sites provide a small but important source of affordable housing in rural areas and are regarded as additional to the provision of housing to meet the general needs.  The policy is required over and above that contained in national guidance to provide detail on the definition of exception sites and 100% allocations within Llanrwst and the settlements within the Rural Development Strategy Area.

In every case the needs of the particular village are carefully surveyed and assessed by the Council, Registered Social Landlords and Rural Housing Enablers before a scheme is progressed. Occupancy controls are imposed to ensure that the benefits of affordability (usually gained by the low land value derived from the exceptional basis of the scheme) are preserved in perpetuity for subsequent occupiers if the Council’s criteria are met.

Exception sites will be considered where allocated sites exist within the development boundary but have not been brought forward.  Evidence must be produced to demonstrate that the site is not likely to come forward for some time or is no longer deliverable due to new constraints.

The disposal of local authority and Government owned land for AHLN will also add to the certainty of delivery. As a result of the level of housing need within the County Borough, and the priority issue to protect the natural and historic environment, Council owned land is identified in the Housing Delivery and Phasing Plan (section 5).  Where deliverable and suitable to the character of the area, the Council will seek to accommodate a higher AHLN provision on-site than the minimum standard set for privately owned sites.

To maximise the use and deliverability of exception sites and potential future 100% allocations for AHLN, the Council will proactively establish a County Borough-wide register, alongside Engineering and Design Services, Housing Services, neighbouring authorities where cross-boundary issues exist, and the Welsh Assembly Government. Land will be appraised on a regular basis to ensure that a land-bank of potential deliverable and suitable sites are available to meet the affordable needs of the community.

Based upon the Welsh Assembly Government’s biannual gypsy and traveller caravan count and the Council’s own unlawful encampment data (refer to BP/22 – ‘Gypsy and Traveller Site Demand Assessment’), the Council considers that there is insufficient identified need for the allocation of a specific caravan site(s) within the Plan Area. While BP/22 demonstrates evidence of unlawful encampments, the level of data collected on each encampment is insufficient to determine the type of site that needs to be allocated (e.g. temporary, transit or permanent). It is important that the Council should have a policy for the provision of gypsy and traveller sites in its development plan. The policy, and need for site allocations, will be reviewed following the completion of the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment (GTAA) being undertaken as part of the North West Wales Local Housing Market Assessment (NWWLHMA). Subject to any requirement being concluded in the GTAA, a proactive approach will be taken to ensure site delivery and the needs are met. A review will be undertaken of the Gypsy and Traveller Site Search Appraisal to determine a site location in line with policy HOU/9 – ‘Meeting the Site need for Gypsies and Travellers’.

In planning for the accommodation of Gypsies and Travellers, it is important that site(s) are sustainable and have good access to key services and facilities and maintain and enhance the natural environment.  However, the results of the GTAA and the NWWLHMA are not currently available.

Whilst the creation of self contained flats helps to meet a housing need, in some instances their provision can be detrimental to the amenity of existing residential areas. For example large numbers of flats can lead to problems such as a shortage of on street parking and bin storage issues. In addition, areas with high levels of flats are often associated with low levels of owner occupation which in some instances can lead to lower standards of maintenance and associated environmental degradation issues (thereby prejudicing environmental improvement and regeneration objectives). Furthermore, the cumulative impact of converting larger dwellings to flats can have a detrimental impact on creating mixed and balanced communities by reducing the number of family homes available within an area.  There are currently already high concentrations of self contained flats that are having an impact on the character and appearance of the Colwyn Bay area.  To improve the area’s appearance and aid the regeneration of Colwyn Bay, in particular, and other areas within the coastal belt, policy HOU/10 is required to prevent the over concentration of such uses and ensure that development is meeting identified needs.  Policy HOU/10 will also support the approach to be set out in the Colwyn Bay Area Masterplan to improve housing offer, address social exclusion and reduce deprivation in Colwyn Bay.

The Council will produce Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on Self Contained Flats and Houses of Multiple Occupation to support the policy in line with Policy DP/7 – ‘Local Planning Guidance’. The SPG will provide supporting guidance to Policy HOU/10 detailing the definitions of Self Contained Flats and HMOs and the required design standards for self contained flat conversion.

A significant number of residential care establishments exist throughout the Plan Area, particularly in the Urban Development Strategy Area.  The Authority considers that where existing provision is sufficient to meet the reasonable needs of the locality, further development should be resisted. Such an approach will avoid excessive pressure being placed on local Social Services providers and the limited land within existing settlements, which may be needed for other purposes. Before making a decision on a proposal to create or extend a care home, the Authority will consider the advice of Social Services and Housing Strategy on whether such establishments are needed.

From a sustainable development perspective, the Authority considers that the settlements within the Urban Development Strategy Area and the Tier 1 Main Villages provide the most appropriate locations for residential homes for the elderly. In locations where the Authority is satisfied that a care home for the elderly can be satisfactorily provided, it should be sited within reasonable walking distance of town or village services and in a location which will minimise the affects of the proposal on the amenity of neighbouring residential properties.

Likewise the Authority will support the re-use of large buildings for residential care purposes, subject to the location requirements outlined above. In addition the Authority must be satisfied that the building to be used can be converted without detriment to its existing character or in a manner which is likely to harm the amenity of neighbouring properties.

Extra care housing is an important contribution to affordable provision. Although not counted in statistics as new affordable housing, some residents who move into these homes do leave vacated affordable housing units for others.

The economic strategy policies of this Plan need to address a number of employment related challenges. These include developing new local higher value employment opportunities and developing a skills and knowledge based economy which optimises the value of the area’s natural resources, environment and cultural heritage and takes full advantage of the County’s strategic road and rail position. Ideally, such employment initiatives should provide permanent careers that will attract and retain young people within the area.

The strategic employment policy is designed to ensure that over the Plan period the Council works with its partners to plan, monitor and review the delivery of a maximum of up to approximately 3690 jobs (32 hectares) of B1, B2 & B8 employment land with a contingency level up to 4650 Jobs (37 hectares). Additionally, a further 1675 jobs (14 Hectares) with contingency up to 1925 jobs (16 Hectares) has been made available for employment development opportunities within the Plan to contribute to reducing out-commuting levels over the Plan period. Policies developed under the Economic Strategy aim to locate this requirement in accessible locations to maximise the contribution it makes towards meeting population change predictions, identified needs in the urban and rural settlements and to higher value employment and skills development.

The Wales Spatial Plan identifies two strategic hub areas; firstly Conwy, Llandudno, Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay and secondly Kinmel Bay, which forms part of the Rhyl, Prestatyn, Bodelwyddan and St Asaph strategic hub.  These areas are recognised as a focus of future investment for employment, housing, retail, leisure and services.  In addition, the designation of this area as a Strategic Regeneration Area provides further emphasis in terms of supporting sustainable employment opportunities.  This has been recognised by the Council through the concentration of development within the Urban Development Strategy Area and the publication of the Colwyn Bay Masterplan as a key delivery vehicle in overcoming deprivation, of which jobs creation represents a key driver.

There are key aspirations within the County to encourage the growth of existing businesses, higher value employment opportunities, skills development, entrepreneurs and business start-ups.  It is recognised within the Plan that these are important elements in promoting a more balanced age structure and retention of younger and more economically active members of the population.

It is important that the economic strategy encourages small scale employment outside the main settlements so that rural enterprise can develop and contribute to local economic development. However, such enterprises must not detract from the area’s landscape or be situated in areas which will cause major increases in traffic along unsuitable roads. It is also important to improve the quality and accessibility of high speed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure to facilitate greater opportunities for home working in rural areas. Home working offers distinct opportunities, not only for implementing sustainable development principles, but also for creating new employment, re-using vacant buildings and reducing the need for vehicular journeys to work. Home working can also help stem the migration of local people from the area and strengthen community life by allowing people to live and work in their home village or return to them.

The Economic Strategy sets out the approach to contributing to these key issues. 

The majority of the larger and more sustainable settlements within the County Borough fall along the A55 and rail coastal corridor.  Whilst these urban locations will accommodate the majority of the employment need over the Plan period, the Plan recognises the needs of the rural communities and allocates employment land within the Rural Development Strategy Area to assist in promoting sustainable rural communities and contribute to reducing private car travel overall.

Studies into the requirements for employment land (refer to BP/14 – ‘Employment Land Study Report’ and BP/3 – ‘Growth Level Options Report’) and availability of suitable sites from current supply (refer to BP/13 – ‘Employment Land Monitoring Report’) within Conwy show that there is generally sufficient land with planning permission for employment purposes within the County Borough, predominantly within the Urban Development Strategy Area, to meet the majority of the employment land needs. As evidenced in appendix A to BP/13, there is also sufficient land available to meet the majority of the short and medium to long term needs of the area.  However, new land for employment purposes is allocated in the Urban and Rural Development Strategy Areas, predominantly in the strategic hub location of Llandudno Junction, to meet the identified shortfall and the additional requirement to reduce out-commuting levels. 

To meet the demand generated from predicted population change over the Plan period, Conwy needs to plan, monitor and review a need for 32 hectares of employment land with a contingency level of up to 37 hectares over the Plan period (Refer to BP/3) inclusive of employment constructed since 2007, sites undeveloped with planning permission and new allocations (refer to Table 7).  The translation of jobs to land requirement calculation is detailed in BP/13.In line with BP/14 80% (26 hectares) of this employment land requirement is to be located in the Urban Development Strategy Area and 20% (6 hectares) in the Rural Development Strategy Area.  This split of overall demand is carried over in the distribution of contingency sites throughout the Plan Area.

The most recent assessment of commuting levels published by the Welsh Assembly Government in 2009 identifies net commuting for Conwy Borough of 5,200 people out-commuting overall. An objective of the Council is to reduce the level of out- commuting through the provision of economic growth. The provision of more jobs than housing could lead to a reduction in out commuting, but overall the level of net outward commuting is unlikely to be reduced dramatically, due to the smaller and more rural nature of the County Borough. Only larger urban areas have sufficient population and employment to provide the variety of jobs required to support relative self containment.

As identified in BP/3, a further 1675 jobs (inclusive of bringing back into use 325 empty homes) should be accommodated in the Plan to contribute to reducing out-commuting and in bringing back into use empty properties.  This level of additional requirement does not have a bearing on the housing numbers required over the Plan period in that out-commuters from the County Borough reside in the Conwy Plan Area.

To contribute to the reduction in out-commuting levels, a further 14 hectares, with a contingency up to 16 hectares, of employment land is to be accommodated in the Urban Development Strategy Area, predominantly in the Strategic Hub location of Llandudno Junction.  This element of additional need is kept separate from the demand generated by predicted population change as a result of there being no housing need implications from residents already residing within the County Borough.  This element of additional need will be located in the most accessible and sustainable locations within the Urban Development Strategy Area, predominantly in the strategic hub location of Llandudno Junction.

Designations are to be flexible but there will be a shift towards B1/B8 designations over the Plan period as predicted by the Employment Land Study.  Table 7 below details the employment land framework over the Plan period. 

