Section A: The Development Strategy

Pressure for development, the availability of suitable sites, the willingness of the private sector to invest, the sensitivity of the environment and the basic transport and service infrastructure vary widely across the County Borough.  It is therefore necessary to guide development within a broad strategic framework.

In line with government guidance and the principles of sustainability underpinning the LDP, a Development Strategy is put forward for the LDP based on three broad areas:

• THE HEADS OF THE VALLEYS REGENERATION AREA (HOVRA)
• THE NORTHERN CONNECTIONS CORRIDOR (NCC)
• THE SOUTHERN CONNECTIONS CORRIDOR (SCC)

The Heads of the Valley Regeneration Area (HOVRA) is characterised by the highest levels of unemployment, social deprivation and population loss in the County Borough and has difficulty in attracting private sector employment.  It is therefore recognised by the Welsh Assembly Government and the Council as a regeneration priority area. The HOVRA is the subject of comprehensive community regeneration initiatives by the Council including, social and economic measures as well as the land-based measures contained in the LDP’s development strategy.

In recent years the HOVRA has experienced unprecedented levels of public investment in its infrastructure, in particular in the transportation network, which to date has not been accompanied by significant private sector investment.  The Development Strategy of the Plan seeks to attract development to this area and exploit and build on this investment.  It therefore designates land for a wide variety of land uses across the HOVRA to not only meet the role and function of individual settlements but also to positively regenerate those areas over the Plan period.

The choice of housing in this area is particularly limited and in some villages up to 90% of housing is pre-1914 terraced housing and generally where this figure is lower, most of the remainder is public sector housing.  It is likely that the lack of choice of modern housing is a major factor in the continued out-migration of younger and more affluent families from this area.  In order to address this issue approximately 24% of all new housingsites allocated in the Plan are located in the HOVRA.  This reflects the strategic desire to allow for development opportunities that will diversify the housing stock and help to retain and attract people to the north of the County Borough.  In order to encourage developers to locate in the HOVRA 45% of the land for housing is greenfield.

Bargoed is the Principal Town in the HOVRA, which provides a wide range of functions and services for the surrounding settlements that are not available elsewhere in the north of the County Borough.  The Development Strategy of the Plan seeks to elevate the status of Bargoed within the Heads of the Valley Region as a whole by allocating major redevelopment sites, including a major new retail and entertainment site, a district library and office sites within the town centre to transform the Town over the Plan period.

No newsites are identified for employment in the HOVRA.  Instead the emphasis will be on the redevelopment and regeneration of existing allocated sites to make them more attractive to inward investors.  Approximately 5% of land identified for employment purposes is located in the HOVRA.

The HOVRA’s potential contribution to the Valleys Regional Park is immense and the Development Strategy will ensure the positive protection and development of the surrounding countryside.  A large part of the area has been shown to be highly valued and sensitive environmentally and as a consequence 67% of the surrounding countryside is subject to environmental protection.

The Northern Connections Corridor comprises a contiguous area of urban development spanning the mid valleys area.  The settlement pattern in this area is more like a conventional urban conurbation rather than the traditional linear settlements typical of the Valleys.  The Northern Connections Corridor (NCC) has been successful in attracting substantial public and private investment that has succeeded in transforming this part of the County Borough in recent years.

As a result of the development strategy contained within the Caerphilly County Borough Unitary Development Plan that actively targeted housing and employment growth to the mid valleys area, the Northern Connections Corridor (NCC) has experienced significant levels of house building over the last ten years.  Whilst this has lead to an increased diversity in the housing stock in terms of the type of houses available, the area does not provide sufficient affordable housing to meet the needs of all sectors of society. The Development Strategy seeks to address this issue and the Plan sets targets for the provision of affordable housing based on a robust assessment of viability - 10% of housing in the Newbridge area and 25% in the rest of the Northern Connections Corridor area.

Within the NCC new housing development is targeted largely to brownfield sites within existing settlements with only limited new greenfield releases. 68% of all housing proposals in the NCC are located on brownfield sites. Where greenfield sites have been released this is considered necessary to diversify the existing housing stock and make those areas more attractive to future inward investment

The LDP continues to target new employment growth to the NCC.  In this context the success of Oakdale Business Park (one of the largest industrial plateaux in South Wales) is critical in terms of ensuring economic prosperity for residents for the County Borough and, in particular, in realising one of the main regional functions of the NCC - offering much needed employment opportunities to residents in the HOVRA. 86% of employment allocations are within this strategy area.

