RLDP Deposit 2018-2033

2. Policy and strategic context Comment

2.1 Conwy’s key characteristics Comment

Population and spatial form Comment

• Conwy County Borough covers an area of 1,130km2 area of North Wales, extending approximately 30 kilometres from east to west. Conwy is positioned at the heart of North Wales. It enjoys strong links to wider economies both to the east and across into England, but also west to Anglesey and Ireland as well as Mid and South Wales.
   
• The size of the resident population in Conwy County Borough at 2022 was estimated to be 114,300 people. In the 10 years since 2012, the population decreased by 1,150, which is 1.0%. In the same period the population of Wales increased by 1.9% and the population of Great Britain grew by 5.8%.
   
• The population of Conwy County Borough does not replace itself naturally as there are more deaths than births in the area every year. With deaths over a ten year period at an average of 1,600 each year and births at just 1,000. The population of Conwy County Borough would decrease by around 600 persons per year if there were no net in-migration into the area.
   
• The number of children in the population has been declining steadily over the past decade or so, reflecting both the decline in number of babies born in the late 1990s / early 2000s, and a return to a lower birth rate trend in the past 5 years or so. Conwy County Borough’s 15.9% of the population aged under 16 compares to 17.5% in Wales as a whole and 18.3% across Great Britain.
   
• The age structure of the County Borough is significantly older than that for Wales and Great Britain as a whole. Conwy County Borough’s 26.2% of the population aged over 65 compares to 20.3% in Wales as a whole and only 17.8% across Great Britain. The median age of the population in 2022 was 50.3 years (Wales = 42.9; GB = 40.8). The median age has increased from 46.9 to 50.3 years over the last decade.
   
• The majority of the population (85%) falls within main urban centres located along the coastal corridor, which is supported by the strategic A55 Dual Carriage Way and rail link. These include from east to west – Llanfairfechan, Penmaenmawr, Conwy, Llandudno Junction, Deganwy, Llandudno, Mochdre, Colwyn Bay, Rhos-on-Sea, Old Colwyn, Abergele, Pensarn, Towyn and Kinmel Bay. Llanrwst due to its geographic location, some 13 miles south from the coastal urban corridor, typically acts as a key service centre for the rural hinterland.
   
• The northern coastal towns of Colwyn Bay and Llandudno act as hubs for services, employment, housing and retail developments for the surrounding communities. These towns, in particular, have an existing status as the major service centres.
   
• Conwy County Borough is largely a rural authority, characterised by its diverse towns and villages reflecting the size and diversity of the County. These vary in size and role with many often making notable contributions to the needs and requirements of their community and the surrounding area. A number of settlements and villages are self-sufficient in terms of facilities and services, often fulfilling a wider service role. However, other smaller settlements lack services and facilities. The needs of residents in these latter areas are typically met by main centres and in some instances the other serviced smaller settlements.

Housing Comment

• During the RLDP period to date, average house prices within CCBC increased by 39% from April 2018 to March 2025. There was a peak year-on-year increase of 21% in the post-Covid boom of summer 2021, which was considerably higher than the Wales average of 16% in June 2021. Since then, house prices in Conwy have risen less than in Wales as a whole, with the average price in Conwy £209,000; just £1,000 above the Wales average. The price for a detached home in Conwy is £308,000; a terraced home £168,000 and a flat £127,000 as at March 2025.
   
• Housing delivery in the Conwy RLDP area has fluctuated significantly over the years of the plan period to date; partly due to the development schedules of large sites (there were around 40 completions on large sites in 2024-25, but over 200 are expected in 2025-26). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent fluctuations in the housing market and development costs have also influenced housing delivery.
   
• Over the last 5 years, registered social landlords have delivered an increasingly large proportion of housing in Conwy RLDP area, supporting higher levels of affordable housing provision. Over 400 affordable dwellings have been built to date over the existing RLDP period (April 2018 to March 2025). There are several large sites either under construction or with planning permission, expected to deliver over 500 additional affordable homes over the next 2-3 years, and further sites are in the pipeline.