Achieving and maintaining high levels of B1, B2 & B8 economic growth and employment is an important planning issue with implications, not only for the creation of sustainable employment opportunities, but also upon interrelated issues such as housing availability and infrastructure. Therefore, the intention is to ensure that economic opportunities are utilised to their full potential within the Plan Area.  There will be an emphasis towards the B1 (Business) and B8 (Storage/Warehousing) uses in the short to medium term, and B2 (General Industrial) in the longer term.

The Plan recognises that B1, B2 & B8 employment land supply in Conwy cannot be considered in isolation from that in neighbouring authority areas, especially those locations that are strategically positioned along the A55 corridor. The Development Plan will need to take the levels of employment land availability into account, as well as the intensity and type of existing employment activity. In Denbighshire, St Asaph Business Park is a large 47-hectare development consisting of large-scale office uses and the Kinmel Park Industrial Estate is a large 29 hectare estate consisting of office, industrial and warehouse development. Parc Menai and the Bryn Cegin estates in Gwynedd are also key employment sites. However, to meet the priority objectives of the Plan, in particular to reduce out-commuting levels, new employment allocations are promoted within the Conwy Plan Area.

In addition to the above sources of supply and allocations,the Authority will also consider economic development proposals on non-allocated sites within or adjacent to the main built up areas within the Urban Development Strategy Area subject to Policy EMP/2 and other policies within the Plan, in particular, where they seek to provide higher value employment opportunities, skills development and provided the development takes account of prevailing environmental circumstances and in particular avoids harming the amenity of the area in which it is proposed. Small-scale employment proposals which strengthen, or add value to local products and services, especially if they utilise products from the locality and promote and/or utilise the skills of the local workforce, will also be permitted within, or directly adjacent to, the built form of settlements falling within the Tier 1 & 2 Main Villages and Minor Villages.   The Council will take full advantage of its Rural Business Asset Plan in brining back into use empty or derelict land and buildings for employment use within the Rural Development Strategy Area prior to considering new build developments on greenfield lands.

The Plan Area benefits from a resource of rural buildings. Where buildings are no longer required for their original use, predominantly agriculture, they can present a valuable opportunity to offer employment and support the rural economy and Welsh Culture. Potential uses include commerce, industry, tourism or recreation.

Due to their location, such developments must be carefully controlled. It is crucial that the proposed use and design takes account of the character and appearance of the existing building and the surrounding area.

Developments should be of a scale appropriate to their location, as large employment developments in the countryside may conflict with the principles of sustainable development, resulting in unsustainable traffic movements and potential environmental harm. Developments resulting in significant numbers of employees or visitors should be located within or near to settlements and accessible by public transport, cycling or walking. In areas without such access, small-scale business development may still be appropriate where it results in only a modest increase in vehicle movements. This may require the production of a Travel Plan and / or mitigation of traffic impact in accordance with Strategic Policy STR/1 – ‘Sustainable Transport, Development and Accessibility’.  Applications will be assessed against Policy DP/6 and other related policies in this Plan.

The Council will support the redevelopment of existing buildings in the countryside for economic development purposes where the existing building is suitably located and of a permanent design and construction, and its redevelopment should also bring about environmental improvement, result in a more sustainable development and contribute to rural regeneration.

When considering proposals for replacement buildings in the countryside for employment use, any increase in floor area will be strictly controlled.  The design should integrate the development with its surroundings in line with Policy DP/6 and other related policies in this Plan.

Farming makes an important contribution to Conwy’s economy, but increasingly farm businesses are having to diversify into other forms of related farming activity to remain viable. This could include, for example, planting of woodland, farm shops and farm-based food processing and packaging. In order to protect the quality and distinctiveness of the local landscape, the Council wishes to prevent uncoordinated development in rural areas and the re-development of assets from farms without regard for the viability of the holding.

It is important that economic diversification proposals are well founded in terms of effectively contributing to the farming business.  It is important that the rural economy is supported and new farming related activities are integrated into the environment and the rural landscape. Farmers are required to submit a Farm Business Plan with any planning application for diversification. This should include details of existing farm activities, the need for diversification, details of the proposal and implications of the proposal on, for example, the rural economy and the environment in line with Policy DP/6 and other related policies in this Plan.

The land which is suitable for employment development is, because of the nature and impact of its industrial/commercial activity, much more difficult to identify and bring forward than land for other uses such as housing.   All employment sites, both existing and allocated, in the Plan are subject to the policy.  In addition, there are a significant number of smaller sites that provide valuable employment premises for local businesses but which are not specifically allocated for employment use.   The Council will endeavour to ensure that these employment sites and buildings are treated as a valuable and scarce resource and protected under this policy.

Exceptions to the Policy will be limited to existing industrial/office sites and are not envisaged to be many in number and will only be considered if the Council considers that the site or premises is unsuitable for employment purposes by virtue of its location and surroundings and the impact on the use of the amenities of neighbouring land users.

Tourism makes a vital contribution to the economy of the Plan Area. The Community Strategy recognises that year-round tourist attractions are essential to the prosperity and well being of the area and the local economy.  The main tourism accommodation focus lies in the traditional coastal holiday resorts. Principal attractions comprise the unique natural and built environmental assets of the Plan Area and the proximity to Snowdonia National Park.  It is important not only to protect these traditional attractions and facilities and improve the overall quality of existing accommodation, but also to promote and support tourism in off-peak seasons whilst safeguarding environmental and heritage qualities.  This section incorporates the necessary detailed policies to ensure that activities such as cycling, walking and environmental and heritage tourism are promoted and supported as part of a strategy that sustains the tourism industry and local communities.

The natural and built environments are key factors in attracting tourists into the area and need to be effectively managed.  However, tourism in Conwy is currently experiencing a change in demand, with a decline in traditional summer family holidaying and an increasing emphasis on a wider range of activities, not solely restricted to the traditional summer months.  The three main growth areas are business tourism, marine activities and short activity and speciality breaks.   These growth areas need quality accommodation and facilities to ensure that tourism continues to play an important role in the Plan Area.

The location of Foryd Harbour on the border between Kinmel Bay in Conwy and Rhyl in Denbighshire has placed the responsibility of its future use inthe hands of the two local authorities.  This site will be safeguarded in the Development Plan for tourism and leisure development and any future development will be carefully managed through a collaborative partnership approach.  Initial plans indicate a boat storage yard, a marina with improved moorings, and a new pedestrian/cycleway link across the River Clwyd. 

The demand for a wide range of all year tourism facilities impacts on seasonality.  The operation of different tourism businesses at different times requires a more flexible approach.  The Council will support the development and adaptation of a range of tourism facilities to accommodate this changing demand where appropriate.

The traditional summer visits for a period of one or two weeks is slowly in decline and the demand for shorter breaks is on the increase, however, this change should not be seen as a constraint, indeed tourism levels are still set to increase by 6% per year in the UK, a target which Wales is committed to meet.  One way in which this can be promoted is through the provision of a wider variety of all-year facilities in both rural and coastal locations such as water-based activities, the provision of activities/facilities for short breaks and day trips, and improved connections with neighbouring authority’s facilities.

Tourism can also thrive in the rural areas where market towns, for example, can be utilised in order to attract a higher proportion of visitors.  Rural areas also have the potential to integrate business diversification with tourism-based development diversification and the Plan will support suitable schemes at appropriate locations.

Other forms of visitor accommodation include, for example, bed and breakfast establishments and self-catering cottages and apartments.   Whilst the latter provide a valuable form of accommodation, the nature, scale, and location of new accommodation needs to be assessed carefully, to ensure that they do not conflict with other Plan objectives and sustainability principles. 

The settlements within the Urban Development StrategyArea are the preferred locations for new development in order that new facilities are accessible to visitors and that new accommodation is provided where visitors can access a range of services by a choice of travel modes.

Within the Rural Development Strategy Area proposals should first look to the re-use of existing buildings and extensions to existing businesses in order to protect the countryside from inappropriate development, in line with Strategic Policy TOU/1 and Policy DP/6.  New build attractions and serviced accommodation could, however, be permitted in certain areas of the countryside if there are no sequentially preferable sites or buildings.  This will enable particular development that could help extend the tourism season, provide benefit to the local community and promote greater links with Snowdonia National Park.  However, new build un-serviced accommodation will not be permitted in the open countryside to protect the area from private holiday homes being built across the Plan Area.

Visitor pressures particularly can give rise to concerns in environmentally sensitive locations.  Related national guidance, strategies and studies confirm that policy needs to recognise the more restricted capacity of these areas. 

There are many existing buildings within the towns and villages which present opportunities for conversion to holiday accommodation, both serviced and self catering.  In addition, there are many rural buildings becoming redundant due to modern farm practices.  The conversion of such suitable buildings to holiday accommodation would contribute towards the diversification of the rural economy and contribute to the promotion of Welsh Culture and, therefore, would be generally welcomed, in line with Policy DP6 ‘National Planning Policy and Guidance’ and the Council’s occupancy conditions.

The Planning Authority’s concern is to ensure that any decline in the level of holiday accommodation, by change to alternative uses, is properly controlled.

Hotel accommodation is an important aspect of a sustainable tourism economy.  The development of new hotels can be of benefit where they are improving the quality of accommodation in a specific locality.  It is also important that the loss of hotels is resisted. It is important to retain hotel accommodation in the Llandudno and Deganwy area, where possible, in order to retain its unique character and vitality.

A key vacant site partly within the Holiday Accommodation Zone is the site of the former Pier Pavilion on North Parade.  Redevelopment of this site has been long-awaited, however, there are existing technical constraints for any new proposals such as listed structures/remains.  The Council are supportive of the site being redeveloped for a use which enhances the serviced Holiday Accommodation Zone whilst retaining the historic importance of the site.

The level and density of serviced accommodation will be regularly monitored in the to ensure the correct area is protected as detailed in the Implementation and Monitoring section.

Static and touring caravan sites as well as chalets and camp sites are an important source of holiday accommodation, which can be crucial to the success of the tourism economy, although such sites are often seen as being visually intrusive, which is particularly apparent in the main resort areas of Towyn and Kinmel Bay where a series of sites have merged and become prominent in the landscape.  Similarly, past intensification of sites has visually affected a small number of rural locations.  In some areas the cumulative impact of existing sites may be considered visually obtrusive and dominant in the landscape, therefore, the Council will encourage landscaping schemes to improve and screen sites.  The Plan will seek to ensure that future development is permitted only where the proposal would not result in an over concentration of similar uses in the locality and where there is significant enhancement of the biodiversity of the area.

The amount of land given over to self-catering accommodation in the form of static caravans and chalets is excessive in the Urban Development Strategy Area.  Therefore, the Council will continue with the long established policy of resisting proposals to develop further land for the use in these areas.  This problem of saturation does not apply in the more extensive rural area.  However, such development, particularly static caravans, can be obtrusive in the landscape and damaging to the character of the rural area unless strictly controlled.  Whilst recognising this strict control, the Council also believes that given the right location the development of small-scale static caravan parks and individual or small groups of high quality, purpose built, holiday chalets can be acceptable in the rural area outside of the defined urban areas. However, development permitted under the policy must form part of an existing hotel/motel complex, working farm or an established tourist attraction, since this would assist in retaining the enterprise and be beneficial to the rural economy.