The role of the NCC will increase in importance over the Plan period as the Principal Town of Ystrad Mynach has become the location for a number of vital public services including a college for further education, a new police station, the new Council Headquarters and the new local general hospital.  The presence of all these major services means that Ystrad Mynach is a significant employment centre.

The Southern Connections Corridor (SCC) is under great pressure for development arising from the growth in the M4 Corridor and has limited capacity for development without causing environmental harm.  A large part of the area has been shown to be highly valued and sensitive environmentally and as a consequence 76% of the surrounding countryside is subject to environmental protection.

Within the SCC the Plan seeks to consolidate development within existing settlement boundaries, as a consequence 96% of all housing sites are located on brownfield sites.  As a general principal the required infrastructure improvements will be secured as an integral part of the development ofsites in the SCC.

As a result of development pressure from Newport and Cardiff the SCC has experienced significant levels of house building over the last ten years.  Whilst this has led to an increased diversity in the housing stock in terms of the type of houses available, the area does not provide sufficient affordable housing to meet the needs of all sectors of society. The Development Strategy seeks to address this issue and the Plan sets targets for the provision of affordable housing based on a robust assessment of viability 40% in the Caerphilly Basin (excluding the Aber Valley) and 10% in the Lower Islwyn part of the Southern Connections Corridor and the Aber Valley.

No new sites are identified for employment in the SCC.  Instead the emphasis will be on the redevelopment and regeneration of existing allocated sites to make them more attractive to inward investors.  Approximately 8% of landidentified for employment purposes is located in the SCC.

Eight component parts form the Development Strategy and underpin the policies in the LDP.  They are to:

1. Target development to reflect the roles and functions of individual settlements
2. Allow for development opportunities in the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area
3. Promote a balanced approach to managing future growth
4. Exploit brownfield opportunities where appropriate
5. Promote resource efficient settlement patterns
6. Ensure development contributes towards necessary infrastructure improvements
7. Ensure development provides necessary community facilities
8. Reduce the impact of development upon the countryside

The role and function of individual settlements is a key factor in determining how the strategy responds to their individual needs.  In order to target development appropriately the Plan identifies:

• 5 Principal Town Centres- Bargoed serving that part of the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area within the County Borough, Blackwood and Ystrad Mynach in the Northern Connections Corridor, and Caerphilly and Risca / Pontymister in the Southern Connections Corridor;
• 4 Local Centres-Rhymney in the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area, Newbridge and Nelson in the Northern Connections Corridor, and Bedwas in the Southern Connections Corridor; and
• Residential settlements – other areas within settlement boundaries that haveneighbourhood shops and/or individual units serving more immediate needs.

The town centres in the County Borough perform a variety of roles.  They are major employers, providers of services, such as banks, building societies, libraries and estate agents, and also provide the main shopping provision for local areas.  The retail sector is an important provider of employment, particularly within the five Principal Towns.  Shopping is both an essential activity in everyday life and also a leisure-time pursuit.  As a result, the calibre of shopping provision in retail centres makes a major contribution to people’s perception of the quality of urban life generally.

Whilst the LDP is required to identify sites for new development, it does not mean that all uses are acceptable in all settlements.  The appropriateness of uses will be considered against the role and function of each settlement as set out in Section C of the Plan, with only appropriate land uses being allocated in the Plan.

In those areas identified as having a residential role, the provision of additional housing appropriate to the scale of the settlement will help to diversify the housing stock including the distribution of affordable housing, where there is evidence of need.

In the past it has proved difficult to attract private investment into the northern part of the County Borough, but recently there are indications that this is changing.  The Welsh Assembly Government has prioritised this part of the County Borough as an area for regeneration by including it in the Heads of the Valleys Programme area. This Programme supports the Council’s own priorities for regeneration.

The HOV programme forms one facet of the Welsh Assembly Government’s future development aspirations for the South East Wales Region.  At the heart of the vision for SE Wales is a network of strong, sustainable communities spreading prosperity from the two major centres of Cardiff and Newport to valleys across the region. 

Within Caerphilly County Borough, it is envisaged that proposals for Bargoed, as the principal town in the HOVRA, will be a catalyst for further investment across the wider area.  The Plan will facilitate other development opportunities in the area through the allocation of a range of sites across all settlements, having regard to their role and function, in order to deliver more affordable and attractive housing, a better range of local services, transport and employment opportunities and a variety of retail and leisure facilities.