Flood risk Comment

• Rivers are a major source of flooding in Conwy County Borough. Significant areas along watercourses within the County Borough are identified as being at risk of flooding. The northern coastline is also at risk of sea (tidal) flooding in some areas. Settlements to the east of the County Borough are heavily constrained as a result of the risk of flooding, impacting on their ability to be resilient.

Waste management Comment

• Waste disposal, recycling and treatment occurs at the Conwy Council Recycling Centre. In 2022-2023, of the total of 51,523 tonnes of municipal waste generated, 35,573 tonnes were re-used, recycled or composted, and 15,453 tonnes were incinerated with energy recovery and 69% of waste reused/recycled/composted. This left only 263 tonnes which was sent to landfill. The UK recycling rate for Waste from Households in 2023 was 43.3% compared with a Welsh average of 65.7%.

Air quality Comment

• The latest available data indicates that air quality standards in Conwy County Borough are not at risk of exceeding European Union derived Air Quality Objectives and no detailed assessments or management plans are required at Council level for any pollutants.

Economy and regeneration Comment

• Conwy County Borough has an extremely strong employment representation in accommodation and food services, retail, education, health, residential care and social work. The accommodation and food service; retail and education sectors also employ very high levels of workers in absolute terms. This is hardly a surprising finding – the spectacular rural and coastal scenery of the County Borough ensures that tourism (and tourism-related sectors such as hospitality) is a mainstay of the local economy. The agriculture, forestry and fishing sector is also an important component, particularly in rural area, whilst professional and other private services are underrepresented compared to Wales and the UK. Conwy County Borough differs from the rest of North Wales as it has a lower proportion of manufacturing businesses, and a higher proportion of accommodation, food services and recreation businesses.
   
• Conversely, there are very low rates (and in some cases, almost complete absence) of employment in the more industrial sectors. Of particular note, only around 1,500 people are employed in traditional manufacturing sectors, or 3.6% of Conwy County Borough’s total workforce. This compares with 10.8% of the total workforce employed in manufacturing across Wales in 2023.
   
• The economically active population in Conwy County Borough is 75.9%, which is slightly higher that the Wales figure of 75.1%, but lower than the Great Britain figure of 78.4%. Most of those who are economically active in the County Borough are also employed; the current employment rate is 73.5%. This is higher than the rest of Wales (72.9%) but lower than Great Britain (74.8%).
   
• Levels of part-time working are high in Conwy CB – 42.9% of employees work part-time compared to 31.2% in Great Britain.
   
• Conwy has around 5,500 businesses, and as is common across Wales and the UK in general, the vast majority of these are classified as either micro or small and medium enterprises [SMEs] with up to 249 employees. The majority of business are located on bespoke industrial estates, located in close proximity to the A55 and A470 junctions in areas such as Llandudno Junction, Mochdre and Llandudno.
   
• The County Borough has been successful in attracting significant investment, and places regeneration and improvement as an important priority, especially in Colwyn Bay, Abergele, Pensarn, Towyn and Kinmel Bay.
   
• Conwy is a tourism hotspot, attracting 7.8 million visitors each year. The tourism value to the local economy is estimated to be worth £729 million, supporting over 8,780 jobs.
   
• More people travel out of Conwy County Borough for work than travel in – a net out-flow of about 4,300 commuters. Most of these outward commuters travel to the neighbouring Welsh authority areas (to Denbighshire in particular). An estimated 3,100 people travel to England for work.

Education Comment

• The most recent population projections predict that there will be a significant decline in primary pupil numbers (850 fewer age 5-10 year olds) and an increase in secondary pupil numbers.
   
• In 2023, 13.3% of the working age population (18 to 64 years) in Conwy County Borough held no qualifications, which is lower than the percentage of the population with no qualifications across Wales (7.9%). The level of attainment achieved by the working age population with qualifications is similar in the County Borough to Wales: 64.6% are qualified to level NVQ3 or above compared with 67.4% across Wales and 44.2% are qualified to level NVQ4 or above compared with 45.0% at the national level.