The replacement of static caravans with woodland-lodge style developments will be permitted where it improves the impact on the landscape. However, as with all development, proposals for any accommodation will only be allowed after it has been demonstrated that there will be no adverse impact on the integrity of the natural environment including Natura 2000 Sites and no net loss of biodiversity has been shown.

Policy TOU/6 has been prepared in accordance with Technical Advice Note 13 ‘Tourism’.

In line with Policy DP/6 and TAN15 ‘Development and Flood Risk’, extending the holiday season to sites that are highly vulnerable to flood risk, such as the existing self catering caravan and chalet parks in the Towyn and Kinmel Bay area, will be resisted to ensure safety and limit overall risk.  The Council will need to be satisfied, following consultation with the Environment Agency Wales, that there is no increased risk from flooding on the application site before it will grant planning permission to extend the holiday season. The Council must also first be convinced that the presence of extra caravan-based population will not jeopardise the safety interests of permanent residents, either in the aftermath of a major flooding event, orin the event of short-notice warnings to evacuate the area.

Tourism and recreation is vital to economic prosperity and job creation throughout Conwy with wider links into neighbouring areas especially Snowdonia National Park.  It is a significant source of employment and investment in the rural area.  Seasonality affects the demand for a wide range of tourism facilities and leisure activities.  The Council will support the development and adaptation of a range of facilities to accommodate this changing demand where it conforms to other LDP polices. 

Sport and recreation facilities and space contribute to the health and quality of life of Conwy’s residents.  The Council supports development which provides a wide range of leisure pursuits and promote physical activity.  Associated infrastructure will be assessed in line with the above policy, the Community Facilities policies 1-15 and the Development Principles policies.

The provision of social and community facilities is essentialwhen considering new development proposals.  Communities need good access to a wide range of services and facilities such as education, health and social care, open space, leisure and shopping facilities in order to be sustainable. The provision of such facilities should be properly managed and incorporated into planning policies and regeneration plans.

An assessment of community infrastructure requirements in Conwy has been undertaken to establish the need for certain types of facilities over the Plan period - this evidence base is set out in the relevant Background Papers 15, 16, 19, 24 and 25 on retailing, open space, education facilities and allotment provision. Land has been assessed and policies have been compiled to enable these needs to be met. This section of the LDP, therefore, includes the policies and allocations of land deemed necessary to ensure that existing community facilities and services are protected, and the additional needs of communities can be met over the Plan period.

PPW at paragraph 10.2.1 states that local planning authorities should identify an existing hierarchy of centres and highlight any which fulfil specialist roles.

The categories within the retail hierarchy are based on those contained within PPW at paragraph 10.1.1. Detailed criteria relating to where each centre is positioned within the hierarchy has been formulated and provided in BP/16 – ‘Primary & Secondary Retail Areas & Hierarchy Study’.

New developments should be in keeping with the scale and function of the existing centres in order to create sustainable development patterns and to avoid any adverse effect on the other centres.  Having regard to the position of the centre within the overall hierarchy is essential. 

Individual planning applications relating to retail will be assessed on their own merit, in line with Policy DP/6 and on the basis of paragraphs 10.2.11 and section 10.3 of PPW.  First preference will be given to developing sites within existing sub-regional and town centres, followed by edge-of-centre sites, and then district, local and village centres.

Llandudno’s role as the sub regional shopping centre attracts a large number of shoppers from the County Borough and other neighbouring authorities. The Plan recognises the need to promote the retail function within Llandudno and Colwyn Bay whilst also supporting appropriate retail development in other centres in the hierarchy.

The second largest retail centre in the hierarchy, Colwyn Bay, will be enhanced in line with the Colwyn Bay Masterplan and other associated regeneration proposals. To respond to declining economic conditions, the Council is actively working on the regeneration of the town centre and surrounding areas in line with Policy DP/9.  The Council and its partners will identify regeneration areas in the urban area of Colwyn Bay on the basis of its brownfield land redevelopment potential, economic and social need, and proximity to the Town Centre and sustainable transport links. The area presents unique qualities, opportunities and challenges, which are described in more detail in the Colwyn Bay Masterplan.

The Conwy Retail Study (BP/15) concludes that the town of Conwy is currently over-trading in respect of convenience retailing, which may be detrimental to residents’ choice and quality of retail experience. The Study suggests that there is benefit in the development of a retail outlet which provides top-up shopping facilities for residents on a day to day basis within the town centre.  However, due to the historic nature of Conwy, this is more likely to be accommodated within the existing built fabric of the town, and the retention of the historic environment should take precedence over fulfilling identified convenience need.

The conclusions from the Conwy Retail Study, 2007 indicate that there is no need to allocate sites for retailing within the Plan period.   Although the Retail Study does not recommend retail allocations in the LDP it does, nevertheless, state an element of need for additional comparison floor space in the Llandudno/Llandudno Junction area by 2015.  This need is, however, already met by a number of existing commitments for comparison goods retailing on the retail parks in Llandudno and on the former Brickworks site at Llandudno Junction as shown on the proposals map.   The position will be reviewed as part of the next retail study to be commenced in 2011/12.

Shopping not only contributes to the vitality, attractiveness and viability of town centres, but provides benefits to the local economy and can complement the leisure and tourism objectives of this Plan. It is, therefore, vital to protect the retail core of the main shopping centres and oppose developments which harm or undermine this function.

Examination of the mixture of uses within background paper 16 indicate that around 70% of units within the primary shopping areas of Llandudno and Colwyn Bay are currently class A1 use.   The primary shopping areas are therefore intended primarily for A1 use, although other uses will be permitted where they comply with the policy.

While it is necessary to protect the retail function within town centres, it is also important to consider how long term vacancy rates could be avoided or reduced. The number of vacancies within town centres has increased rapidly due to the current economic climate. This is true also for the sub-regional centre, Llandudno, which has seen an increase in vacancy levels over recent years.

One way the planning system can assist the recovery of town centres is to enable greater flexibility where long term vacancies are becoming a problem. In such cases, where a change of use from A1 is requested, the applicant would need to provide evidence of marketing the premises for a six month period at a reasonable market rate to demonstrate that there is no longer demand for a class A1 use at that location. Normally, where such a criterion is applied, a 12 month period of marketing is requested, however the Council recognises the negative impact vacant shop fronts have in town centres and seeks to help reduce vacancies wherever possible.

The Council will also need to be satisfied that the proposed new use will comply with criterion b) of policy CFS/3, and balance the need for reducing the number of vacant units whilst protecting the integrity of the primary shopping area. In particular, special care must be taken to prevent the clustering of uses which may be detrimental to the attractiveness of the centre.

Policy CFS/3 will be subject to annual monitoring and review to prevent over-concentrations of uses which are detrimental to the centre. The overall level of vacancies within centres will be monitored on an annual basis to determine whether there is a need to adjust the policy criterion from 6 months to 12 months.

Retail designations in previous adopted plans have been reviewed in the light of data collected over the previous ten years relating to changes of use and vacancy levels within shopping zones. Designated areas are proposed to protect the retail core of these areas.

Within the shopping zones, there is a presumption in favour of retaining class A1 uses, but it is recognised that other uses, in particular class A3 uses (such as cafes / restaurants), or commercial or service sector uses may be acceptable where this does not harm the vitality, attractiveness and viability of the centres. Indeed PPW at paragraph 10.2.4 states that planning policies should encourage a diversity of uses in centres. Particular attention, therefore, should be given, to avoid the clustering of certain uses where these are detrimental to the attractiveness of the centre. Over recent years, problems have arisen with anti-social behaviour within certain town centres, this in most cases being associated with a high concentration of licensed premises such as pubs, clubs, bars and takeaways in a particular part of town, for example as on upper Mostyn Street, Llandudno which is an area containing both licensed and residential premises. Here the number of premises licensed to sell alcohol has increased from 7 premises in 2005 to 13 premises in 2011.

Planning proposals for the change of use to class A3 in such areas will need to be considered carefully against policy CFS/4 and the Development Principles (in particular, policies DP/3 and DP/4). The LPA will need to be satisfied that the proposal will not have a detrimental effect on the attractiveness of the centre arising from an over concentration of A3 uses, and/or cause unacceptable adverse impact on residential amenity, public safety, noise and crime. Relevant evidence supplied by other Council departments and external bodies such as the Police should also be taken into account where this forms a material planning consideration.

Mostyn Champney’s Retail Park and Parc Llandudno are situated on the edge of Llandudno town centre and perform different retail functions to those which are typically found within town centres. Mostyn Champney’s and Parc Llandudno Retail Parks consist of large format retail stores, ‘large format’ being stores which are typically 929 sqm (10,000 sq ft), or above, in size with associated car parking. In the case of Mostyn Champney’s Retail Park, retailing is focused on the sale of bulky goods and in-bulk goods, whereas Parc Llandudno consists of large format retailers selling non-bulky goods.   As stated in PPW at 10.3.12, the scale, type and location of such retail developments should not undermine the vitality, attractiveness and viability of town centres.  Legal agreements are in place to restrict the change of use and subdivision of units at these locations.

Local, village and rural shops play a vital role in sustaining smaller centres and reducing the need for residents to travel to meet everyday needs. In smaller villages they also play an important community function, supporting those who have difficulty travelling further afield and forming a hub to village life.

The Council will encourage the retention of village shopping facilities where they provide an essential service to the locality and are economically viable.  When considering proposals which involve the loss of such facilities, the Council will consider the impact of the loss on the local community, in terms of the availability, access to alternatives and social implications, including the impact on the viability of the village as a whole.  Where such proposals are received, the applicant will need to demonstrate that the shop is no longer viable by supplying relevant financial information to support the case, plus evidence of the premises being marketed for a minimum of 12 months at a realistic price.

Shop fronts are critical in forming the character and appearance of shopping frontages. The Council attaches considerable importance to suitably designed shop fronts, not only to preserve the character of buildings, but also to retain the overall attractiveness of streets and to maintain their commercial viability. Inappropriate developments can have a severe detrimental effect not only on the building but also the street scene, and the street’s trading potential.

Both customers and shopkeepers benefit if the environment of the street scene is enhanced by well-designed and maintained shop fronts. In villages it will be important to respect the existing street and village character, while in major shopping centres within the Urban Development Strategy Area the emphasis will be on creating and maintaining a quality and vibrant environment.   It should be acknowledged that many shop fronts will be located within conservation areas.  Reference in such cases should be made to Policy CTH/2 – ‘Development Affecting Heritage Assets’.

Allotment gardens can contribute to open space within the Plan Area. They have positive benefits not only for environmental sustainability but also for food production, wildlife and general amenity value. Allotments are an important community resource.

