The Council has now published details of its Preferred Strategy for the Revised Local Development Plan (2022-2037) – and residents are invited to have their say on what is proposed in an eight-week consultation which is now underway.
The LDP is a statutory land use planning document which sets out a future vision for the County Borough, and allocates land for development uses such as housing, employment, retail and tourism. The revised LDP will cover the period to 2037, and will play a leading role in determining planning applications submitted to the Council.
The LDP includes important policies intended to protect the environment, increase public green spaces and reduce carbon emissions, and to encourage renewable energy production where it is appropriate. These policies conform to the Council’s wider goals and commitments in relation to climate change.
The public was previously invited to put forward buildings or land for inclusion in the Revised LDP in the Call for Candidate Sites process, which ended in September 2022. It enabled residents, private landowners and developers to have their say. All submitted sites have since been considered for inclusion.
The next main stage is the Pre-deposit consultation where residents can view the Preferred Strategy for the LDP and have their say on it. This will take place over eight weeks between February 21 and April 17, 2024.
The Preferred Strategy covers the proposed scale of future housing and employment growth, and a spatial strategy for development in Rhondda Cynon Taf – including identification of key housing and employment sites.
The consultation outlines a proposed vision and objectives for Rhondda Cynon Taf, and key issues to be addressed – along with broad strategic policies that respond to these. An initial Integrated Sustainability Appraisal, Habitats Regulations Assessment and other supporting documents have been published, along with the Candidate Site Register showing submissions in the Call for Candidate Sites.
The consultation is being hosted on an online portal, which is available on the Council’s ‘Preferred Strategy Consultation’ webpage.
Take part in the consultation here
From Wednesday, February 21, the portal is hosting the main consultation documents relating to the Preferred Strategy of the Revised LDP, along with multiple background evidence base documents. The public can have their say and make formal representations using this online process.
Further queries on the process, including alternative methods of making representations, can be directed via email to LDP@rctcbc.gov.uk or by writing to the Planning Policy Team, RCT County Borough Council, Llys Cadwyn, 2 Taf Street, Pontypridd (CF37 4TH). Hard copies of the main consultation documents are available upon request at the Council’s One4aLL advice centres and at Council-run libraries.
Councillor Mark Norris, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Development and Prosperity, said: “The Local Development Plan for Rhondda Cynon Taf is an important document that formally allocates land for development use. It plays a key role in planning applications submitted to the Council, helping to determine matters including those that relate to housing, employment and retail. Revising the LDP for the period up to 2037 is therefore a very important process which includes several opportunities for the public to have their say.
“Following the previous Call for Candidate Sites, officers have considered all feedback received and produced a Preferred Strategy that will be the focus of the next stage of the process. In its current form, the strategy does not include all detailed policies that will be in the final document, but it sets out a broad and strategic direction that is proposed for the revised LDP. It also identifies key housing and employment sites, and sets out a vision and objectives.
“Residents now have an opportunity to view details about the preferred strategy in a Pre-deposit public consultation running up to April 17. I urge all interested residents to access the documents and submit their views over the next eight weeks, for the formal consideration of officers. We want to engage with as many residents, businesses and developers as possible throughout this process, to gain a wide range of views that will inform the revised LDP.”
Posted on 22/02/2024