Water bodies Comment

• Conwy County Borough is within the Western Wales River Basin District. This hosts 25 groundwater bodies, of which in the most recent classification results from NRW indicate that 42% of water bodies achieved good or better overall status. The Western Wales River Basin Management Plan 2021-2027 should be referred to regarding SEA screening.
   
• There are 63 waterbodies and 9 lakes across the Conwy and Clwyd catchments. Of these, 16 rivers and 8 of the lakes are artificial or heavily modified.

Community infrastructure and access to services Comment

• There are currently 51 primary schools, 7 secondary schools, one Special School and 4 Pupil Referral Education Centres within the CCBC area. Each school utilises varying degrees of English and Welsh spoken languages.
   
• Conwy operates 10 libraries (Abergele, Conwy, Llanfairfechan, Penrhyn Bay, Cerrigydrudion, Kinmel Bay, Llanrwst, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Penmaenmawr). They also operate five leisure centres in Conwy (Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction Llandudno and Llanrwst).
   
• The town centre of Llandudno is positioned at the top of the retail hierarchy of the County Borough and is defined as a Sub-Regional Centre due to its large retail catchment area.

Energy and climate change Comment

• In 2018, Conwy’s total energy consumption totalled 2,460GWh, about 2.5% of Wales's annual consumption. Of this, 980GWh was domestic energy demand, 500GWh was from industry and commerce, and 980GWh was from the transport sector.
   
• In 2018, 2,200GWh of renewable energy was generated in Conwy County Borough (almost ten times its demand), with the majority of this generated from offshore wind and hydropower.
   
• Conwy County Boroughs 2018 heat demand was 710GWh, with a split of 15% domestic and 85% non-domestic properties. Approximately 19% of homes are off the gas grid where the properties tend to be in rural areas of the County Borough.
   
• The Council has adopted its Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP), which identifies interventions that are required to meet carbon reduction targets including: retrofit, on and offshore wind, onshore solar, EV infrastructure, support for a tidal lagoon project along the northern coastline.

Biodiversity, flora and fauna Comment

• Conwy County Borough hosts a wide range of important habitat types, reflecting its varied geographical and environmental conditions from coastal to inland areas. These habitats support varied flora and fauna, including many protected, rare or declining species. Conwy accommodates 3 Special Protection Areas (SPAs), 8 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and a single Ramsar Site, accommodates 43 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), 6 National Nature Reserves (NNRs), 40 Biodiversity Areas on land owned or managed by the Council and 11 Local Nature Reserves. Work is underway to assess Local Wildlife Sites.
   
• It is paramount to protect and enhance ecosystem resilience against the effects of harmful development following the stepwise approach and Diversity, Extent, Condition, Connectivity and Aspects of ecosystem resilience (DECCA) Framework set out in national guidance.

Inequality, social exclusion and deprivation Comment

• Some parts of Conwy County Borough, especially in the urban, northern, coastal communities, are among the most deprived areas of Wales, with low levels of economic activity and access to facilities and services, particularly for children, young people and elderly populations (Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2019).
   
• Coastal areas featuring particularly high are in the Bay of Colwyn area with both the coastal lower super output areas (LSOA) of Colwyn 2 and Glyn 2 within the 10% most deprived in Wales along with Tudno 2 in Llandudno. These LSOAs, feature in the 10% most deprived for Income along with Llysfaen 1, another coastal community. Colwyn 2, Glyn 2, and Tudno 2 also feature in the 10% most deprived wards in the employment domain along with Rhiw 3. Glyn 2 and Tudno 2 also feature in the 10% most deprived in the health domain and community safety.
   
• The following LSOAs in Conwy County Borough rank within the top 10% most deprived in Wales specifically in relation to access to services: Betws-y-Coed, Betws-yn-Rhos, Caerhun, Eglwysbach, Llangernyw, Llansannan, Trefriw, Uwch Conwy and Uwchaled.
   
• Other areas in Conwy County Borough within the 10% most deprived LSOAs include Kinmel Bay 1 for education, Glyn 1, Glyn 2, Gogarth 1, Llangernyw, Llysfaen 1, Uwch Conwy for housing. In the community safety domain, the following LSOAs fall within the 10% most deprived, Glyn 2, Gogarth 1, Rhiw 3, Tudno 1, Tudno 2.
   