Planning permission will not be granted for the redevelopment of allotments simply because they have been allowed to fall out of use and become neglected. Development which would remove allotments from use altogether will only be allowed if it has been demonstrated that there is no need for the allotments or alternative provision has been made.

As detailed in BP/25 – ‘Allotment Site Demand and Supply Report’,there are over 11 separate existing sites which provide in total 166 allotment plots in Conwy. 

In locations where there is no publicly owned land to meet the needs of the community, the next best location in terms of sustainability has been allocated.  Resulting from high constraints in Trefriw, those residents in need will be accommodated partly through allocation at Conwy and through delivery of unconstrained land in Snowdonia National Park Plan Area.  Similarly, for those residents in need at Colwyn Bay, they will be accommodated by allotment plots in Rhos-on-Sea and bringing back into use underused sites.

It is recognised that there is a need for allotments in other areas in the County Borough and the Council are actively seeking suitable sites to meet the needs of the communities of Abergele and Conwy.  Suitability of such sites will be considered in accordance with the Development Principles.

Housing developments should, in the majority of cases,incorporate play spaces into a scheme or, where this is not feasible, make a financial contribution secured through a planning obligation made under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.  Financial contributions will be accepted for residential developments of less than 30 dwellings. For residential development of 30 or more dwellings, the Council will seek the provision of on-site children’s play facilities and a financial contribution to off-site outdoor sports space. Developments of 200 or more residential dwellings will normally be expected to provide all required outdoor sport and children’s playing space on-site. Further details on provision of open space and commuted sums can be found within LDP4 – ‘Planning Obligations’ SPG.

Recreation and open space is a key contributor to the overall quality of life of local people. A recent assessment of open space provision highlights a deficiency of outdoor sports and play space across the County Borough.  This amounts to a shortage of land for outdoor sports and for children’s play space.

As recognised within the Healthy Conwy Strategy 2008 -2011, the benefits to health and well-being that parks and open spaces bring to communities include increased exercise levels, social interaction and greater opportunities for children’s play. One of the aims of the Conwy Children and Young People’s Plan is to encourage children and young people to make use of areas such as parks, open spaces, sports and outdoor leisure facilities.  However, the deficiency of public open space could present an obstacle to achieving such aims.

In acknowledging the deficiency, in 2003 the Counciladopted a Standard for open space provision (based on the former NPFA Standard). These standards were revised in 2008 by Fields in Trust (FIT) and added to the revised TAN 16 on Sport, Recreation and Open Space in early 2009.  It is these revised standards that have been incorporated into the policy. In addition to the policy, the Council has published an SPG on Planning Obligations in line with policy DP/4 ‘Development Criteria’to provide guidanceto developers on how the open space standard will be applied to newdevelopments.

Open space surveys are undertaken by the Council on a biennial basis and provide information on the adequacy of open space provision within the larger settlements.  The most recent study undertaken in 2010 shows that there are deficiencies with the provision of playing pitches, outdoor sports and / or play space in the following areas: Abergele, Deganwy, Glan Conwy, Greater Colwyn, Kinmel Bay, Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Llanfairfechan, Llanrwst, Llysfaen, Penmaenmawr, Penrhyn Bay, Penrhynside, and Towyn.

TAN 16 Sport, Recreation and Open Space suggests standards of space for playing pitches and outdoor sport as supported by FIT.  These standards have been used in the most recent Open Space Assessment.  However, it is acknowledged that TAN 16 relates to other types of open space such as green corridors, civic spaces and amenity green space but due to the timing of publication of this TAN and the advanced stage of the LDP Deposit Plan and supporting evidence base, it is considered appropriate to review the position once the Plan has been published for deposit as per advice in TAN 16 (paragraph 2.29 refers to not delaying work on the LDP in the absence of a new Open Space Audit and Assessment).

It is, therefore, proposed that an Open Space Audit and Assessment will be undertaken to identify local needs, assess local provision and provision standards for accessibility and quality, and identify deficits/surpluses of open space in accordance with the latest version of TAN 16 on Sport and Recreation. When completed, the Audit and Assessment will form part of the LDP evidence base and policies will be reviewed accordingly via mechanisms in the LDP adoption/or review process.

The term ‘open space’ as referred to in policy CFS/12 includes the following types as described in  national guidance in TAN 16: public parks and gardens, outdoor sports facilities, amenity green space and provision for children and young people. Such areas are of great significance to the local communities in the Plan Area. This is not only for the sports and recreational opportunities they offer, but the impact open space has on the attractiveness of the built and natural environment.  Therefore, existing open space should not be lost unless the open space assessment clearly demonstrates an over-provision of open space necessary for the community’s requirements. In such cases, developers will also need to demonstrate how their proposals will bring about significant benefits for those communities which will be losing the open space, such as provision of a satisfactory level of affordable housing, neighbourhood shops or other leisure facilities as and where appropriate. 

If there is an under provision of open space in the community, the developer will need to provide an acceptable alternative site within the vicinity of the development, or within the same town or community council area.

The Open Space Assessment, undertaken in December 2010, shows deficits in open space provision across the County Borough.The above sites have been allocated to address deficits in current provisionand reflect agreement and on-going deliverability discussions with landowners and developers. The playing field extension in Abergele is not additional provision, but replacement provision for the section of playing field that will be allocated for the housing allocation.  Additional land for open space in Abergele will be provided as part of the total land allocation for housing.

To meet the need for burial capacity in the Llanrwst and Abergele areas, the Council has undertaken work to identify suitable locations for either extensions to existing cemeteries, or new burial grounds.  BP/32 – ‘Burial Grounds Demand and Supply Report’ gives more detail on work undertaken to date. In relation to Llanrwst, the existing capacity at the Cae Melwr cemetery will have reached its capacity by the end of 2011, therefore an extension to the existing cemetery is proposed.  Need also exists in Abergele and the Council are actively seeking suitable land to accommodate this need.

The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) recognises the need to invest in schools for the future, and requires Conwy County Borough Council to have in place a clear Strategy across all schools. The LA embarked on the Primary School Modernisation Project (PSMP) 3 years ago. The Strategy and Implementation Plan was formally adopted by the Council in October 2010.

Further consultation meetings will now take place within the banding as noted in the implementation plan. These formal consultation meetings will be staggered over a number of years. The responses from each formal consultation meeting will be presented to the Council who will consider them in deciding which option to progress and implement for each area/school. No new allocations for Educational Establishments can be decided until this process has been completed for individual schools or areas.

The results of the next phase of the PSMP are currently unknown, therefore, all options are still open, which could mean, status quo, amalgamation, area school on existing site, area school on new site, area school on multiple sites, or refurbishment of existing school. However, the Council will review its approach following the finalisation of the Conwy Primary School Modernisation Project in line with Background Paper 24 – ‘Conwy Primary School Modernisation Report’.  New schools will be supported subject to meeting other relevant policies within the Plan.

The Plan Area benefits from attractive rural and coastal attributes which support a thriving tourism industry and provide a valuable leisure and recreation resource for residents.  Policies in this section aim to protect and enhance the character of the countryside, landscape, built environment and the rich biodiversity and geological assets.

The countryside also supports a healthy agricultural economy and Government policy states that the location of the best and most versatile agricultural land should be taken into account alongside other sustainability considerations when determining planning applications.

As well as protecting the local environment, new development must also seek to limit theimpact on the global environment by minimising resource use, increasing energy efficiencyand reducing carbon emissions. The Spatial Strategy locates development in settlements that provide a range of services and facilities, reducing the need to travel (and therefore carbon emissions). Other policies in this section seek to increase the energy efficiency of buildings and increase production of renewable energy.  There is also a need to ensure that development does not make wildlife and habitats more susceptible to loss through climate change and that they can adapt to future climate changes.

Much of the coastal area, particularly in the Urban Development Strategy Area, is at risk from flooding and there is a need to prevent inappropriate development in areas at risk.  This risk is likely to increase in the future as a result of climate change and a rise in sea level.  A restrictive approach is therefore applied to new development in areas at risk in line with Policy DP/6 – ‘National Planning Policy and Guidance’. Appropriate surface water drainage arrangements, such as Sustainable Drainage Systems, will be required to help control surface water flooding as set out in this section.

The open countryside consists of all areas outside defined settlement boundaries.  National guidance seeks to conserve and, where possible, enhance the countryside for the sake of its ecological, geological, physiographic, historical, archaeological and agricultural value. The open coastline is important to amenity, wildlife and recreation. The Great Orme is designated as Heritage Coast because its limestone cliffs and grassland are recognised as being among the nation’s finest coastal scenery.  The marine leisure industry and sea defence works both place pressure upon the coast.  Such developments need to be sympathetic to the ecology and appearance of the coast.  Likewise, some areas are likely to flood and development needs to be sited away from high risk areas.

Paragraph 5.2.8 of Planning Policy Wales promotes approaches to development which enhance biodiversity, prevent biodiversity losses, or mitigating for unavoidable damage.  

Two Special Protection Areas (SPAs) which lie partly within the Plan Area, renowned for their birdlife, include Traeth Lafan and Menai Strait in the north west of the Plan Area and Migneint to the south east of the Plan Area.  These sites are also internationally designated Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).  In addition, there are also three other SACs.  Two are located on the Creuddyn Peninsula, at the Great Orme and at Creuddyn Peninsula Woods, and the third, Elwy Valley Woods, straddles the Conwy/Denbighshire border.  SPAs and SACs are of international importance and consequently the Habitats Directive and national policies afford them very high protection.  They are shown on Key Diagram 8.

Paragraphs 5.3.8 and 5.3.11 of Planning Policy Wales also protect biodiversity on sites of national and local importance (for example, Sites of Special Scientific Interest).  Local Nature Reserves are not protected through national policies, but will be recognised in the LDP due to their local importance. Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) LDP5 – ‘Biodiversity in Planning’ provides further information on this topic.

Urban areas also contribute to biodiversity. The Plan Area has over 400 hectares of urban green spaces, such as parks, sports pitches and road verges.  These sites provide habitats and can also act as wildlife corridors to allow species to travel between sites. They are also important in terms of amenity, recreation and wellbeing. 

The Planning Authority, Countryside Council for Wales and the North Wales Wildlife Trust have identified a network of sites of local importance for biodiversity which are considered as candidate ‘Wildlife Sites’.  These sites, together with the nationally protected sites, form a habitat network which provides the foundation of the biodiversity resource in the Plan Area.  Since a full evaluation of the entire candidate Wildlife Sites has not been carried out to date, their biodiversity value will be evaluated on a site by site basis when development proposals come forward in these locations. 

Geodiversity relates to geological and geomorphological features. Examples include the Little Orme, which hosts a limestone pavement, and Llanddulas caves. Some features have statutory protection such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. In addition, Regionally Important Geological Sites are designated by regional groups on the basis of their scientific, educational, historic and aesthetic value. Planning applications that are likely to impact on these areas will be subjected to Policy DP/6.

Together these sites represent a strategic framework for the conservation of biodiversity and geodiversity. These sites include the statutorily protected international (Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas) and national (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) and the non-statutorily protected Local Nature Reserves and County Wildlife Sites and RIG sites.

