Local Development Plan - Latest News
To follow the progress of the Local Development Plan,
please visit our
CONSULTATION PAGE
Cllr. David Lewis.
Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Local Development
Plan.
Autumn 2009
Thank you for taking an interest in the future of your
community !
We have been overwhelmed by the level of interest shown by
people in the future of their communities. As a result of the
level of interest, the period for submitting comments has been
extended until October 31st 2009. This is not an absolute
cut-off date (as will apply in later formal engagement stages of
the plan's preparation) but work on the plan is proceeding and we
need to take account of comments as early as possible.
In addition to comments that have been posted direct on this
website, we have received over 2,500 letters and petitions and it
will take a little time to process them and post them on the
website.
We have been working hard to raise awareness of the preparation
of the LDP and this has included a notice in the Evening Post,
articles in the Community Spirit that is very widely distributed
within the area, coverage in local newspapers, advertisements on
local radio and awareness raising in local supermarkets. The
Candidate Sites have certainly identified the importance of getting
involved in this plan which will shape the future of our
communities.
Work this Autumn
The next stage in the plan preparation is called the
"Pre-Deposit Plan" (this is the Welsh Assembly Government's name
for it). It will consider all the issues facing the area
including how we can create healthier and more active communities,
new employment, shopping, wind-farms, coal mining and
quarrying. It will focus on strategic issues such as how many
new houses are needed and how they should be shared out across our
communities.
Our work will now increasingly focus on how much new development
is needed and where it could best be located. For individual
communities this will mean discussing, for example, whether more
new houses are needed to meet the community's needs, and if so how
many and where.
Getting Involved
Before finalising the Pre-Deposit Plan consultation document, we
will discuss the issues with local "stakeholders". These
include Community Councils, local groups and interested
bodies. If you would like to view a list of the bodies that
have been invited to take part in earlier discussions, the list is
available in the Delivery
Agreement (pages 43-50). Write-ups of the points
raised in earlier meetings are included on the
Consultation Page and notes of the
forthcoming meetings will be added. Anyone will be welcome to
add their own comments.
If an existing group is not represented please let us know and
we will contact them. If you feel that a group should be
formed and would like help, the Neath Port Talbot Council for
Voluntary Services will help you (see below).
Making Formal Comments and Objections
While the Council is putting a lot of effort into discussing
issues, I would reassure you that there are two formal (legal)
stages when you can make comments - or objections. These are
the Pre-Deposit plan (2010) and the actual Deposit Plan which will
be the full plan and include all the allocations and boundaries
that will shape our communities (late 2011). Both these
consultation stages will last for 6 weeks only and those who object
to the Deposit Plan will have the right to put their arguments to
the Planning Inspector who will consider the plan - and
objections to it.
The idea is to have an open public debate about how we shape our
communities over the next 15 years: where we build, the things that
are needed, the open space and countryside that should be
protected, etc.
There will be another short (6 week) period when Candidate sites
can be suggested in early 2010 (details will be posted on this
web-site). But work on assessing the sites and preparing the
LDP will gather pace during this Autumn. Unless a further
site is small and would only have a local impact, anyone intending
submitting a further site should contact the LDP team (Andrea
Davies, Ceri Morris or Rhys Evans) to discuss it as early as
possible.
If anyone wants to add any further comments on a Candidate Site
– that is a comment that has not been made already, we would
welcome them. But in order that we can take them into account as
the work moves forward they should be made as early as
possible.
To view the Candidate Sites and the Comments made: visit the
Consultation
Page.
The role of your local County Borough Councillor
Your County Borough Councillors will play a key role in the
preparation of the new LDP. They will represent the local
community’s views in discussions with officers working on the Plan.
While they will listen to all points of view they are unlikely to
decide whether to support or oppose a site because if they did they
would not be able to take part in the Council meetings when the
final decisions will be taken on whether a site should be included
in the plan.
Identify Issues and Alternatives
Part of the new approach in preparing LDPs is that we are
seeking views on what are the issues we need to consider and on any
alternative ways of addressing them. The LDP will set out
what is to be achieved by 2026. To identify what needs to be
done, we will need to consider what are the problems that the area
faces. This may include both new initiatives or developments
that are needed and what needs to be protected (like areas of
countryside or the character of a part of a settlement). We
will need to consider whether what we have done in the past has
worked and whether what is being proposed is likely to be
effective.
Unlike in the past when communities and objectors focused on
opposing (or supporting) a particular site, discussion will focus
for example on whether a community needs more housing, and if so
how much and where.
The Plan will not only consider housing, but also a very broad
range of issues including jobs, roads, public transport, health,
leisure, shopping, waste landfill, coal, quarried and
windfarms. The purpose of the LDP is to set out the
future shape of our communities.
How to get involved
You may not think it, but the Local Development Plan (LDP)
affects each and every one of us. This is why the council wants you
to have your say.
A series of meetings with community groups have taken place
throughout the county to identify the issues which each community
in Neath Port Talbot feel are important.
"The issues deemed important differ from each individual
community," said Councillor David Lewis. "From quality of life,
environment, housing, employment opportunities to access community
facilities, we are listening to community representatives to set
out the priorities of the LDP."
Residents still have a chance to have their say by speaking to
community and county councillors or via community groups. Their
views will then be passed on to planners during a series of
meetings.
Councillor Lewis said: "However, if you feel your views are not
being truly represented by your community group, create a new
one.
"The Neath Port Talbot Council for Voluntary Service (CVS) is
available to offer advice on issues like how to set up a new
group."
There will also be specific consultation periods earmarked to
enable residents to air their views. The Council leader said:
"The issues which are deemed to be important may change
throughout the planning process. This is why the findings from
earlier meetings will not be set in stone and discussion will
continue for the foreseeable future."
For regular updates on the process, residents can add themselves
on to the LDP mailing list. The website also gives residents the
opportunity to have their say on consultation documents as they
emerge and suggest potential sites for inclusion or removal from
the LDP.
If you are considering setting up a community group contact the
CVS on 01639 631246 or email info@nptcvs.org.uk.
How To Get Involved (Translations)
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How to Contact Us
If you have any queries regarding the LDP, you can contact the
Planning Policy Team either by email: ldp@npt.gov.uk or telephone:
01639 686821.
Alternatively you can write to us at:
LDP Team, Planning Policy, Neath Port Talbot County Borough
Council, The Quays, Brunel Way, Baglan Energy Park, Neath, SA11
2GG.
Your Community. Your Future... be part of it.
To follow the progress of the Local Development Plan,
please visit our
CONSULTATION PAGEin the
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Last Updated: 21.09.2009 at 11:07