• Income disparity is evident when comparing the full time gross weekly pay across the County Borough at £678.40, which is lower than the UK average of £728.30.
   
• The number of children considered to be in low income families (relative income poverty) is 28.3% of families in Conwy County Borough, compared to 26.6% in Wales.

Cultural heritage Comment

• The plan area includes sites designated at the international level to protect and enhance important nature conservation value, as well as striking landscapes and distinctive historic towns and villages. Historic assets play an important role for tourism, investment and communities. Conwy Castle is designated as a World Heritage Site. UNESCO considers Conwy Castle to be “one of the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe”. The CCBC planning area hosts 80 Scheduled Monuments; 1,488 listed buildings of which 22 are listed at Grade I, 1389 at Grade 2 and 77 at Grade 2*; and 25 Conservation Areas.

Welsh language Comment

• The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 requires the Council to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language in everyday life, and not treat it any less favourably than English.
   
• In 2021, 25.9% of the resident population in Conwy County Borough (29,000 persons) stated that they can speak Welsh. This is higher than the Wales average of 17.8%. The Councils Welsh language promotion strategy sets a target to increase the number of Welsh speakers.

Transport and connections Comment

• Conwy County Borough is well located on the strategic highway network with the A55 Dual Carriageway forming part of the Trans-European Network. This east-west corridor is further emphasised by the North Wales railway line providing strategic links into the wider rail network. These strategic links provide connections to the Holyhead Irish Ferry Port and wider links into Chester and South Wales. Rail Freight facilities are safeguarded at strategic locations at Llandudno Junction and Penmaenmawr.
   
• The County Borough is also served by a number of A-roads as well as numerous B-classified roads each representing important components of the highway network. Our principal highway network includes the A470 trunk road providing connections to the A55 and rural settlements. The A470 and A5 trunk roads connect to Mid and South Wales. The A470 and Conwy Valley railway provides connections to the Key Service Centre of Llanrwst.
   
• The area is generally well served by public transport through the bus and rail network, albeit with the level and frequency of service subject to variation dependent upon location and destination. Whilst the coastal corridor is supported by active travel networks, improvements are required. The County Borough has multiple town railway stations (Abergele Pensarn, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Conwy, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan) on the North Wales mainline route with connections to many other major destinations. Additionally, the Conwy Valley line runs from Llandudno station, connecting many rural villages; Deganwy, Llandudno Junction, Glan Conwy, Tal-y-Cafn, Dolgarrog, North Llanrwst and Llanrwst,
   
• The Active Travel (Wales) Act requires local authorities to produce an integrated network map (INM) identifying active travel routes to be delivered. Currently, the Council has created proposals for each town (Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, Deganwy, Llandudno, Llandudno Junction, Llanfairfechan, Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Llysfaen, Llanddulas, Old Colwyn, Penmaenmawr, Penrhyn Bay, Rhos on Sea and Towyn/Kinmel Bay). Key future routes are shown on the proposals map.

Landscape fabric, character and capacity Comment

• Outside of the main settlements, which are generally found along the north Irish Sea coast, the plan area comprises a mixture of remote and wild uplands and moorlands to wide river floodplains, pastoral lowlands, coastlines and steep sided valleys. A dominant feature of the landscape is the valleys and associated uplands. Further south the landscape opens out into a broad valley dominated with the lowlands of the Carneddau and bordering Eryri National Park in the west.
   
• Registered historic landscapes across Conwy include: Pen Isaf Dyffryn Conwy (Lower Conwy Valley), Creuddyn a Chonwy (Creuddyn & Conwy), Gogledd Arllechwedd (North Arllechwedd), Pen Isaf Dyffryn Elwy (Lower Elwy Valley) and Mynydd Hiraethog (Denbigh Moors).

Health and wellbeing Comment

• When compared to Wales, slightly more people are living with a limiting long-term illness in Conwy at 22.6% compared to 21.6%. People providing unpaid care is comparable to the Wales average.
   
