Conwy Local Development Plan 2007 - 2022

1. Section One - Introduction

1.1 Synopsis

1.1.1 The Conwy Local Development Plan (LDP) covers that part of the Conwy County Borough outside Snowdonia National Park (known as the Plan Area). The Plan Area is rich in historic assets, has a buoyant tourism industry, excellent transport links, good water and air quality and a high quality natural environment (including coast and countryside). However, population and household projections have demonstrated that the population of the Plan Area could increase by as much as 7,850 people by 2022. The main characteristics of this population change and associated concerns are:

• The number of people within the 18-64 age group is declining resulting in a reduction in those of economically active age at the detriment to the economic performance of the Plan Area;
• The number of people aged 65+ is increasing significantly resulting in increased pressure on social care, health facilities and services at the detriment to economic performance;
• The number of children is projected to decrease significantly at the detriment to future economic performance, school pupil levels and community identity;
• The number of people living together in households is projected to decrease resulting in a requirement for new housing to support the existing population and a decline in family sized homes;
• The number of people in-migrating into the Plan Area far exceeds those out-migrating resulting in an increased need for more housing and employment opportunities and;
• The number of people residing in the Plan Area who out-commute to work in locations outside of the Plan Area is unsustainable resulting in a need to increase local employment opportunities.

1.1.2 The impact of these impending population changes creates a number of priority issues for the Council. There is a need to:

• Accommodate a sustained and deliverable level of housing and employment growth which reflects the principal natural population change, household size change and net in-migration;
• Accommodate additional employment opportunities to contribute to reducing out-commuting levels;
• Encourage a more balanced age structure and promote a more stable economic position through housing and employment offer, skills development, jobs creation and creative housing design. Whilst at the same time, adjusting to an ageing population in terms of health, social care, housing and employment need;
• Contribute to the current requirements for Affordable Housing for Local Need (AHLN) and maximise future provision;
• Protect Conwy’s outstanding natural and built environment;
• Safeguard and promote the Welsh language and community identity, and;
• Encourage development which seeks to achieve the priority objectives of the Plan.

1.1.3 Having had regard to all these factors, the Council proposes a sustainable level of growth consisting of between approximately:

• 6,520 new housing units with a 10% contingency level of up to 7,170 new housing units to reflect natural population change, household size change and net in-migration.
• 2,350 new jobs with a contingency level up to 2,585 new jobs to reflect natural population change, household size change and net in-migration.
• 1,800 jobs with a contingency level up to 1,980 new jobs to contribute to reducing out-commuting levels.
• 1,875 new affordable housing units (1,000 from new build).

 

1.2 The Conwy Local Development Plan (LDP)

1.2.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires the Council to prepare an LDP for the Plan Area which acts as a single framework for the control of development and use of land within its administrative boundary. It sets out the key challenges facing Conwy, identifies the Vision, Objectives and the Spatial Strategy for development in the area over the period 2007 to 2022. The LDP will be used by the Council to guide and control development providing the basis by which planning applications will be determined. The LDP replaces existing Structure Plans and Local Plans which previously provided the policy framework for the Conwy Plan Area

1.2.2 The purpose of the LDP is to:

• Provide a practical and detailed basis for the control of development and use of land.
• Afford protection to the natural and built environment.
• Provide incentive to developers by allocating land for particular types of development.
• Bring local and detailed planning issues before the public.

1.3 Structure of the Plan

1.3.1 The structure of the plan is such that clearly demonstrates how the needs and issues facing Conwy are to be tackled and delivered by 2022.

1.3.2 Section 2 sets out the key objectives of the Plan detailing how the land-use theme of the Conwy Community Strategy and key issues facing Conwy are to be tackled over the Plan period.

Section 3 presents the Council’s Development Strategy to deliver the vision and objectives over the Plan period.

Section 4 comprises the development principles, strategic and criteria based policies against which development proposals will be determined.

Appendix 1 shows how the particular policies and development sites will be implemented, including which agencies will contribute towards delivery.

The Implementation Plan includes a Phasing Plan, Strategic Site descriptions and a list of the type of supporting information that will be required at planning application stage for each of the strategic sites.

Appendix 2 sets out the LDP Monitoring Framework, providing the basis for review or partial review of the Plan and modifications, where required.

1.3.3 The LDP is also supported by a Proposals Map which shows the geographical location and extent of the site specific developments and protection policies that are designated within the LDP.

1.4 Background Evidence Papers

1.4.1 Various background papers and other technical data have provided the evidence base for the approach taken in this Conwy LDP (refer to the Council’s website for a definitive list www.conwy.gov.uk./ldp).

1.5 Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment

1.5.1 A Sustainability Appraisal and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SA/SEA) has been carried out on the Conwy LDP to ensure that it meets social, economic and environmental objectives. The SA/SEA has been an important process in identifying areas of change and mitigation measures to ensure the Conwy LDP is sustainable. The results of the SA/SEA are presented in BP/10 available on the Council’s website www.conwy.gov.uk/ldp.