Future population projections are fundamental in the determination of the number of additional dwellings that will be required on sites across the County Borough over the Plan period.  Assumptions made in this regard impact on all other areas of the Plan, most noticeably the need for employment opportunities for local residents and the need for an efficient public transport and highway infrastructure network to enable people to access services and facilities.

The development assumptions underpinning the strategy for the LDP are outlined in a series of background papers to the Deposit LDP,but the key assumptions are summarised here for ease of reference.

Key Assumptions:

• Population Growth- the Plan makes provision for a moderate level of population growth, leading to a population for Caerphilly of 177,500 in 2021, and implying a total housing requirement over the Plan period of 8,625 dwellings, of which a proportion will be affordable.
• Economic Growth- the future population levels imply a need for land to accommodate for a growth in employment opportunities to increase economic activity rates, which are lower than the Welsh average.  A total of 101.9 hectares of employment land will be allocated for employment use over the Plan period, and, as well as this, a number of existing employment sites.
• Transportation– future population growth has the potential to increase congestion.  However, a more sustainable approach is adopted aiming to encourage reduced greenhouse gas emissions through modal shift to walking, cycling and public transport, particularly utilising the rail links through the Ebbw and Rhymney Valleys, as well as more efficient use of the existing road network.
• Community Infrastructure– An increase in the population will place additional pressure on the network of facilities necessary to support sustainable communities (waste, education, leisure, renewable energy etc).  Policies in the Plan will ensure that the network of community facilities will be developed in parallel with new housing.
• Environmental Protection- Development to be directed to parts of the County Borough that have the environmental capacity to accommodate it without causing undue harm to areas that are valued for their intrinsic value in terms of biodiversity, landscape, historic or conservation interest.

The Strategy promotes a more balanced approach to managing future housing and employment growth, in which development opportunities in the Southern Connections Corridor (SCC) and Caerphilly Town in particular are principally limited to brownfield sites as this strategy area is under the greatest pressure for development and has only a limited capacity for further development without significant environmental impact.  More significant development opportunities on brownfield and greenfield sites are proposed where appropriate for principal towns and local centres in the Northern Connections Corridor (NCC) and the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area (HOVRA) in order to spread prosperity throughout the County Borough

The Strategy also recognises the existence of a major urban conurbation in the NCC and Greater Bargoed HOVRA area, which because of its central location, could provide the main driver for the regeneration of the County Borough as a whole.  The NCC contains a number of complementary ‘urban hubs’, namely Ystrad Mynach, Blackwood, Oakdale and Newbridge.  Blackwood is the principal retail centre, Ystrad Mynach has administrative, health and further education roles and a new rail service has been introduced in Newbridge.  Together with the major employment site at Oakdale / Penyfan, these ‘hubs’ of activity form a powerful driver for economic growth and provision of urban facilities in the County Borough.

The County Borough has significant areas of brownfield land available for redevelopment across the whole area as a result of economic and public sector restructuring.  The location of many of these sites is largely predetermined by the industrial and cultural heritage of the area.  The most important sites are:

• Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area
  • Bargoed Plateau, Aberbargoed (11.8 ha)
• Northern Connections Corridor
  • Oakdale Colliery (58.2 ha)
  • Penallta Colliery, Ystrad Mynach (31.87 ha)
• Southern Connections Corridor
  • Bedwas Colliery, Bedwas (23 ha),
  • Land at Pontypandy, Caerphilly (7.58 ha)
  • Risca Foundry (3.3 ha)
  • Ness Tar (12.3 ha) ;

Where brownfield sites exist and the redevelopment of these sites for alternative uses would be viable and realistically likely to be developed within the Plan period, these sites have been allocated for appropriate forms of development.  These allocations include all of the significant brownfield land listed above, which have been allocated for a range of uses, with the exception of Ness Tar, which is not anticipated to come forward during the lifetime of the Plan due to the severity of constraints associated with the site.

In determining the most appropriate use of all brownfield sites, consideration has be given to the need to reserve land for employment or urban facilities as well as ensuring that development would not have an adverse effect on the role and function of the County Borough as a whole.  It is important to note that the Southern Connections Corridor is particularly well provided for in terms of large brownfield sites and the Plan aims to balance the need to redevelop these brownfield sites against the need to ensure that growth is managed across the whole of the County Borough in order to promote regeneration in the more deprived areas, where fewer significant brownfield opportunities exist.

A key part of the Strategy is to promote resource efficient patterns of development across the whole of the County Borough.  The LDP actively promotes a positive approach to energy efficiency, water efficiency, waste management and conservation measures in both the siting and design of new developments.