Trees and woodlands create and link habitats, contribute to landscape character and are increasingly managed as a renewable source of energy. The UK is one of the least wooded places in Europe. Only 12 per cent of the UK and 14 percent of Wales is woodland, compared to an average of 44 per cent in other parts of Europe. Ancient and semi-natural woodlands, in particular, are protected through Planning Policy Wales as irreplaceable habitats. Retaining existing trees, and planting and maintaining new trees, within new developments contribute to visual amenity and biodiversity. There will be an SPG on The Natural Environment which will provide information on planting, maintenance, legislation and requirements of development. Planning applications that are likely to impact on trees or woodland will be subjected to Policy DP/6.

The environment not only concerns natural environment but also the built form, air, soil and water quality.  Inevitably, the planning system has an effect on all of these aspects.  The local and global environment must, therefore, be protected and enhanced as far as practicable, bearing in mind that decisions and actions made today often have longer-term effects.

The Water Framework Directive should also be referred to for considering any development which may have an impact on a river, lake or estuary. This assessment should be included in the DAS or Biodiversity Statement. 

WAG guidance on how LAs should comply with the biodiversity duty in the development control process states that key elements are screening development proposals for potential effects on biodiversity and seeking planning conditions and obligations to achieve biodiversity conservation. Further guidance is available in LDP5 – ‘Biodiversity in Planning’ SPG.

Paragraph 5.5.11 of Planning Policy Wales addresses the planning issues and in some cases, it may also be necessary for developers to obtain licences from the relevant authorities.  The Council will work with developers to protect and enhance habitat for protected species and subject planning applications to Policy DP/6.

Within the Plan Area, green wedges safeguard the undeveloped coast and countryside and prevent settlements from merging. A review of green wedge designations has taken place to inform this Revised Deposit Plan as set out in BP/12 – ‘Green Barriers Assessment’. The current green wedges are shown on the proposals map.

To meet the levels of development required to meet the needs of the community and tackle the key issues impacting on Conwy, Conwy CBC has to assess which areas of land are most suitable for development.  As the amount of Conwy’s brown-field land is low, the Council will inevitably need to allocate new development on the periphery of settlements which will mean some Green Wedge land being used.  The review of the Green Wedges has assessed which areas are the least damaging to the open countryside, existing settlement and landscape. 

Policy NTE/3 looks to prevent the coalescence of settlements and protect open areas which are most under threat.  These additional Green Wedges are proposedto provide further control on development in these areas.

The Council is committed to the protection and enhancement of biodiversity and will work with partners to ensure a proactive approach to the protection, enhancement and management of biodiversity in support of the Conwy Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP). Whilst the need for development will be carefully considered against its impact on biodiversity, opportunities can arise through sensitively located and carefully designed developments. Change can bring about new opportunities where the use of conditions and Section 106 agreements can be used to create new habitats and manage existing ones.

Policy NTE/4 also applies to the potential impact of the development allocations made in this Revised Deposit LDP and proposed development on Natura 2000 sites.  BP/11 – ‘The Habitats Directive and Appropriate Assessment’ sets out that all allocations within the plan are not likely to have a significant impact on Natura 2000 sites, but some will require management agreements as advised by the Countryside Council for Wales and the Planning Authority. Development will be permitted where it improves the appearance, biodiversity and landscaping of the site.  Development proposals will only be allowed after it has been demonstrated that there will be no adverse impact on the integrity of the Natura 2000 Sites in accordance with Policy DP/6. The integration of biodiversity within new developments is an important part of sustainable development.

‘Protected species’ are those species of plants and animals which are afforded legal protection, for example, under the European Union Birds Directive and Habitats Directive (these “European Protected Species” are the highest priority requiring protection), or under Schedules 1, 5 and 8 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.  Priority species or habitats are those defined in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) or the Conwy Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP).

Policy NTE/4 is in accordance with species protection legislation and Local Biodiversity Action Plan targets, and ensures that any harm to a species or its habitat is weighed against the benefit of a development proposal. The judgement will be made on the basis of the expected effect on the species, the local, national or international significance of the population of the species, and its abundance, rate of decline or degree of threat.

As is detailed in the Development Principles section and, in particular, Policy DP/3 ‘Promoting Design Quality and Reducing Crime’, when considering development proposals it is important to first afford priority to the maintenance and enhancement of existing habitats and species. The translocation of species or habitats should only be considered as a measure of last resort. Mitigation and compensation measures should facilitate the survival of the species’ population, reduce disturbance to a minimum and provide adequate habitats to sustain at least the current level of a population.  However, where the need for a development renders translocation to be the best outcome for biodiversity, this may be favoured over other mitigation options.

Mitigation may include the provision of specific measures to reduce disturbance, harm or potential impacts, provision of adequate alternative habitats to sustain, and where possible enhance, the affected population, or facilitate the survival of individual members of the species.  Such measures may be required through Section 106 agreements or Planning Conditions.

Policy NTE/4 also applies to the effects of development on people’s opportunity to enjoy and experience nature on a site. Development on or adjacent to an important site can have an adverse impact upon people’s enjoyment of the site’s biodiversity and landscape value, for example, through intrusive visual features, restrictions on access or a significant increase in noise levels.

Opportunities should be taken to achieve positive gain through the form and design of development.  Where appropriate, measures may include creating, enhancing and managing wildlife habitats and natural landscape which could form the basis for a management agreement with the Countryside Council for Wales or the Local Authority.  The built environment should be viewed as an opportunity to fully integrate biodiversity within new development through innovation.  Priority should be given to sites which offer habitat creation or linking which assists in achieving targets in the Conwy Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP).

The visual character of the landscapes, seascapes and townscapes in the Plan Area, and the separation of settlements, both within and outside of designated areas, is highly valued by residents and visitors.  High priority is given to the protection, conservation and enhancement of this landscape character and new development should be well-designed and help sustain and/or create landscapes and townscapes with a strong sense of place and local identity.

A Landscape Character Statement will be required for all development outside of the settlement boundaries as defined on the proposals maps and all development over 15 dwellings or 0.5 hectares inside the settlement boundaries. This can be incorporated in the Design and Access Statement or as a separate document. A Natural Environment SPG will be produced to provide further guidance on completion of a Landscape Character Statement.

The integration of development with the landscape should also have regard to landscape elements, such as walls, trees or hedgerows which are important to landscape character and should be retained. Development which is incapable of being sensitively and unobtrusively integrated into the landscape, and which would be detrimental to landscape character, will not be permitted. In certain cases, the proposed development may benefit from being landscaped, in a manner which is in keeping with the locality, to minimise its impact.

A Landscape Character Assessment or ‘Land Map’ is being prepared which identifies and describes distinctive Landscape Character Areas and types throughout the Plan Area and incorporates details on biodiversity and historic landscape features.  This information should be used, along with other studies that provide part of the evidence base about the landscape and the character of towns and villages in the Plan Area, to ensure that development proposals reflect the distinctiveness, qualities and sensitivities of the area.  However, the Land Map study will not be complete until after the LDP Deposit.  The Landscape Character Areas will be reviewed and amended to reflect the outcome of the study and used as an evidence base in assessing planning applications.

The need to control development along coastlines is important for environmental and economic reasons.  Coastlines warrant special protection as they are often sensitive to development due to their open character and they also provide habitats for certain species of plants, mammals and birds.  In addition, development should not interfere with natural coastal processes such as erosion and deposition.  TAN 14 states that “it is for each LPA to consider and define the most appropriate coastal zone in its area”.From an economic point of view, the coast can be an important tourist and leisure attraction. Employment opportunities can be provided from other coast related activities such as fishing and marinas.  Coastal areas may also be susceptible to flooding and, therefore, there may be a need to carry out defence works to protect areas from such risks.

A high proportion of Conwy’s coastline is protected from flood risk although breaching from the sea is a continual risk.  Large areas of Conwy’s eastern coastline have previously been breached and the central Bay of Colwyn has suffered undermining to the seafront and storm damage, although further defence work is due to begin in 2011.  To the west, Llanfairfechan seafront has also suffered from over-topping.   TAN 14 states that “Planning Authorities need to be aware of coastal issues on two scales; the site and its immediate environs and in terms of the wider setting”.

The undeveloped coast will be protected as it will rarely be the most appropriate location for development. The developed coast, by contrast, may provide opportunities for restructuring and regenerating existing urban areas.  Where new development requires a coastal location, the developed coast will normally provide the best option, provided that due regard is paid to the risks of erosion, flooding or land instability.  The LDP will also offer opportunities for safeguarding land and routes for Emergency Planning scenarios.

Much of the coastal land resource in the Plan Area has already been developed, with the main centres of the population in the Plan Area located on the coast.  The remaining undeveloped coast is considered to be one of Conwy’s major environmental assets.

The coastline of Conwy is a significant factor in attracting visitors to the area.  Due to the role which tourism and recreation plays in the local economy it is important to maintain and enhance the attractiveness of the area through the development of improved facilities.

The Spatial Strategy, in the location of new development, is designed to minimise the need to travel, especially by car, thereby reducing carbon emissions.  The design of new development is also important, as energy use in buildings accounted for nearly half of UK carbon dioxide emissions in 2004 and more than a quarter of these came from the energy used to heat, light, and power homes.

Climate change will have major implications on the UK’s environment and could result in more extreme weather events, including hotter and drier summers, flooding and rising sea levels leading to coastal realignment.  This has severe consequences for the Plan Area, which is subject to large areas at risk of flooding.

The Council is seeking to ensure that all new development contributes towards sustainable principles and reduces or minimises carbon emissions, is resilient to future implications of climate change and protects residents from the effects of fuel poverty.  New dwellings are likely to comprise the majority of new development in the Plan Area and the Code for Sustainable Homes is a national standard used to assess the sustainability of new dwellings. Particular Code for Sustainable Homes ratings should be met in order to ensure that the housing requirement is provided in a sustainable manner.  The Code looks at dwellings in a holistic way and certain standards in terms of water consumption, environmental impact of materials used, provision of outside space, and protection of existing ecological features need to be met to reach a particular 'level'.

The policies in this section seek to achieve greater efficiency in the use of natural resources, minimise energy demand and increase the use of renewable resources.  This should reduce the running costs of buildings and create attractive and healthy places for people to live and work by the use of natural light and ventilation. When looking at re-use of previously developed land, developers should seek to renovate existing buildings where appropriate rather than demolition and rebuilding.  Recovered building materials should also be used where possible.  This will reduce energy used in construction and will also contribute to protecting the built heritage.

Sustainable Development is at the heart of the Conwy Local Development Plan and the Council is seeking to create communities that use natural resources sustainably. Efficient use of natural resources, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, is one of the main means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the impact of climate change. The planning system affects the use of natural resources, including energy and minerals, and how we use and manage waste.   By responsible and efficient use, we can minimise the impacts to the environment, whilst ensuring sustainable availability for future generations.