1.6 Habitats Directive Assessment

1.6.1 The Council is required to undertake an Appropriate Assessment of its land use development plans where it potentially affects European Sites (Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Offshore Marine Sites). An initial Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) Screening Exercise was undertaken on the Conwy LDP assessing its overall impact, which is available on the Council’s website.

1.7 The Status of the Document and Cancellations

1.7.1 When the LDP is adopted in 2013, for the purposes of Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 the following plans will be cancelled:

Structure Plans

• Adopted Gwynedd Structure Plan (1993)
• Adopted Clwyd Structure Plan – Second Alteration (1999)

Local Plans

• Adopted Colwyn Borough Local Plan (1999)
• Adopted Llandudno Conwy District Plan (1982)

Unitary Development Plan

• Draft Conwy Unitary Development Plan (2001)

Statement

• Affordable Housing Delivery Statement

1.8 Policy Framework

The Wales Spatial Plan

1.8.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and accompanying regulations require that the Conwy LDP must have regard to the Wales Spatial Plan (WSP). The WSP is divided into six cross-boundary Spatial Plan Areas (SPAs). The Conwy Plan Area falls mainly within the North East Wales – Border and Coast SPA and is seen as making a very important contribution to both the Welsh and UK economy. The future prosperity of the Area is closely linked with that of North West England SPA as well as the neighbouring SPA of North West Wales and Central Wales. Further information on the relationship between the LDP and WSP is provided in BP/1 - ‘Related Plans and Strategies’.

1.8.2 Other important national, regional and local plans and strategies have influenced the direction of the Conwy LDP. The main implications of these matters on the Plan are summarised in BP/1. However, throughout this LDP the relevant documents are referred to in the reasoning and justification for the policy approach, where appropriate.

1.9 Plan Area Context

1.9.1 The Plan Area covers an area of 1,130 sq. km. with an estimated resident population of approximately 111,700 people. The urbanised settlements of the Plan Area, predominantly along the narrow coastal belt, houses around 85% of the overall population, with the remaining 15% falling within rural settlements. Around 4% of the population reside in the Snowdonia National Park, which is located outside of the Plan Area. The coastal town of Llandudno represents the largest populated area (20,000 inhabitants), closely followed by Conwy (14,200 inhabitants), Abergele (10,000 inhabitants), Colwyn Bay (9,700 inhabitants) and Towyn & Kinmel Bay (7,800 inhabitants), all of which are served via excellent road and rail transport links and well established public transport services. The remaining, predominantly inland, rural area contains a number of locally important main villages and hamlets offering key facilities and services.

1.9.2 The Plan Area is an area of outstanding landscape ranging from sandy beaches and headlands to sheltered valleys, open moors and natural woodland which borders the mountains of Snowdonia National Park. There are a number of Historic Landscape areas as well as five designated nature conservation sites of international importance, which are offered the highest level of environmental protection. The Plan Area also includes a number of locally designated sites which contribute to the overall character and quality of the natural environment.

1.9.3 In general terms, the economy relies heavily upon tourism and service industries, and is largely evident within the urban coastal settlements and the attraction of the rural area. Industrial employment, although limited to a certain extent and predominately located near the coast, includes manufacturing and research, and is found in places such as Kinmel Bay, Colwyn Bay and Llandudno Junction. Agriculture and forestry are important employment activities in the predominately Welsh speaking rural areas. Some of these rural settlements are either partly or wholly within the National Park.

1.9.4 Llandudno is a traditional Victorian seaside resort, which combines its existing tourism role with a thriving commercial centre and acts as the sub-regional shopping centre for the area. Conwy Town Centre falls within a designated World Heritage Site and is important in terms of its contribution to the tourist economy, whilst Llandudno Junction is emerging as an important location for office and business-led investment. Other local important urban settlements include Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr to the west and the towns of Abergele and Kinmel Bay to the east.

1.9.5 Conwy is faced with the challenge of improving socio-economic conditions in areas of economic decline and multiple deprivation, such as Colwyn Bay. In order to meet this challenge, a Strategic Regeneration Area (SRA) has been designated to foster an economic and social upturn especially in central and eastern Conwy. The SRA is wide reaching and extends into the neighbouring county borough of Denbighshire.

1.10 The Key Issues in Conwy

1.10.1 In order to ensure a robust basis for the development strategy of the plan, a review was undertaken of the social, economic and environmental information available for issues affecting the Plan Area.

1.10.2 Further details of these issues are set out in the LDP Consultation Report and BP/1 available on the Council’s website www.conwy.gov.uk/ldp

1.11 The Issues facing Conwy

1.11.1 The table below provides a list of the priority issues, their source and related outcomes from the ‘One Conwy’ Community Strategy, related spatial objective and relevant policies in this LDP to contribute towards tackling them.