Cardiff Local Development Plan

Cardiff Local Development Plan

On the 28th January 2016 Cardiff Council’s Cabinet adopted the City & County of Cardiff Local Development Plan (2006-2026). This replaces the 1996 Local Plan and marks the end of an 11 year plan preparation process.

Cardiff Local Development Plan

As one would expect from a city where the vision is to become “a world class European Capital city …..at the heart of a thriving city region”, the scale of planned development is undeniably grand. A total of 41,100 new dwellings and 40,000 jobs proposed are proposed over the Plan period, which we are already halfway through.

Development is focused around a series of Key Strategic Sites. Planning permissions are in place for a number of these, and applications for others are being considered.

In support of sustainable planning policy objectives, around 65% of all proposed new homes are to be provided on brownfield sites and 35% on greenfield sites.

For a city where much of the development in recent times has focused on the city centre and bay areas, where apartments have dominated the housing stock, the loss of the undeveloped areas on the fringes of the city has angered many. Indeed, 40% of Council Cabinet members voted against adopting the plan. While the Council can now say it has an up to date development plan, the voting profile experienced in adopting the Local Plan suggests that future planning committee decisions may be unpredictable and appeals will still have their part to play in the future phased delivery of key development sites.

The transportation impact of development was raised as a key concern by residents through the LDP consultation process. The LDP sets an ambitious target of achieving an overall 50/50 modal split between journeys by car and journeys by more sustainable modes (walking, cycling and public transport). The LDP identifies that the proposed growth strategy would increase such demand for travel by car by 41% and that in the short-term the 50:50 ratio is unlikely to be achieved. With less than 10 years of the plan period remaining, it will be interesting to see just whether this challenging aim is achieved.

Planned new infrastructure such as new railway stations at St Fagans to the west (where 5,000 new homes are proposed), St Mellons to the east (where an existing business park is proposed to be expanded by 90,000m2) and a new park and ride facility at junction 33 of the M4 (along with 2,650 homes and employment uses), will assist in providing alternatives. However, cycling infrastructure and maintenance priorities need to be elevated in importance if sustainable modes are to make a mark on overall network patterns.

The Key Diagram, presented overleaf, illustrates the strategy for the City and County and highlights how development will see in filling of the north-eastern and western areas of Cardiff, broadly between the existing urban area and the M4. The development area surrounding Junction 33 of the M4 and around the suburb of Creigiau will create a new gateway to the city
from the west.

Cardiff is a compact city and while development is desperately needed to overcome a shortage in affordable and family housing and to take advantage of the labour pool of the Capital City Region, a corresponding investment in infrastructure and design quality is needed. Raising the design quality of mixed use communities remain top priorities and should inform the objectives of property professionals and developer clients active across the region.

The adoption of the LDP will be followed by the production of new and revised Supplementary Planning Guidance, while a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for Cardiff will be subject to consultation in May.

Stride Treglown Town Planning

The Cardiff office of the Stride Treglown Planning team are has practical experience in preparing and managing planning applications for developments in the area. If you require assistance regarding any of the issues raised in this advice note please contact Stride Treglown Planning who will be able to advise you accordingly.

We have taken great care to ensure the accuracy of this advice note. However, the document is written in general terms and you are strongly recommended to seek specific advice before taking any action based on the information it contains. No responsibility can be taken for any loss arising from action taken or refrained from on the basis of this publication. The contents of this advice note are not intended to comprise definitive statements, but rather offer the opinion of Stride Treglown and provide general guidance on planning issues.

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