A crucial mechanism for achieving resource efficient settlements and indicating where growth will be permitted is the designation of settlement boundaries.  The settlement boundary performs a number of important strategic functions, namely: it defines the area within which development would normally be allowed, taking into account all other material considerations; it promotes the full and effective use of urban land and thus concentrates development within settlements; it prevents the coalescence of settlements, ribbon development and fragmented development; it prevents inappropriate development in the countryside and is a powerful tool to guide development control decisions thus providing certainty to the public and developers.  Settlement boundaries have been delineated in accordance with the role and function of specific settlements.

Many settlements in Caerphilly are former mining communities with individual identities and the delineation of settlement boundaries in accordance with the role and function of these settlements will seek to retain and reinforce the identities of the settlements in addition to achieving resource efficient settlements.

Existing land allocations and other areas of open land within existing settlement boundaries have been rigorously reassessed with a view to reallocating land where appropriate for alternative land uses.  Care has been taken to ensure that vulnerable land uses such as open space, leisure land and community uses have sufficient protection to avoid their loss to more profitable development such as housing.  Where land is identified as being surplus to requirements and its development would result in the efficient use of land within settlement limits, it has been released for alternative forms of development.

Given the topography of the area and the way in which rapid urbanisation took place in the nineteenth century, a significant amount of urban development in Caerphilly has taken place within the flood plains of the Rivers Ebbw, Sirhowy and Rhymney and its tributaries.  As a result of this historic development, large areas within the Principal Towns of Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly and Risca/Pontymister lie within flood plains.  It is therefore inevitable, despite the overall aim to avoid flood risk areas, that some existing development will be vulnerable to flooding.

Some flexibility is necessary however to enable the risks of flooding to be addressed whilst recognising the negative economic and social consequences of precluding investment in existing urban areas, particularly within the Principal Towns and the benefits of reusing previously developed land.  In assessing the suitability of previously developed land for new development a judgement has been made in terms of the social, environmental and economic benefits of redeveloping sites.

As a general principle the Plan seeks to locate development away from the floodplain.  However where development is considered appropriate having regard to the role and function of settlements and can be justified within the context of TAN 15, suitable mitigation measures will need to be incorporated within the design of any new development to ensure that it is as safe as possible.  In particular, where development is proposed in vulnerable areas, the need for a flood consequences assessment will be highlighted as a requirement of any future planning application on sites allocated in the LDP.  These assessments will be prepared in consultation with the Environment Agency.  Wherever possible in such locations, redevelopment will also be planned in such a way as to provide increased protection for existing vulnerable urban areas.

The provision of an efficient transport system through both a modal shift towards a more sustainable form of transport and improvements to the strategic road network is an important part of moving towards a more sustainable, resource-efficient settlement pattern across the whole County Borough allowing further improvements to the strategic road network where appropriate to address issues of accessibility and regeneration.

In the longer term a significant switch from car to public transport is planned and therefore settlements with good access to existing rail services along the Rhymney Valley and Ebbw lines, with regular links to Cardiff, will be favoured, particularly for high-density development.  Rail corridors are seen as the most appropriate locations for future development that are likely to generate large numbers of journeys. 

The Plan also identifies opportunities where higher density development schemes will be particularly appropriate due to the proximity of the site to the transportation network and in particular public transport.  A balance will need to be struck between safeguarding key sites close to transportation nodes for facilities such as park and ride and redeveloping them to accommodate public transport friendly development opportunities.

In achieving a balanced approach to growth, consideration must be given to the disposal of waste.  In the past waste has been perceived as a problem that is conveniently and cost effectively disposed of in landfill.  It is now widely recognised that this disposal approach is unsustainable in the long-term because of the growing volume of waste produced, the risk of environmental pollution and the lack of sites available to accommodate landfill in Caerphilly County Borough.  The Plan seeks to address this issue through the development of an integrated and adequate network of modern, well designed and well managed hierarchy of waste management / resource recovery facilities across the County Borough to serve the needs of the population.

The sustainable provision of adequate and efficient infrastructure, including utilities such as water supply, sewers, waste management, electricity, gas and telecommunications, is crucial for the sustainability of the County Borough.  Enabling new development, which is appropriately serviced by such infrastructure, is essential to the economic, environmental and social well-being of the County Borough.  New development will place additional pressure on utilities both strategically and on a site-specific basis.  Where necessary improvements are not envisaged by the utility provider within the development timescale, contributions which are directly associated with a development have been identified to enable prospective developers to factor in the necessary costs into their development finance at an early stage. 