Planning Policy Wales seeks for Local Planning Authorities to integrate energy efficiency and conservation objectives into the planning and design of new development in their areas. There is an increasing need to reduce the amount of carbon released. Local materials with a low embodied energy will be favoured. Renewable energy schemes will be encouraged where appropriate but the best way of meeting these aspirational targets in this Borough is through encouraging the use of on-site renewable energy sources. Given the likely scale of new development in Conwy over the Plan period within the urban coastal belt areas, the potential contribution from this source is considerable. It could take various forms including localised wind generators, solar panels or photo-voltaic cells incorporated into buildings. Developments that are sustainably designed and constructed can provide local renewable energy sources, use less energy, minimise heat loss, use less water, optimise natural light, facilitate better recycling, provide sustainable urban drainage systems and use recycled construction materials.

In July 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government issued a ‘Planning for Climate Change’ consultation paper seeking comments on possible changes to national planning policy including the following areas:

• The use of sustainable building standards to drive up the sustainability of buildings in Wales;
• A requirement that in future major development in Wales should incorporate on-site and/or near-site decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy equipment contributing at least an additional 10% reduction in CO2 emissions, and;
• The ability for Local Planning Authorities to set higher standards in the above areas in their LDPs for strategic sites.

The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against categories of sustainable design, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package.  The Code uses a 1 to 6 star rating system to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a new home.  The Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use at each level.

The Code also gives new homebuyers better information about the environmental impact of their new home and its potential running costs, and offers builders a tool with which to differentiate themselves in sustainability terms.

From 1 May 2008 a minimum of Code Level 3 will be required for all new housing promoted or supported by the Welsh Assembly Government whether:

• Directly procured;
• The subject of financial support;
• Joint ventures; or;
• Projects on land sold, leased or disposed of in any other way for development.

It also applies to all new housing on land improved or reclaimed with the Welsh Assembly Government or ASGB funding that is still subject to financial clawback.

Registered social landlords are also being invited to identify schemes within their work programmes.  This is part of a pilot that aims to develop projects to meet the requirements of higher Code Levels, namely Code Levels 4 and 5.  Housing developments promoted or supported by the Welsh Assembly Government will follow this approach.

The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is still a requirement for non residential developments promoted or supported by the Welsh Assembly Government.

The initial target, set out in table NTE/6g, of 10% pre 2012 is cost effective and achievable.  To address the challenges of climate change and serious flood risk in the County, the Council is seeking to achieve its aspirational target of 20% by 2022 from new developments and, therefore, contribute positively towards the future of Conwy and help stimulate a prosperous economy and a more balanced population structure.  The initial target of a Code Level 3, progressing to a minimum of Code Level 6 for residential development, and a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM standard for non-residential developments are also cost effective and achievable.  Developments will, therefore,  be required to incorporate renewable energy to supply part of their energy demand.

The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to delivering an energy programme to reduce carbon emissions. Its target of 1,120 MW of wind-generated electricity will mainly be generated from larger wind farms, located in seven Strategic Search Areas (SSAs). One of these, in Clocaenog Forest straddles the boundary of the Plan Area and the county of Denbighshire, could potentially generate around 280MW (per The WAG Energy Policy Statement 2010). The precise boundary of the SSA will be shown on the Proposals Map. Policy relating to the Clocaenog SSA has been co-ordinated with Denbighshire County Council through draft Supplementary Planning Guidance which will be developed and reviewed annually following adoption. TAN 8 and PPW are currently under review which could see amendments to the SSA boundary and associated targets. However until such time as the SSA boundary is amended the Council will consider the 5km buffer as being outside of the SSA, TAN guidance and assess development against NTE/8.

The approach taken in Policy NTE/8 will be reviewed in light of new Government Guidance in line with Policy DP/6.

This policy is designed to promote wind turbine development in the right locations at the appropriate scales whilst addressing the targets proposed by the Welsh Assembly for power generated by onshore wind.  Larger developments should be concentrated in the Clocaenog SSA as identified in TAN8 (under reassessment 2010).  The Council also wish to promote the use of the Clocaenog Statement of Environmental Master Planning Principles (SEMP), developed by the RSPB in conjunction with Denbighshire and Conwy local planning authorities, CCW and the North Wales Wildlife Trust.  This establishes a cross-boundary approach to land management in order to maintain, improve or create habitats affected by large scale wind turbine development.

There is no legal or planning requirement for a developer to provide community benefits, however, by providing benefits developers can be regarded as:

1. being good neighbours
2. offering compensation
3. sharing the rewards with local communities

The potential benefits are regarded as being:

1. Community funds: regular or one-off sums to a community fund which is agreed at application stage or before;
2. Benefits in kind: infrastructure, environment, education or facility improvements agreed with the LPA and Community at application stage or before;
3. Local Ownership: shares in the project or operating company are offered to local residents either using their own investment, profit-sharing or part-ownership schemes designed to tie community benefits to wind farm performance;
4. Local contracting and management: the use of local employment during construction and operation of the wind farm.

Developers should address Community Benefit in terms of each of the following areas:

1. Socioeconomic
2. Environment/Wildlife
3. Educational

TAN 8 and the SSA capacity is under review at the time of writing.  An SPG on Renewable Energy will be introduced once the national guidance has been updated.

The impact of wind farms on local communities, particularly cumulative impacts, needs to be considered when determining appropriate locations with preference for sites within the SSA.

The use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) to manage water flows can be an important tool in minimising flood risk by increasing permeable surfaces in an area which allows water to seep into the ground rather than running off into the drainage system and reduces the impact of diffuse pollution from run-off and flooding. The effective use of permeable surfaces, soakaways and water storage areas should be incorporated in all new development where technically possible. Early consideration of SuDS is required in order that a range of techniques can be considered and developers are encouraged to enter into early discussions with the Council.

It is preferable to manage surface water runoff through the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) as they provide environmental, biodiversity and aesthetic benefits. SuDS may take the form of swales, lagoons, permeable paving, green roofs and sensitively re-engineered channels or reed beds, depending on the nature of the development and the area.

The Council supports the Environment Agency in promoting sustainable drainage systems which maintain or reduce pre-development rates of run-off and will seek advice from the agency to determine allowable rates of run-off. Developers will be required to fund the scheme and legal agreements will ensure the maintenance and control of run-off to those levels in perpetuity in line with the development principles.

Where petrol, chemical or oil tanks or other facilities form part of a proposed development, the Council will normally require them to be contained by bund walls of sufficient size to prevent spillage or seepage.

There are a number of ways water conservation can be achieved, such as water saving devices, rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling, and the policy offers a degree of flexibility on the exact methods used. Large developments, or the cumulative impact of smaller developments, incorporating such measures could, by reducing surface water run-off, have the potential to reduce levels of water courses and water tables, and thereby have an impact on biodiversity. A balance must be achieved between management of water recycling and ensuring no adverse impact on the water environment and biodiversity. 

Historic areas play a key role in fulfilling the objectives of the Local Development Plan, whether they form commercial or shopping centres, visitor attractions, or attractive and interesting places to live. The Council is keen to ensure that such assets are protected from inappropriate development, and will take the opportunity to enhance historic areas and buildings where this is needed.

This LDP, therefore, includes strategic level policies relating to development and historical assets with details and management proposals to suit the characteristics and meet the challenges of each individual area provided within supplementary planning guidance.

The Welsh language is an important part of the fabric of local communities.  The Council is committed to protecting this and encouraging development which does not have a negative impact.

Background papers BP/28 – ‘Historic Environment’ and BP/33 – ‘Welsh Language’ have been produced which provide more information on the prevalent issues.

There are 25 conservation areas designated within the Plan Area.  The designations have been derived locally, and each conservation area is unique in character.  The management of conservation areas has historically been provided by a set of over-arching policies that apply to all conservation areas.  The approach adopted in this plan is to produce SPGs for particular themes or issues that are common to most, if not all, conservation areas and also formulate SPGs for each individual conservation area (based on the Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans) to proactively manage and guide development proposals.

Pressures for change within the majority of conservation areas in the Plan Area have been steadily mounting, with the special character and distinctiveness of many areas being significantly adversely affected by small-scale changes to many properties and larger scale alterations.  In particular, installation of UPVC windows, doors, fascias and rainwater goods has had a negative impact on the character of a number of conservation areas.  This is an example of problematic issues common to most conservation areas where additional guidance will be provided through an SPG.

Over recent years, pressure for development in low-density conservation areas has led to an increasing number of applications for demolition, redevelopment, infilling and backland development.  Although national planning policy encourages prudent use of land with preference for the development of brownfield land within existing settlements, the character of low-density conservation areas, for example Pen y Cae, Penmaenmawr and Pwllycrochan, Colwyn Bay, should not be eroded.  High density development, which is inconsistent with the built form of such areas, harms their character and there shall be a presumption against such development.

Where development or demolition proposals affect buildings or structures which contribute in a neutral or positive manner towards the special architectural and historic character of a conservation area there will be a presumption in favour of only those proposals that preserve or, if possible, enhance the character of the designated area.  Where the character of conservation areas has been adversely affected by inappropriate changes and developments are proposed, the Council will seek to enhance rather than preserve the existing character by, for instance, the restoration of historic development and features.

Conwy castle (including the town walls) is a World Heritage Site. This designation highlights the international importance of the site. The Plan will advance proposals and guidance which reflect the pre-eminence of the designation together with the town’s conservation area. UNESCO requires the preparation of a management plan to guide development affecting World Heritage Sites. A draft management plan has been prepared which includes a buffer zone intended to protect the setting of Conwy World Heritage Site. The Council will also consider the wider setting of the World Heritage Site which extends beyond the setting as shown on the proposals map, in line with Policy CTH/2. In addition to this management plan the Council will prepare proposals for the conservation area designation of Conwy town that will be framed within a World Heritage Site and Conservation Area Management Plan. An SPG will then be formulated from these documents.

The inclusion of parks and gardens in the Cadw/ICOMOS Register does not confer any extra statutory controls.  New development which is proposed within boundaries or within their defined essential settings should not harm the special interest of the parks and gardens.  Enabling development proposals within historic landscapes, parks and gardens should be systematically assessed to ensure that the special character of these assets are preserved.Development proposals which fall within registered historic landscapes, parks and gardens will be assessed against Policy CTH/2, the Guide to Good Practice on using the Register of Landscapes of Historic Interest in Wales, the SPG on the Natural Environment and Policy CTH/4 and the SPG on Enabling Development where relevant.

The Council recognise the importance of pre-application advice in order to ensure appropriate options for changes to listed buildings are fully considered to preserve their character prior to the formal submission of an application.  All proposals to carry out works to listed buildings need to be fully justified in terms of ensuring that the special historical and architectural character and features of significance of the buildings and their settings are preserved.  The demolition of listed buildings or the partial demolition of significant parts of a listed structure will only be allowed on the rarest of occasions where overriding justification is proven. There is also a need to consider Policy NTE/1 with regards to statutory protected species, their habitats and resting places when assessing proposals for works to listed buildings.An SPG will be produced on listed buildings to provide information and guidance to applicants.

