Presentation by Mark Newey, Head of Plans at the Welsh Government, given at the Planning Inspectorate Wales conference on 30 September 2015

1. Corporate slide master
With guidelines for corporate presentations
Development Plans
The Future
Mark Newey
Head of Plans
Welsh Government

2. Structure
• LDP Current Position
• Key Issues
• LDP Refinement
• Review Report / AMR
• LDP & JHLAS 5 Year Supply
• The future of development plans
• National Development Framework – NDF
• Strategic Development Plans – SDP
• SDP Governance
• SDP Approach
• Next Steps

3. Wales Spatial
Plan
Interest
Groups
Community
Consensus
Market
Forces
Tensions
Opportunities
Current Position
Local Development
Plans
Evidence
Base
SE Wales
 16 Adopted
 3 Examination
 2 Deposit stage
 1 Preferred strategy

4. Vision
Key Drivers
Evidence Base
Strategy
The LDP Process
Adopted Plan
Stakeholder Engagement
Issues & Spatial Options
Locally Distinct Strategy
Examination
Binding
Report
Pre-deposit Proposals
Deposit Plan
Representations
4 Years

5. Issues

6. • Strategic, distinctive & slimmer
• Based on EVIDENCE
• More responsive
• Not repeat national policy
• Part of the decision making resource
• Clear & regular monitoring - DELIVERY
Scope of LDPs
• Based on how people live their lives
• Collaborative working
• Not automatically mean joint LDPs
• Identify issues - share benefits
Planning for Places

7. LDP Refinement
 Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004
 PPW, LDP Wales & Manual
 Plan led approach
 Build on past experiences
 Alternative sites
 Tests of ‘soundness’
 Process
 Stakeholder workshops
 Broad cross section of stakeholders
 LPA ‘Sounding Board’
 Taking forward recommendations

9. Tests of ‘Soundness’
Test 1: Does the plan fit ?
• Does it have regard to national policy and WSP
• Is it consistent with regional plans, strategies
and utility programmes?
• Is it compatible with the plans of neighbouring authorities?
• Does it reflect the Single Integrated Plan (SIP) or the
National Park Management Plan (NPMP)?
Test 2: Is the plan appropriate?
• Is it locally specific?
• Does it address the key issues?
• Is it supported by the robust, proportionate
and credible evidence?
• Can the rationale behind plan policies be
demonstrated?
• Does it seek to meet assessed needs and
contribute to the achievement of sustainable
development?
• Are the vision and the strategy positive and sufficiently
aspirational?
• Have the ‘real’ alternatives been properly considered?
• Is it logical, reasonable and balanced?
• Is it coherent and consistent?
• Is it clear and focused?
Test 3: Will the plan deliver
• Will it be effective?
• Can it be implemented?
• Is there support from the relevant
infrastructure providers both financially and
in terms of meeting relevant timescales?
• Will development be viable?
• Can the sites allocated be delivered?
• Is the plan sufficiently flexible? Are there
appropriate contingency provisions?
• Is it monitored effectively?’

10. • Follow on from AMR
• Quantifies the magnitude of change
• Individual or discrete policies?
• Implications on other parts of the plan?
• Affect the strategy?
• External factors – projections
• End date of plan
• 5 year land supply
• Explains appropriate review process
• Published for comments
• Part of LDP evidence base
• Could have a bearing at examination
Review Report
Cost Savings More responsivePositive option

11. Joint Housing Land Availability Study
LDP & 5 Year Supply
Housing provision in LDP
Flexibility (10%?)
Address issues & objectives
Positive & proactive plan approach
Delivery of change
Link to infrastructure, finance (S106 & CIL)
Satisfy 5 year supply
Certainty of delivery
Joint approach to delivery – plan & industry

13. The Future
 25 LDAs & 24 LDPs
 All deal with local issues, insular
 Housing projections 19 times
 Every LPA wants a regional employment site
 Some sharing of evidence
 Often using different assumptions
 Competing with neighbours
 Small geographical areas v areas of influence
 Lack of political maturity

14. National Development Framework
NDF
 Spatial expression of Government policy
 Link to statutory definition of sustainable development
 Well-being Future Generations Act
 Environment Bill
 Wales Infrastructure Investment Plan
 Re-craft of PPW
 Concerned with matters of national importance
 Scrutinised by National Assembly
 Used to determine Developments of National Significance
 Make a positive difference

15. Key Elements of NDF
 Not perfect !
 Evolution linked to delivery
 Evidenced based
 Not going to cover all scales
 Not everywhere explicitly mentioned
 Focused around a clear, simple message
 Not about constructing new policy
 Will draw out potential tensions
 Links to devolved/non-devolved matters – CIL
 Set the framework for SDPs
 Housing Numbers ? No

16. • Direction of travel - flexible & adapt to change
• Commonality of evidence base – tensions?
• Relationship with existing LDPs & strategies
• Wider geographical area
• LPAs to define the boundary, approved by WG
• Role & function of places – place shaping
• Inter-relationship of places
• Travel to work areas, LHMA, economic analysis
• Supporting each other
• Market forces
• Political support - collaboration
• DELIVERABLE
Strategic Development Plans
Cost Savings
Avoid Duplication

17. Key Elements of SDPs
 Deliver on NDF
 Not envisage covering all Wales
 Focus on areas of change/difficult choices
 Strategic not local
 Determine key issues for LDPs – Housing
 Remove policies from LDPs
 Avoid repetition/duplication of costs/resources
 Longer term than LDPs – 2036?
 Scrutinised through public examination
 LDPS need to be in conformity
 Decided by a single purpose Panel
 Two thirds local authority and one third other members
 Local authority members only have voting rights

18. SDP Panel
 30 Members – 20 /10 split
 Chaired by ‘responsible authority’
 £120,000 start up budget
SDP ‘Plan Preparation
Team’
- employed/seconded
Sub
Group
Housing
Sub Group
Economy
Sub Group
Strategy /
Growth
Options
Sub Group
Green / Blue
Infrastructure
Sub Group
Infrastructure
Sub
Group
Others
Local Planning Authorities (e.g. x 10)
 Provide input into Sub Groups
 Input into evidence base for SDP
 Progress LDPL Work
Stakeholders
E.g. DCWW Welsh Government –
Plans Branch?
Strategic Planning
Panel

19. Spatial Planning – Example 1

20. Spatial Planning – Example 2
Context

21. Next Steps
 Planning Act 2015 Royal Assent 6 July
 Series of commencement orders
 NDF timetable and engagement Spring 2016
 Review PPW & prepare NDF 2019
 SDP boundary designation October 2015
 Potential first SDP 2021 ?
 LDP amended Regulations 28 August 2015
 AMRs received 31 October annually
 Work with LPAs on review reports
 Assembly elections May 2016