One of the key objectives of the LDP is to reduce congestion by engendering a more sustainable transport system that seeks to minimise the need to travel, promotes alternative modes of transport to the car, and makes the most efficient use of existing transport infrastructure.  This will enable people and businesses to have easy access to goods and services that support their economic and social life without damaging the environment.

Trends in car usage point to increasing congestion in the County Borough and, in the past 10 years, there has been a significant increase in congestion within the Northern and Southern Connections Corridors, especially at critical parts of the strategic network, e.g. along the A472 road corridor and the key junctions along the A468.  This is not sustainable, as new development will exacerbate the problems of congestion if it is not mitigated by appropriate investment in infrastructure.  Residential developments will, therefore, be required to contribute toward improvements to the strategic road network and other necessary infrastructure improvements, including improvements to the public transport system where necessary through planning obligations or a community infrastructure levy as appropriate

The Council plays a major part in the provision and management of well-designed open space and appropriate play facilities, providing a diverse network of parks, informal and formal recreation areas and children’s play areas across the County Borough.  In some parts of the County Borough, such as the densely populated Caerphilly Basin, pressure on existing leisure facilities is significant and residential development will generate additional pressure for localised open space and play facilities.  In order to address this, new housing development will be required to ensure that sufficient levels of well designed open space and appropriate safe play facilities are provided onsite in order to serve the needs of residents

The inclusion of formal and informal open spaces within new development is important for a number of reasons, namely: it provides for the recreational needs of local residents and there are significant health benefits by increasing exercise opportunities that enable greater physical activity; it enhances the quality of life of residents and contributes to their sense of well being; it can positively contribute to the built environment; and it can contribute to biodiversity, the conservation of nature and landscape, air quality and the protection of groundwater. 

In addition to on-site requirements, residential development is likely to generate additional pressure on wider strategic leisure infrastructure such as leisure centres, playing fields and parks.  Consequently, housing developments will be required to contribute towards improvements to the network of leisure infrastructure through planning obligations or the community infrastructure levy as appropriate.

New housing development will also increase pressure on other community facilities such as community centres and schools.  The capacity of schools in particular is limited by WAG guidance and therefore the generation of additional pupils as a result of new developments may result in the requirement for new and improved facilities.

In some parts of the County Borough any further growth outside settlement boundaries would result in the development of particularly sensitive areas such as Special Landscape Areas (SLA), Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) or Visually Important Local Landscapes (VILL).  This is particularly the case in the Southern Connections Corridor.  In such areas the ability of the environment to accommodate development without undue harm is very limited, particularly where further constrained by topography

The distribution of the designation of such valued and sensitive areas gives a broad indication of environmental capacity in different parts of the County Borough.  Where settlements are identified for growth in line with their role and function, care has been taken to ensure that the environment has the capacity to accommodate it whilst having regard for the need to protect and/or conserve those aspects of the natural environment that are valued for their landscape, biodiversity or agricultural interest.  Where greenfield sites have been identified, primarily in the Heads of the Valleys or Northern Connections Corridor areas, consideration will be given to the potential for the development of the sites to realise landscape enhancement and biodiversity gain as a result of their development.  This will include the need to consider the creation and maintenance of green corridors for the movement of all species. 

Energy conservation makes a positive contribution to the protection of the environment through a reduction in the release of harmful emissions into the atmosphere.  In addition, renewable energy technologies such as microgeneration have an important role to play in the built environment.  However, there are a number of renewable energy sources that have the potential to have an adverse impact on valued aspects of the countryside, for example the potential impact of wind-generated energy on the landscape. The energy provision benefits of renewable energy schemes therefore need to be balanced against the potential impact of such development on the landscape and on sites of ecological interest. 

Coal underlies the majority of the County Borough.  The seams outcrop in the north and south of the County Borough, whilst in the middle they are overlain by sandstone.  Coal has been worked extensively in the past by both opencast methods and deep mines.  Minerals Planning Policy Wales aims to provide positively for the working of mineral resources to meet society’s needs.  It therefore advocates that mineral resources should be safeguarded from permanent development that would prevent their future workings.  The strategy balances the need for the safeguarding of nationally important mineral resources, (e.g. coal, sand, gravel) against the potential impact of such development on the landscape and on sites of ecological interest.  The Plan seeks to fully take into account the impact of proposals for the extraction of minerals on the amenity of residents, and its implications for the safeguarding or enhancement of the natural environment to facilitate the future tourism development potential of the area.