• Generally, the level of those with chronic illness is similar to the Wales average, but hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and cancer are higher.
   
• Some parts of Conwy County Borough, especially in the northern coastal urban communities, are among the most deprived areas of Wales, with low levels of economic activity and access to facilities and services, particularly for children, young people and elderly populations.
   
• Around 9.8% of CCBC’s population is being treated for a mental illness (Wales’ average – 12.1%).
   
• Three major district general hospitals within the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board area serve Conwy. All three are located out of county. There are community hospitals at Llandudno, Colwyn Bay and Abergele. Within the CCBC area there are 20 GP Surgeries and 16 Dental Practices.

2.2 National context Comment

2.2.1 Whilst the RLDP plays a key role in shaping decision making and the location and nature of developments within Conwy’s RLDP area, it is prepared and operated within the national framework set through legislation and by PPW and accompanying Technical Advice Notes (TANs). Comment

The WFG Act (Wales) 2015 Comment

2.2.2 The WFG Act (Wales) 2015 is a key piece of legislation which aims to further improve the social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales now and in the longer term. The Act puts in place a ‘sustainable development principle’ which is a duty for public bodies to “act in a manner which seeks to ensure that the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. The Act is underpinned by seven well-being goals, which public bodies must work to achieve (a prosperous Wales, a resilient Wales, a healthier Wales, a more equal Wales, a Wales of cohesive communities, a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh Language and a globally responsible Wales). The Act therefore has a major influence on all aspects of the RLDP, which will integrally link with each well-being goal and provide a policy context that allows them to be met. Figure 2 above illustrates the intrinsic links between the ways of workings, the Deposit RLDP and the seven goal outcomes. Comment

2.2.3 Each stage of plan preparation has duly considered these goals and the broader sustainable development principle through the ‘five ways of working’ contained in the Act. Each policy closely links with the goal(s) which relate to its purpose and implementation, with emphasis on maximising social, economic, environmental and cultural benefits to ensure that the LPA has carried out its sustainable development duty. The vision and objectives have been refined during the review process based on stakeholder engagement and the outcomes of a refreshed evidence base. Comment

The Planning (Wales) Act 2015 Comment

2.2.4 The Planning (Wales) Act 2015 sets out a series of legislative changes to deliver reform of the planning system in Wales, to ensure that it is fair, resilient and enables development. The Act addresses 5 key objectives including strengthening the plan led approach to planning by introducing a legal basis for the preparation of a National Development Framework (NDF) and Strategic Development Plan (SDP). Comment

The Environment Act 2016 Comment

2.2.5 The Environment Act 2016 puts in place the legislation needed to plan and manage Wales’ natural resources in a more proactive, sustainable and joined-up way. It requires Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to report on the natural resources of Wales and detail their ability to respond to pressures and adapt to climate change. Therefore, NRW published the State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR) in 2016. Comment

2.2.6 WG also published the National Natural Resources Policy (NNRP) 2017;the focus of which is the sustainable management of Wales’ natural resources, to maximise their contribution to achieving goals within the WFG Act. The NNRP sets out three national priorities of delivering nature based solutions; increasing renewable energy and resource efficiency; and taking a place based approach. NRW’s seven Area Statements represent a collaborative response to the NNRP, which sets out the key challenges and opportunities for the sustainable management of Wales' natural resources into the future and informs local delivery. The SoNaRR, NNRP and North West Wales Area Statement have been considered in the review of the Deposit RLDP. Comment

PPW (edition 12) Comment

2.2.7 PPW (edition 12) is WGs land use planning policy for Wales and should be taken into account when preparing development plans. PPW secures a presumption in favour of sustainable development and considers a plan-led approach to be the most effective means of securing sustainable development through the planning system. PPW has a strong focus on promoting placemaking, which is considered instrumental to achieving sustainable places, delivering socially inclusive development and promoting more cohesive communities. Placemaking is deemed a holistic approach that “considers the context, function and relationships between a development site and its wider surroundings” (PPW, edition 12). Comment