The implications of climate change and the increasing importance of energy efficiency in buildings will lead to increased conflict with conservation objectives. Sustainable solutions should be pursued where these would not significantly or irreversibly damage historic interests.  Cadw published guidance on renewable energy and the historic environment in 2010. An SPG will be produced that sets out the principles and policies for energy conservation and renewable energy proposals affecting historic buildings, areas and parks, gardens and landscapes.

Development should be sensitive to the preservation of archaeological remains and national policies stress the need to evaluate sites, record them and preserve those that are most important.  Consultations with Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust and Gwynedd Archaeological Trust have revealed that some of the proposed strategic allocations may require archaeological assessments or evaluation prior to any development taking place.  Consultation responses such as these will be taken into account when producing development briefs for these sites or when assessing developers’ proposals.

Scheduled ancient monuments form only a small proportion of the total number of archaeological and historic sites.  When considering proposals on unscheduled archaeological sites, the Council will consult with the Clwyd-Powys / Gwynedd Archaeological Trusts, and take into account the interest and importance of the sites and their settings. Where necessary the Council will require that sites are properly assessed and evaluated before deciding on whether to grant planning permission. Planning permission will be refused if the archaeological site is of sufficient interest to merit protection from disturbance altogether. Preservation and recording of sites may also be secured through the use of planning conditions and agreements. An SPG will be produced to guide development proposals on these matters.

There are a significant number of buildings and structures which by reason of their design, materials and social and historical connections are fundamental parts of the character and identity of their locality.  These buildings and structures should be retained, and appropriate uses sought to maintain their essential character.  A local list of such buildings will be compiled from visual surveys and consultation with local interest groups.  LDP8 – ‘Buildings and Structures of Local Importance’ Supplementary Planning Guidance sets out the methodology for such a list and identifies criteria and additional controls, for example, Article 4 directions.

Enabling development which conflicts with planning policies or sound conservation principles is often advanced as a measure which will allow a listed building or building of local importance to be preserved or rescued from dilapidation and/or disuse.  These buildings are frequently redundant, unused and possess large areas of surrounding land, including parks and gardens or landscapes that are themselves of special interest. Development proposals should be considered and formulated with an understanding of the design and significance of buildings and their settings, parks and gardens and their relationship with the historic buildings that are located within and adjacent to them.  For example preserving key views and vistas to the building, and views from the building to its surroundings will be important determining considerations.  An SPG on Enabling Development will provide more detail on such matters.

The Welsh language is an important part of the fabric and heritage of local communities.  Conwy is committed to protecting this aspect of the community and encouraging development which does not have a negative impact on it.  The 2001 census showed that Welsh speakers exceeded 70% of the population in three community council areas, and formed between 60% and 70% in a further seven.   Conwy CBC will support and promote the Welsh language, by ensuring there is sufficient employment and housing opportunities to retain Welsh-speakers throughout the Borough and limiting development in the Villages and Hamlets.  Proposals which are likely to change the linguistic character of an area should be accompanied by a linguistic statement.  In exceptional cases, a more rigorous linguistic impact assessment may also be required. The Council has prepared LDP6 – ‘Welsh Language’ Supplementary Planning Guidance to inform applicants of the requirements. Background Paper 33 – ‘Welsh Language’ provides evidence to support this approach.

New development is required to address the transport implications of that development and larger schemes are required to prepare transport assessments to illustrate how the amount of trips generated will be accommodated and how accessibility to and from the site by all modes of transport will be achieved. For non-residential proposals which are likely to have significant transport implications, the Government also requires the submission of travel plans, the purpose of which is to promote more sustainable forms of transport in relation to the activities of a particular development (for example, encouraging reductions in car usage and increased use of public transport, walking and cycling).

Meeting the travel objectives will require action on two fronts. Firstly, there needs to be positive action brought about through the Regional Transport Strategy to provide a vision and strategy for integrated transport in the County. Secondly, the LDP needs to provide strong policies to ensure that the location of new development supports the above objectives. Partnership working is essential to the achievement of these objectives. This section incorporates the necessary detailed policies to ensure the sustainable transport strategy is delivered.

Good accessibility means that the community can access their needs (for example, shopping, education and employment) easily and without always needing a car. Accessibility can be improved by locating development at appropriate locations and by improving public transport, walking and cycling facilities and services. The development needs of the community will be met by locating the majority of it in the accessible locations, predominantly along the A55 and Rail Network corridor, within the Urban Development Strategy Areawhere there are key links to services and transport. Providing good accessibility can change travel behaviour towards more sustainable modes, however, travel planning, education and demand management are essential elements of the overall transport strategy. Improving accessibility and reducing car dependence helps to improve equality, reduce congestion and responds to the challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability. To improve the offer of sustainable modes of travel, health of the community and the environment, the Council will allocate land for an interchange facility at Llandudno Rail Station.

For relatively short journeys walking and cycling are both highly desirable means of sustainable transport which also support a healthy lifestyle. Census data (2001) shows the majority (66%) of Conwy residents who are economically active use their car to travel to work. Whilst 14% of residents walk to their place of work, only 1.7% cycle. Unfortunately, walking and cycling to some areas is obstructed because major roads and roundabouts act as barriers to pedestrians and cyclists.  Walking is part of almost every trip, and people are less likely to walk to a local shop or bus stop if the pedestrian environment is poor or appears threatening.  Some roads, streets and junctions have been designed such that walking and cycling have become subordinate to the free flow of traffic.  Improvements to walking and cycling will be targeted within all settlements, primarily where access to employment and retail is required in Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay and Abergele and for leisure and tourism purposes along the coast and river corridors.  Examples would be the implementation of the Wales Coastal Path Improvement Programme and the Conwy Rights of Way Improvement Plan.  All new developments will need to provide quality walking and cycling facilities and contribute towards sustainable improvements in the surrounding community as appropriate.

Walking and cycling are particularly important in centres where there are many people shopping, working, living and playing in close proximity. These centres can accommodate very large numbers of walkers and cyclists without the congestion, noise and pollution problems that can be created by a relatively small number of motor vehicles. To encourage the use of sustainable modes of transport, contribute to improvements in health and protect the environment, the Council will seek to implement new footbridge links at Llandudno Junction railway station and in Colwyn Bay between the town centre and seafront.

The LDP, therefore, seeks to make significant improvements to sustainable transport to improve walking and cycling and links to other sustainable modes of transport in the Plan Area and, in particular, to the Urban Development Strategy Area.  These sustainable modes of travel have potential to improve accessibility, the environment and the health of the County Borough. To achieve this, the Council will work with partners and secure developer contributions and seek funding for improvements to cycling and walking, where required, and expand the SUSTRANS National Cycle Route 5 through the construction of a new cycle/pedestrian bridge connection at Foryd Harbour to provide for a more complete network linking Conwy with Denbighshire. The completion of the National Cycle Route 5 at Llandudno is also being progressed.

In accordance with the Wales Transport Act 2006, the Taith consortium, which is a partnership of Local Authorities with transport responsibilities in North Wales are required by the Welsh Assembly Government to produce a Regional Transport Plan (RTP). The RTP is a strategy for identifying and delivering improvements to our transport system over the next 25 years.  The North Wales RTP has been produced and became operational in April 2010.

The availability of car parking can have a significant effect on people's choice of transport. Accordingly, Government policy seeks to restrict levels of parking associated with new development in order to reduce the use of the car and promote more sustainable modes of transport. Car parking can also occupy a great deal of space and, therefore, impacts upon the appearance of development and the efficient use of land. TAN18 Section 4 states ‘controls of parking, charging and limits on provision or time may be appropriate when they complement land use policies, contribute to the reduction in congestion and safeguard amenity’. The purpose of this policy is to manage demand for certain types of parking, in order to promote the environmental, social and economic goals of the plan. The Council will review its parking standards in light of the Regional Transport Plan.

A primary planning consideration is to ensure that development proposals achieve a suitable connection to the highway that is safe for pedestrians, cyclists, occupants of vehicles and other road users. Equally important is the need to ensure that road safety is not jeopardised by allowing proposals which would generate levels of traffic beyond the capacity of the surrounding road network.

It is important that all development mitigates its transport impact. 'Major development' proposals or development proposals with 'significant transport implications', as set out in TAN18, will be required to produce a Transport Assessment and a Travel Plan (as set out in Policy STR/3). A Transport Statement should be submitted alongside all other development proposals to enable the applicant to demonstrate to the Council that they have properly considered the transport impact of the proposal and taken into account how to mitigate them. The level of detail of the Transport Statement will vary according to the scale and complexity of the application in line with national guidance and policy DP/6 – ‘National Planning Policy and Guidance’.

The above hierarchy sets out the priority for the delivery of infrastructure provision for non-motorised modes through the planning process, for example through Section 106 contributions. Although listed in priority order, no one priority should be promoted to the exclusion of others. The first priority is to connect to larger centres of attraction, both within or adjacent to the County, including the Urban Development Strategy Area and the Main Villages. These centres have a range of services and facilities, including schools and employment areas.  This offers greater value for money in terms of the range of the population who could potentially use the routes. In addition, Safer Routes to School, whilst contributing to the overall aims of improving infrastructure, is already delivered from a separate funding source. Leisure and recreation routes are also an important resource, particularly to improve access to the surrounding countryside as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The Regional Transport Plan includes separate strategies on walking and cycling and recognises their importance and the need to secure improvements to the capacity, quality and safety of the network. At the same time, existing public rights of way need protecting. The County Borough Council, through its local Highways Authority, is responsible for keeping the definitive rights of way maps up to date and for developing Rights of Way Improvement Plans. Public paths in rural areas (footpaths, bridleways and byways) provide an important resource for walkers and, in appropriate cases, for cyclists and horseriders.

The availability and use of public transport is a very important element in determining planning policies designed to reduce the need for travel by car. To this end, national policy requires local planning authorities to explore the potential, and identify any proposals, for improving public transport by rail, including the re-opening of rail lines. Such routes could also provide walking and cycle routes as an interim measure prior to the introduction of rail services.

Abergele will accommodate a level of housing and employment development to meet the needs of the community. To ensure deliverability of the allocations in the Abergele Area, a Town Centre Traffic Improvement Scheme will be promoted as indicated on the Proposals Map. The improvement scheme will be phased in line with the Monitoring and Implementation Plan and financed accordingly through developer contributions.

The Council recognises that a strategic approach is needed to ensure the long-term supply of aggregates. The Regional Technical Statement (RTS), (published in 2008) has been used to guide the LDP on such matters, and this document concludes that there is no need to allocate land for hard rock in Conwy at present, unless there are specific technical or environmental circumstances that would justify an allocation.  The Council considers that there are no circumstances that would justify an allocation in the Plan Area.   As well as existing hard rock quarries, the LDP safeguards significant additional hard rock resources, as well as sand and gravel resources.

Buffer zones around quarries are proposed to protect the amenity of residents and other sensitive land users, and to ensure that mineral operators can carry out their normal activities without being constrained by the undue presence of sensitive land users.