The Council sees the countryside, which makes up nearly 80% of the land area of the County Borough, as a positive asset that can strengthen regeneration strategies and maximise tourism opportunities that provide an enhanced quality of life for all, including providing benefits to people’s health and well-being.  In particular the Plan seeks to develop opportunities for the County Borough to contribute to the Valleys Regional Park – a network of countryside recreation areas linked by strategic footpaths and cycleways

Overview

The Plan’s Development Strategy splits the County Borough into three strategy areas for the development and use of land, and provides the context and framework for the more detailed policies in Sections B and C.  The Strategy policies deliver the wider aims and objectives of the strategy and are supplemented by more detailed policies in Section B (Countywide policies) that provide the policy framework for the determination of planning applications and Section C (Area Specific policies).

The Development Strategy for the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area seeks to exploit appropriate development opportunities where they exist in the more deprived northern part of the County Borough, with a view to creating a viable future for all of the communities in this area.  The Strategy will seek to accommodate new housing in villages where there is a need to diversify the housing stock in order to retain the existing population and regenerate existing communities.  New housing development in this area will be complemented by provision for new and improved employment and tourism opportunities, new community facilities and improvements to the public transport system and the strategic highway network.

The Strategy seeks to capitalise on the development opportunities in the Principal Towns of Blackwood and Ystrad Mynach, as well as the Local Centresof Newbridge and Nelson and the economic opportunities offered by the Oakdale / Penyfan plateau by providing for a range of uses that reflect the roles and functions of settlements in order to enhance quality of life for residents.  Development in the Northern Connections Corridor will be targeted to settlements with good public transport links to encourage travel by sustainable modes

Brownfield sites will be utilised in preference to greenfield sites where feasible, subject to satisfactory environmental and community safeguards.  Proposals for the reclamation and beneficial after-use of contaminated land will be considered favourably.

The Southern Connections Corridor and, in particular Caerphilly Town, is currently the County Borough’s most attractive area to potential investors, but a strategy which relies solely on the south of the County Borough for economic progress is unsustainable in the long term.  In light of this the Strategy seeks to make the most efficient use of existing infrastructure by limiting development to opportunities to redevelop previously developed land (brownfield) where feasible, subject to satisfactory environmental and community safeguards and consideration of the role and function of settlements within the strategy area

The Strategy is underpinned by a balanced approach to managing future growth through resource efficient settlement patterns that reduce the need to travel.

The role and function of individual settlements underpins the Strategy for the County Borough.  The Strategy identifies five Principal Towns and four Local Centres based on their functions as major employers, retail centres, providers of services and centres of population.  These are shown on the Key Diagram.  The Plan seeks to enhance these areas based on their current role and function in order to respond appropriately to the economic, social and environmental needs of individual settlements.

The Strategy also seeks to enhance existing residential areas within settlement boundaries that have neighbourhood shops and/or individual units serving more immediate needs.

A key mechanism for achieving resource efficient settlements and to indicate where growth will be permitted is the designation of settlement boundaries.  The delineation of settlement boundaries across the County Borough is determined by the functional analysis of the strategy areas, namely the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area, the Northern Connections Corridor, the Southern Connections Corridor and by the specific role and function of individual settlements.

The LDP Strategy seeks to ensure that sustainable places are created that are socially cohesive, enhance quality of life, meet the needs of current and future residents and reflect the role and function of settlements.  The promotion of good design, sustainable transport, resource efficiency and the enhancement of natural heritage will contribute to developments that encourage a sense of place and identity, whilst reflecting local distinctiveness.

New development has the potential to increase pressure on existing community infrastructure and facilities such as transportation networks, schools, lifelong learning facilities, open space and other facilities.  The provision of adequate infrastructure and services are a prerequisite of development taking place, as it is crucial for the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the County Borough.  Where appropriate, the Council will seek obligations to mitigate against the effect of development.  In line with national guidance the Council will negotiate obligations where these are necessary, relevant to planning, directly related to the proposed development, fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the proposed development and reasonable in all other respects.

In the case of previously used land, the Council will take into consideration abnormal costs associated with the redevelopment of a site when negotiating the level of planning obligation to be sought.  Where a developer considers that the level of obligation sought may affect the viability of a development proposal to an unacceptable degree the Council will require the developer to provide sufficient evidence to support this position as part of the planning obligation negotiation process.