Future Wales 2040: the National Plan Comment

2.2.8 Future Wales 2040: the National Plan considers the issues significant to Wales’s prosperity and well-being, such as the economy, housing, transport, energy, and the environment. It identifies where national developments should take place, where the key growth areas are and what infrastructure and services are needed. It is set in the context of a vision that will help deliver sustainable places across Wales by 2040, by supporting placemaking and ensuring our choices direct development to the right places, making the best use of resources, creating and sustaining accessible healthy communities, protecting our environment and supporting prosperity for all. Comment

2.2.9 Future Wales 2040 provides a high-level framework for the future Strategic Development Plan (SDP) and clearly identifies Conwy County Borough as a Regional Growth Area within the wider region. The Conwy Deposit RLDP strategy complements and aligns with Future Wales by apportioning sustainable growth to the coastal corridor and by capitalising on its sustainable transport connections. The four themes and supporting policies of the Deposit RLDP form the framework for implementing and delivering the vision and objectives. It is imperative that sustainable development principles are embedded into the Deposit RLDP to help achieve delivery of the eleven Future Wales’ Outcomes. Appendix 2 details the objective assessment undertaken to demonstrate how the Conwy Deposit RLDP makes a significant positive contribution towards delivering the eleven outcomes set out within Future Wales 2040. The assessment shows that the policies within the RLDP are in general accordance with and support the delivery of Future Wales’ Outcomes, thereby providing a sound framework for enabling sustainable development within the plan area. Comment

2.2.10 The Planning (Wales) Act 2015 sets out the process for establishing and preparing aNorth Wales SDP. A Regional North Wales Corporate Joint Committee (CJC) has been established to undertake strategic development and regional transport planning in the future, including preparing the North Wales SDP. Although Conwy County Borough Council is proceeding with a RLDP, simultaneous collaborative working will be undertaken with neighbouring authorities and the broader region to prepare an SDP. A joint evidence base will also be shared wherever possible. The Conwy Deposit RLDP has been prepared in conformity with Future Wales, promoting Conwy County Borough as a Regional Growth Area in the context of the wider region. This approach is highly likely to be consistent with the approach used in future SDP preparation to ‘future proof’ the Conwy RLDP. Comment

2.2.11 Conwy’s RLDP has been prepared following close dialogue with all neighbouring LPAs in the North Wales region as well as other essential organisations. This dialogue has been conducted both on an individual and topic basis, but also through the North Wales Strategic Planning Group and other topic-based forums. Regional methodologies have also been utilised throughout development of the RLDP evidence base to inform, for example, the settlement assessment and candidate site assessment. Cross border collaboration and agreed approach has been undertaken, in particular, with Eryri National Park and Denbighshire County Council. This has ensured a consistent approach to evidence base development, helped to remove duplication and promoted the sharing of data and best practice across the region; considering the wider regional context as far as possible. Comment

2.2.12 Conwy’s RLDP candidate site assessment process has sought to promote the most sustainable sites that are conducive to sustainable placemaking-led development, adopt the town centre first principle and follow PPW brownfield site search sequence. The strategy is designed to promote transit-orientated development, maximise active travel opportunities, minimise pressure on best and most versatile agricultural land and enable affordable housing delivery in high housing need areas. Comment

2.2.13 The RLDP has therefore been prepared in strict accordance with national policy and an approach that will similarly accord with the future SDP. Based on the sites’ sustainability credentials, it’s considered that the proposed allocations will form a key part of the existing land bank of sites that will support the SDP and impact positively on the region. The RLDP will therefore not have an adverse impact on the future formulation or delivery of the SDP for North Wales. In fact, the RLDP will significantly contribute to the aims and objectives of the future SDP and help to maximise its ability to produce sustainable planning outcomes. Comment

Llwybr Newydd: The Wales Transport Strategy 2021 Comment

2.2.14 The Wales Transport Strategy 2021 sets out how it wants to deliver a more equitable and sustainable transport system in Wales that works better for everyone, now and in the future. The strategy sets out a sustainable transport hierarchy to guide investment as follows: Comment

• walking and cycling (highest priority)
• public transport
• ultra-low emission vehicles
• other private motor vehicles (lowest priority)

