Candidate Sites - Frequently Asked Questions

The Candidate Sites Register (CSR) lists all the sites that have been submitted to the Council for consideration into the RLDP. The CSR combines the two Call for Sites mentioned above, as well as the Urban Capacity Study and is published alongside the Preferred Strategy consultation. This document is available to view here. This document also includes a summary of the assessment to date.

If a site is included on the Candidate Sites Register it does not mean that it is suitable for development. The inclusion of a site on the Candidate Sites Register does not imply a commitment to its suitability for inclusion within the RLDP.

A Candidate Site is not a planning application. A planning application will still be required to assess the details of the planning proposal even if the proposer is successful in having the piece of land allocated in the RLDP.

New Candidate Sites can be submitted to the Council as part of the Pre-Deposit (Preferred Strategy) consultation. This will take place between midday 12th December 2024 and midday 6th February 2025.

Please note that due to the tight timescales involved, additional information will be required if you choose to submit a site to us at this stage. For more information, please see the 2024 Preferred Strategy Appendix to the Candidate Sites Assessment Methodology and Guidance Notes.

Sites can be submitted for a variety of uses including, but not limited to:

• Housing;
• Employment;
• Community facilities;
• Tourism;
• Green Infrastructure;
• Waste;
• Education;
• Social care;
• Gypsy and travellers pitch provision;
• Retail;
• Recreation;
• Renewable Energy;
• Biodiversity;
• Transport Infrastructure;
• Minerals; and
• Protection.

Site promoters will need to demonstrate that the site is capable of being delivered.

In order to assess the site for deliverability, consideration will be given to the following. Whether:

• The site is being presented in its entirety;
• The site is in more than one ownership and whether all of the landowners are promoting the site for the type and scale of development envisaged?
• The site is being promoted by the current landowner(s)/ on their behalf. Or whether the site promoter/their client has an option agreement or equivalent to purchase the site from the landowner(s);
• There are any constraints to development such as ransom strips or covenants that are not in the process of being resolved/ removed;
  The site will be brought forward for development within the Plan period;
• Viability information has been provided to accompany the Candidate Site submission); and
• If the site is in public ownership, it has been identified in a published disposal strategy and/or through Council resolution if the land is to be retained/ sold by the Council.

No. Sites promoted as part of the first Call for Candidate Sites in March – May 2022 or as part of the 2023 Call for Candidate Sites or Call for Urban Capacity Sites in  November – December 2023 do not need to be re-promoted as part of this consultation unless it is for an alternative use.

Site promoters can however provide additional information.
There is however no need for site promoters to provide any additional information. Should the Council require any specific additional information, we will be in contact.

No. Not all sites promoted will be allocated for development in the final RLDP. The Council will assess the sites submitted taking into consideration identified needs and sustainability considerations, and potentially allocate a number of sites for development.

Sites which are then allocated will only come forward for development if a planning permission is granted and a developer wants to implement the decision.

Yes. The documents are available to view at the following deposit venues:

• Neath Civic Centre, Neath, SA11 3QZ
• Port Talbot Civic Centre, Port Talbot, SA13 1PJ and 
• The Quays, Brunel Way, Baglan Energy Park, Neath SA11 2GG

The documents can also be viewed on publicly available computers in the libraries – please check the following website for information on libraries opening hours.

The documents are also available to purchase from the Council’s Planning Policy Team. If you would like to purchase a copy, please contact:

The document provides:

• Background information and evidence to aid the submission of viability appraisals and accompanying high-level viability statements;
• Information on how to obtain a copy of the Development Viability Model (DVM); and
• Fees required for copies of the DVM.

Viability Guidance Note

The high level template needs to be completed for sites providing 50 or more residential dwellings or more than 1.0ha of employment land.

The high level template provides guiding questions which are needed to be completed. Additional supporting evidence should be provided where relevant.

The interactive constraints map provides information on the following fundamental constraints:

• Ramsar (Wetlands of International Importance)
• Special Area of Conservation (SAC);
• Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI);
• National Nature Reserve (NNR);
• Class 1 Agricultural Land Classification (ALC);
• Scheduled Monument (SM);
• Historic Park and Gardens;
• Common land; and
• Flooding 

Sites that are screened out at Stage 1 means that they are:

• Too small (residential sites smaller than 10 units)
• Overlapping with a fundamental constraint (such as a Scheduled Monument or highly vulnerable development within Flood Zone 3)
• Not deliverable

For more information on what this means, please refer to the the Candidate Sites Assessment Methodology and Guidance Notes and 2024 Preferred Strategy Appendix.

Updated evidence will need to be submitted to the Council if you believe that the information contained within the CSR is incorrect.

This can be done using the CSR Comment Form.

No, whilst the Council may or may not choose to make all information submitted available (depending on the nature of the information/ its relevance etc.).

All information submitted will be subject to Freedom of Information (FOI) and/ or Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) requests.

Whilst it does not cost anything to promote a Candidate Site as part of the Call for Candidate Sites, residential and employment-led sites of 50 or more residential units or 1.0+ha of employment accommodation will need to purchase a copy of the DVM (See above).

Whilst not required as part of the Call for Sites, site promoters of residential and employment sites below 50 residential units and 1.0ha of employment land should be aware that if their sites are successfully filtered they will need to purchase a copy of the DVM.

As sites progress through the process, site promoters will need to provide more detailed information and supporting evidence and may wish to engage the services of a planning consultant.

Yes. Existing planning applications can be submitted as Candidate Sites.

The Council will consider all comments made as part of the CSR, as well as any new sites that are submitted to us for further consideration in the RLDP.

Once assessments have been undertaken and updated, we will then be in a position to identify sites to be allocated within the Deposit RLDP.

Further stages and guidance is contained within the Updated Candidate Sites Assessment Methodology and Guidance Notes and 2024 Preferred Strategy Appendix.

If you would like to be kept informed about the RLDP, you can be added to our consultation database so that we will keep you informed of developments on the RLDP.

If you want to be added to our database you will need to tell us in writing and provide us with your contact details, name and address and if applicable email address.

It would also be helpful if you could tell us your language preference (i.e. whether you want correspondence in English or Welsh).

Please write to:

• Post: Mr Ceri Morris, Head of Planning and Public Protection, Neath Port Talbot Council, The Quays, Brunel Way, Baglan Energy Park, Neath. SA11 2GG
• Email: ldp@npt.gov.uk