Cardiff Post Article March 2009

At the last Council Meeting Councillors gave their support for the Cardiff Deposit Local Development Plan (LDP) to go out for a six week consultation period which will commence in April 2009.

This document is one of the most important documents the Council will own and, as it will affect nearly every resident in the City in some way, I am urging everyone to participate in the consultation.  A Council report discusses representations received to Cardiff Council that look to change the Deposit LDP by adding a new site for development, or by amending or removing a proposed site.  These changes must be advertised by the authority as soon as is practically possible at the closure of the six week deposit period which will permit an additional six week period for representations to be made on them.  It is anticipated that this will take place in June / July of this year.

The LDP will provide the strategy and policy framework for the development and conservation of the County until 2021.  It will decide which areas of Cardiff will be green belt and how many new houses, flats, etc that Cardiff should build. It looks at land for employment, land for recreational uses and how traffic policies will be designated. An indication is given of which large infrastructure projects are considered and the LDP aims to have more of a green focus than previous planning documents. The LDP will be used by the Council to guide and control development, providing the basis by which planning applications will be decided.

I am advised that all representations received will be considered and reported to Councillors in the autumn of this year.  After this, the LDP will be formally submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for their examination and this is proposed to take place in November 2009.

When the plan is adopted it will replace the present development plans for the County. Cardiff is still using its 1996 Local Plan after the Unitary Development Plan had to be abandoned.  National Assembly guidancestates that weight can be attached to policies in emerging development plans which are going through the procedures towards adoption.  This, however, depends upon the stage of preparations of the plan and the weight will increase as successive stages are reached and upon the degree of conflict with adopted plans. Once the LDP is at the deposit stage, it will form a material planning consideration and be taken into consideration in planning applications.  A formal resolution of the Council is needed to confirm this document.

For more information about the documentation and consultation, please log on to www.cardiff.gov.uk or telephone 029 2087 2000 where a member of staff should be able to assist.

I can be contacted on telephone 029 2062 7757, fax 029 2087 7005, mobile 079 7001 3332, E-Mail jcowan@cardiff.gov.uk or log on to www.rhiwbinaward.com