2.2.15 The Conwy RLDPspatial strategy, policies and land allocations embrace the sustainable transport hierarchy, prioritising the most sustainablemethods. Growth and site development is promoted in sustainable locations where walking and cycling is a realistic and attractive mode of transport for purposeful journeys (i.e. to access work, school or shops and services). Through placemaking policies, the RLDP seeks to instil a lasting transformation of how developments are planned to incorporate walking and cycling infrastructure from the outset as well as encouraging long-term behaviour change. Comment

2.2.16 The planning system has a key role to play in facilitating active travel by considering the inter-relationships of settlements, channelling growth towards sustainable areas and delivering new developments that promote active travel journeys through sustainable design. Equally, the needs of pedestrians and cyclists are to be considered in all new schemes and other highway authority functions. Increasing rates of active travel in Conwy County Borough will directly support the achievement of every one of all seven well-being goals in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Comment

2.3 Regional context Comment

North Wales Growth Deal Comment

2.3.1 The North Wales Economic Ambition Board partnership was established in 2012 to develop a regional approach to economic growth and to address the challenges and barriers facing the North Wales economy. The partnership covered the six local authority areas of North Wales comprising the Councils of Gwynedd, Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Wrexham and Flintshire. The partnership also included Bangor University, Wrexham University, Coleg Cambria and Grŵp Llandrillo Menai. Comment

2.3.2 A Portfolio Management Office was appointed in 2019 to lead on the delivery of the North Wales Growth Deal. Comment

2.3.3 In 2021 the Economic Ambition Board endorsed Ambition North Wales as the new brand for the Economic Ambition Board and the North Wales Growth Deal. Comment

2.3.4 In April 2024, a CJC was established with new responsibilities for regional transport and strategic planning as well as a responsibility to enhance and promote the economic well-being of North Wales. The CJC comprises of the six local authorities and Eryri National Park Authority. The CJC agreed to adopt the brand of Ambition North Wales. Comment

2.3.5 On 1st April 2025 the Portfolio Management Office and the North Wales Growth Deal were transferred into the North Wales CJC now known as Ambition North Wales. Comment

2.3.6 Through the production of BP1: Growth Level Options Report, Conwy Employment Land Review (BP18) and Market Analysis Assessment (BP19), the RLDP has considered the potential impact of the Growth Deal on its growth strategy, including jobs numbers, land allocations and infrastructure to ensure sustainable growth for the area. Comment

The Conwy and Denbighshire Local Well-being Plan (2023-2028) Comment

2.3.7 The Conwy and Denbighshire Local Well-being Plan sets out the local objectives to improve the economic, social, cultural and environmental well-being for the area. Comment

2.3.8 The Well-being Plan focuses on a more equal place with less deprivation and identifies 4 key themes to support our main objective, which also reflect the vision for the Conwy RLDP Deposit and are contributed to via the placemaking policy framework. These include: Comment

• Well-being – communities are happier, healthier and more resilient in the face of challenges, such as the climate change and nature emergency, or the rising cost of living.
• Economy – there is a flourishing economy, supported by a skilled workforce fit for the future.
• Equality – those with protected characteristics face fewer barriers.
• Housing – there is improved access to good quality housing.

2.4 Local context Comment

Conwy Corporate Plan (2022-2027) Comment

2.4.1 The Conwy Corporate Plan (2022-2027) has a clear and simple vision ‘A progressive county creating opportunity’. This vision is framed around 5 goals and reflect the Council’s obligation under the WFG (Wales) Act 2015 to publish well-being objectives. Comment

• Goal 1: Conwy County Borough Council is resilient.
• Goal 2: people in Conwy value and look after the environment.
• Goal 3: people in Conwy live in a county that is prosperous, has less poverty, and supports learning and skills.
• Goal 4: people in Conwy have access to affordable, appropriate, good quality accommodation that enhances the quality of their lives.
• Goal 5: people in Conwy have good health, well-being, and feel safe.

2.4.2 The RLDP will contribute significantly to all 5 goals via the 4 RLDP strategic themes and supporting placemaking policy framework. Comment