The Strategy will balance the need for the safeguarding of nationally important mineral resources (e.g. Coal, Sand, Gravel) against the potential impact of such development on the landscape and on sites of ecological interest.  It advocates that mineral resources as indicated on the Proposals Map should be safeguarded from permanent development that would prevent their future working

In line with the National Waste Strategy and the Regional Waste Plan (RWP), the Council will seek to promote the reduction, re-use and recycling of materials in order to reduce land take-up for waste facilities.

Advances in technology and the introduction of new legislation, policies and practices mean that many modern waste management / resource recovery facilities on the outside look no different to any other industrial building and on the inside contain industrial de-manufacturing processes or energy generation activities that are no different to many other modern industrial processes in terms of their operation or impact.  The designation of all allocated and protected use class B2 industrial sites as suitable in principle for in-building waste management facilities, represents a substantial choice of sites compared with the maximum estimated need of approximately 10.4 ha of land which the RWP calculates will be required for such facilities.

The RWP contains Areas of Search maps (refer to Constraints Maps) for use in identifying new sites for in-building and open-air waste management / resource recovery facilities.  Developers are encouraged to use the recommendations to identify suitable candidate site locations.  Any sites identified in this way for development proposals for Waste Management Facilities will be judged on their own merits and in accordance with all the provisions of the Plan.

The term Natural Heritage covers the geology, geomorphology, biodiversity, landscape and amenity value of the County Borough.  It embraces the relationships between landform and landscape, habitats and wildlife and the natural and built environment.  It also includes natural features such as trees, woodlands, hedgerows and rivers.  The natural heritage is not confined to the countryside or designated sites and is just as prevalent and important in our urban areas.  The natural heritage is a positive asset that enriches people’s quality of life and promotes the regeneration of areas.

Almost 80% of Caerphilly County Borough Council is classified as countryside, i.e. lies outside of defined settlement boundaries. Whilst change is inevitable and opportunities for growth and development of the Borough need to be provided, respecting the unique and distinctive features or characteristics of the natural heritage of the County Borough is essential in protecting, conserving, enhancing and managing the valuable features in both the natural and built environment.

The County Borough has considerable potential for the development of recreation, tourism and access based on its natural resources and heritage for both local people and visitors and tourists to the immediate and surrounding area.  The countryside of the County Borough and its amenities such as the rivers, mountains, country parks, cycle and walking routes, commons and listed buildings all contribute to the many opportunities available for the enjoyment of the County Borough.

All of these opportunities and more will be encouraged and welcomed as part of the continued development of the County Borough.  However, the principles of sustainable development need to be taken into consideration and all countryside recreation proposals should be consistent with these principles.  The need to conserve or enhance features of significance and value to the local, region and nation should be factored into any proposal, and mitigation and/or compensation sought where necessary.

The development of a Valleys Regional Park is a key opportunity to attract tourists and investments to the County Borough, particularly within the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area, including the sensitive development of country parks.

Whilst development proposals that would contribute to the delivery of the Valleys Regional Park will be considered favourably, such as visitor attractions or employment opportunities, it is important that proposals do not have a negative impact on existing areas of environmental importance.

The Council will seek to exploit development opportunities for the delivery of a new leisure centre in the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Area.  This is identified as an opportunity to significantly improve the County Borough’s strategic leisure infrastructure through the replacement of existing ageing facilities.

The Local Development Plan ensures that sufficient residential land is made available to meet the future needs of communities for both market and affordable housing.  On the basis of sites allocated for housing under Policy HG1, as well as completions, units under construction and allowances for windfall sites, small sites, conversions, demolitions and bringing empty properties back into beneficial use, the Plan makes provision for 10,269 dwellings.  This represents 1,644 (19%) residential units more than the 8,625 units required to meet the dwelling housing requirement identified by the moderate growth strategy. This allowance provides for choice and flexibility.  The assumptions used to underpin this housing land provision are set out in the Population and Housing Background Paper. 

Opportunities for residential development will be distributed across the whole County Borough, in line with the role and function of individual settlements.  In particular, housing development will be targeted at settlements with good rail and bus services and also former mining villages that require additional housing in order to promote and sustain them as viable residential areas.  Furthermore, brownfield sites will be promoted over greenfield sites where appropriate.