In line with the National Waste Strategy and the North Wales Regional Waste Plan (NWRWP), the Council will promote the reduction, re-use and recycling of materials in order to reduce land take-up for waste facilities.

There are many drivers for change in terms of how we better manage our waste. These include European Directives and National Guidance, and also regional-level working to bring about a step-change in the management of waste. Additionally, advances in technology and the introduction of policies and practices mean that many modern waste management facilities on the outside look no different to any other industrial building, and undertake industrial processes or energy generation activities that are no different to many other modern industrial processes in terms of their operation or impact.

The task of the local planning authority is to ensure that a sufficient amount of land located within suitable locations is available for both regional facilities (where necessary) and local facilities.  Waste facilities should, as outlined in the Wales Spatial Plan, follow the proximity principle (i.e. the location of the facility should be as close to the waste source as possible).  The outcome of the North Wales Waste Treatment Project will also play a part in determining the location and type of technology at a regional level.

National policy is provided by Mineral Planning Policy Wales (MPPW) and Minerals Technical Advice Note 1: Aggregates (MTAN1). In 2008, a draft Regional Technical Statement (RTS) was published to guide LDPs on the long-term supply of aggregates.   The RTS has now been adopted.

Conwy has three active quarries, all of which produce construction materials (known as ‘aggregates’). Penmaenmawr Quarry produces igneous rock, which is particularly suitable as railway ballast and for other uses.  Raynes Quarry near Llysfaen and St George Quarry near Abergele both produce limestone, which is used, for example, in manufacturing concrete. Both Raynes and St George Quarry are physically constrained with regards to further physical extensions, however all three quarries have planning permissions which extend beyond the Plan period.

In addition to the active quarries, Llanddulas Quarry contains resources of high-quality limestone.   Most of the quarry is occupied by a landfill site, whilst a legal agreement prohibits quarrying for general aggregate use.

The RTS considers that there is no need to allocate land for hard rock in Conwy at present, unless there are specific technical or environmental circumstances that would justify an allocation. The Council considers that there are no circumstances that would justify an allocation in the Plan Area.

MPPW supports the development of borrow pits, which serve specific construction projects, in appropriate locations. It also recognises the need for small scale quarries to provide locally distinctive dimension stone, where these would retain the character of the local built environment.  Borrow pits and small dimension stone quarries therefore fall outside the scope of Policy MWS/2.

MTAN1 also contains guidance on addressing specific impacts such as noise, dust and blasting, restoration and the use of secondary materials, such as demolition waste.

MTAN1 also requires planning authorities to assess and review the likelihood of future extraction from long inactive sites that have not been worked for 10 years. There are currently no sites with permitted reserves in Conwy that have been inactive for this period. In the event that the period of inactivity on a site exceeds 10 years, and the planning authority considers that further working is unlikely, it will consider serving a prohibition order. The purpose of a prohibition order is to establish without doubt that mineral development has ceased and cannot resume without the fresh grant of planning permission, and to secure the restoration of the land.

The RTS recommends a specific safeguarding policy for Conwy.   This policy implements that recommendation, and safeguards identified mineral resources and related transport and processing facilities to ensure that they remain available.   Background Paper 29 – ‘Safeguarding Aggregate Resources’ provides a full justification for the safeguarding approach. It is stressed that this policy simply safeguards those assets for the long-term, and it does not establish a presumption in favour of granting planning permission.

Some types of development would have a nil or negligible impact on the safeguarded resource, either because they relate to a time-limited temporary use, or as they involve a relatively low degree of capital investment (such as farm tracks), or because existing development in the same location presents an equivalent or greater constraint upon the potential for mineral working.  These include:

1. householder development incidental to the enjoyment of an existing dwellinghouse;
2. infill housing development between existing dwellings;
3. replacement dwellings, where the existing dwelling retains a residential  use right;;
4. new agricultural buildings (including slurry pits etc) and extensions to existing agricultural buildings within an existing farmyard, or where a new agricultural building would replace an existing agricultural building on the same site;
5. agricultural access tracks;
6. proposals for the temporary use of land (e.g. caravan sites, composting facilities), where a condition imposes a specific end-date on that use, and where any related operational development is to be removed upon the cessation of that use.

In cases where the quality and depth of safeguarded hard rock resources has not been proven, other forms of development may be consistent with the safeguarding approach provided that the applicant submits evidence such as borehole samples, demonstrating that no commercially viable hard rock resources would be affected.

Buffer zones serve two purposes.  One is to protect the amenity of residents and other sensitive land users; the other is to ensure that mineral operators can carry out their normal activities without being constrained by the undue presence of sensitive land users. In this policy, ‘inappropriate development’ includes mineral working (within the buffer zone) and land uses that could be affected by this (such as housing). In the case of hard rock, MTAN1 recommends that Buffer Zones should normally be 200m around each active area; for sand and gravel, the recommended distance is 100m. In Conwy, it is not always possible to achieve these distances due to the proximity of existing settlement boundaries.   The extent of the Buffer Zones around permitted reserves is shown on the Proposals Map.

Since geological and geomorphological mapping is not an exact science, the Proposals Map does not identify a separate buffer zone around the Sand and Gravel Safeguarding Area or around the resources in the Safeguarded Hard Rock designation that do not have a current planning permission for mineral working.    However, the principle of providing appropriate buffers in these areas will still apply.  Any planning applications in those areas would therefore need to take account of both direct impacts in sterilising mineral resources beneath the application site, and indirect impacts on the potential for working minerals nearby.

This policy is not intended to operate as an absolute prohibition on development in the Sand and Gravel Safeguarding Area.   Applications within the Sand and Gravel Safeguarding Area will be assessed on the basis of the same safeguarding criteria as those in the Safeguarded Hard Rock designation.

The North Wales Regional Waste Plan 1^st Review (2008) recommends that 21.75 hectares of land should be identified in Conwy for provision of waste management facilities including local facilities, and facilities capable of serving more than one authority within the North Wales region (refer to BP/20 – ‘Waste Management’). Since publication of the NWRWP 1^st Review, it has been agreed that LPAs only need to make a 20% overprovision, resulting in a total land requirement of 17.4 hectares in Conwy, a total of 22 hectares of land has been allocated in Conwy. The take up of land will be monitored in line with policy MWS/6 in terms of addressing need for such facilities.

The private owners of the current waste management operations at Llanddulas have suggested a number of possible future waste management facilities at this location, including an integrated waste management facility which could include a variety of technology and treatment methods such as composting, materials recycling or waste transfer.

Gofer is the location of a previous landfill site but presently hosts a bulking station, transfer station and civic amenity facility.  The area is located directly off the A547, and has good access to the A55.  The Environment Agency flood maps indicate that the site is not at risk of flooding.

The North Wales Regional Waste Plan 1st Review identifies areas of search considered suitable for future waste management facilities. However, it is expressly stated within the North Wales Regional Waste Plan 1st Review that the Areas of Search maps are not to be used either as Development Control tools or as definitive guides to site selection for inclusion in the LDP.  The full rationale for the selection of Llanddulas and Gofer as strategic waste locations for waste management can be found within the Background Paper on Site Deliverability.

The list of waste management facilities in policy MWS/7 should not be taken as a definitive list and proposals for waste management facilities will be subject to detailed assessment to determine their suitability as per policy MWS/6.  Such facilities may also require Environmental Permits issued by the Environment Agency.  It should be noted the Council is not proposing the landfilling of (non-inert) residual waste at these locations.

The North Wales Regional Waste Plan recommends that each Local Planning Authority assesses available industrial land for suitability for waste management operations. Proposals for waste management facilities at such locations will be considered on their individual merits. A need has been established for a B2 land requirements over the Plan period of which a high level of committed, but undeveloped land is available for such waste management facilities subject to meeting Policy MWS/6 and other related policies of the Plan.

The Plan will safeguard land in the former Llanddulas Quarry for existing landfill and composting operations, and as an extension for landfilling inert waste if required during the Plan period. The other sites mentioned above will be safeguarded as sites which host waste management facilities.

The permitted capacity of Llanddulas Landfill site is expected to be exhausted by 2015. Even with other waste treatment methods, additional landfill capacity will be needed during the Plan period for the disposal of residual waste.  The Environment Agency has raised significant objections to the landfilling of any waste (other than inert waste) at Llanddulas. Therefore it is prudent to search for appropriate land which would be suitable for the landfilling of residual waste, should the need arise.  The Council commissioned consultants to undertake a search for sites that would be suitable for landfill or land raising.  The study concluded that the Council should not allocate the areas of search as identified by the study, as further work is needed to determine if these sites would be feasible and deliverable from highways access and landscape perspectives. Highways access is particularly problematic to both areas of search due to the need for heavy goods vehicles to traverse through the town walls of Conwy, plus the impact of increased traffic using the A470 Tal y Cafn bridge junction which could be detrimental to highways safety in area of search 1, and steep topography affecting mainly, but not exclusively, area of search 2.  Such problems may make the development of a landfill site in these locations neither feasible nor economically viable, therefore it would not be prudent to include these areas within the LDP.

Since this study was concluded in April 2009, the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) have finalised the LANDMAP data for the whole of the County Borough.  When looking at the two areas of search, area of search 1 falls within an area designated as outstanding cultural landscape. Area of search 2 also falls within an area designated as outstanding cultural landscape, and partially within a geological landscape designated as of outstanding quality. It can, therefore, be concluded from strategic level assessment that both areas of search are significantly constrained and none appear to be suitable for an allocation of this kind. Discussions are taking place between North Wales Local Authorities to find a regional solution for the management of residual waste.

More information on the Landfill Feasibility Study can be found within Background Paper 26 - ‘Landfill Feasibility Study’.

The Environment Agency generally advises that development should be a minimum of 250 metres away from landfill sites. The greatest danger to development near to landfill sites is that of migrating landfill gas travelling through the underlying rock and entering premises from underground.  Problems also do arise from time to time in respect of odour, dust, noise and pests. The landfill buffer zone serves two purposes.  One is to protect the amenity of residents and other sensitive land users; the other is to ensure that the landfill operators can carry out their normal activities without being constrained by the undue presence of sensitive land users.  A 250 metre buffer zone around the landfill site has therefore been designated to ensure that appropriate development only is located in this area.  All applications for residential (except-householder), employment, tourism development and community facilities should be brought to the attention of the Council’s Environmental Health Officer and the Environment Agency. Proposals which would result in significant detriment to amenity or safety, or which would unacceptably restrict the operation of the landfill site will be refused.

Two sites are allocated for housing development that fall on the edge of the landfill buffer zone. However, the Council’s Environmental Health Officer and Environment Agency have not raised any objection to housing development at this specific location.

Minimising and or re-using waste generated through site development (including demolition waste) will reduce the amount of waste that has to be managed and ultimately disposed of. This in turn will contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of primary construction materials extracted, processed and transported. This results in considerable financial savings for developers,avoiding landfill charges and preventing the need to pay aggregates tax for primary materials.  The use of planning conditions will be used as a means of improving waste management within the development process in line with the Development Principles.