The Council aims to ensure that everyone in the County Borough has access to a good quality home that meets their housing requirements and the provision of a choice of housing that is affordable to the local population is vital in achieving this. A shortfall of affordable housing is a significant issue facing residents in the County Borough. Indeed, the Local Housing Market Assessment (2007) indicates that there is a Borough-wide shortfall of 516 affordable units per annum

The target of at least 964 affordable dwellings reflects the number of units that it is expected can be delivered across the County Borough through the use of planning obligations on qualifying sites coming forward for development over the Plan period and through affordable housing exceptions proposals. The target of at least 964 dwellings delivered through the planning system forms part of a wider total of 3664 affordable dwellings which it is estimated could be provided using all other delivery mechanisms in response to levels of need

In order to provide sufficient employment opportunities for the residents of the County Borough, 101.9 hectares of land has been allocated for new employment development.  This represents the provision of a range of employment sites across the County Borough, with the Oakdale / Penyfan plateau in the Northern Connections Corridor providing a significant opportunity to act as a powerful driver for economic growth in the County Borough.

This policy incorporates flexibility, as the County Borough’s economy gradually changes from one dominated by heavy industry and manufacturing to a predominantly service sector economy, as well as, in may cases, promoting the redevelopment of brownfield land for employment use

In order to enhance commercial service provision and increase the employment opportunities for the residents of the County Borough, a range of commercial development sites have been identified where appropriate in the five Principal Town Centres and the four Local Centres.  Town Centre Boundaries have been designated for the five Principal Towns and a Primary Retail Area is defined for both Blackwood and Caerphilly.  Further Primary Retail Areas may be designated in Bargoed and Caerphilly in the future but these depend on commercial redevelopment schemes going ahead.

Yn ogystal, mae Ardal Cyfle Masnachol wedi ei  nodi ar gyfer pob un o'r prif drefi Bargod, Y Coed Duon a Chaerffili lle mae'n bosibl y daw budd arbennig o ddatblygu swyddfeydd.  Fodd bynnag, nid yw hyn yn golygu na fydd cynigion eraill o fewn canol y trefi yn cael eu hystyried.  Mae Parciau Warws Manwerthu wedi cael eu nodi ar gyfer Y Coed Duon a Chaerffili a’r bwriad yw y bydd yn yr ardaloedd hyn yn cael eu datblygu cyn ardaloedd sydd ar gyrion lleoliadau, oherwydd y dalgylchoedd.  Mae gan y polisïau hyn y nod o sicrhau cyfle mawr arall i sbarduno twf economaidd pellach yn y fwrdeistref Sirol. 

Access to public open space, natural green space and recreational facilities are important in promoting public health and wellbeing and enhancing quality of life for both residents and visitors.  The Council will therefore seek to protect these land uses to avoid their loss to more profitable developments such as housingand as an integral part of the Council’s strategy to provide doorstep access to countryside and leisure facilities within the County Borough to improve the public health of the resident population.

Whilst recognising that there are major problems in the County Borough with congestion it will take many years to change the transportation system significantly.  The road network plays a critical role in improving accessibility to employment opportunities, to shopping centres and to community and other facilities.  Transport infrastructure improvements will aim to encourage greater use of public transport, walking and cycling as alternatives to the car.  The strategy must continue to provide an efficient transport system for the existing settlement pattern whilst moving towards a more sustainable, resource-efficient settlement pattern and transport system across the whole County Borough.

The strategy will build on the significant improvements to the strategic transport network over the last decade and will promote further improvements to ensure that the network as a whole functions in an efficient manner, having regard to the role and function of settlements and the links between them.

The establishment of a road hierarchy will facilitate the efficient use of the highways network by ensuring that traffic is channelled onto the most appropriate routes in order to maintain appropriate environmental, amenity and safety conditions.  The roads identified at each level of the hierarchy are set out in Appendix 16.

The 2008 CSS Parking Standards sets out the parking requirements for all development proposals within the County Borough.  In a change from former standards operated by the Council, these standards are not only specific to land uses, but are also related to where the proposal is physically located.  Consequently the respective zones need to be identified in order that the respective parking requirements can be applied.  The Parking Zones have been identified in accordance with the zone types and parameters set out in the CSS Parking Guidelines.

Providing a range of community facilities that are accessible to as many people as possible is fundamental in terms of securing sustainable communities.  Such facilities are valuable not only in terms of the facilities they provide, but are also important in terms of the employment they can generate and in terms of attracting people to live within an area.  Within the County Borough there are many competing needs for the development and use of land.  The Council is committed however to facilitating the development of a strategic network of accessible community facilities to meet the health social care and well being of the residents of the County Borough over the Plan period.

Care needs to be taken to ensure that sites that are suitable for the development of much needed facilities such as surgeries, youth centres, formal outdoor leisure facilities etc are not developed for alternative more profitable land uses such as housingbut aresafeguarded for the development of such facilities by the Council and partner organisations such as the Local Health Board over the Plan period.