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Caerphilly County Borough Council has approved to move to the next stage of drafting its next Local development Plan (LDP). Rhiannon James, Local Democracy Reporter, explains.

Councillors have approved the next stage of drafting the local authority’s new LDP.

The document is effectively an overall guide used by planners, councillors and developers which maps out how an area is likely to develop. In this instance, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s LDP sets out the direction of development until 2035.

Caerphilly’s first replacement LDP was thrown out in 2016 following widespread opposition from residents who did not want green areas such as Gwern y Domen built on.

The council is now focused on its “second replacement” LDP and councillors have signed-off on the preferred strategy officers will take to develop the new draft.

The approved direction will see the LDP aim to place new housing and employment sites close to public transport links and town centres.

While no other areas, such as Gwern y Domen, have been identified at this stage, Maesycwmmer looks set to play a significant role in Caerphilly County Borough Council’s employment and housing strategy over the next 13 years.

Housing

The approved strategy is working on the assumption the area will need a total of 7,400 homes. Around 4,400 of these have already been accounted for in existing planning permission, meaning sites for 3,000 homes are needed.

Plaid Cymru councillor Steve Skivens accused the council of “making a number up” when it came to the number of houses proposed in the plan.

Cllr Skivens’ pointed out that the 2021 census data shows a decline in Caerphilly County Borough’s population, but the council has predicted a population growth of 10,685 by 2035.

He said: “Who are these houses actually for and what benefit will they bring to communities given the change of population in the area.”

Principal Planner, Victoria Morgan, said the census data revealed a significant population growth in Caerphilly county borough in 2011 which the Office of National Statistics (ONS) has labelled “unattributable” – therefore the data cannot be relied upon.

Deputy leader of the council Jamie Pritchard said: “Housing has been a massive issue, not just for people in poverty but for people on middle incomes.”

He added: “We can’t just sit here and plan for no growth whatsoever, in my opinion that would be a very detrimental thing for people out there who are struggling to get a house – if it’s rented or to buy.

“If we plan for no growth, then regeneration goes out the window. We need growth, we need town centre growth, and town centre regeneration.”

The Labour councillor also argued that migration was a positive thing, he said: “People can move county to county – I don’t want to see a brick wall across Caerphilly borough.”

Maesycwmmer

At the meeting on September 29, Parc Gwernau in Maesycwmmer was approved as a strategic site, meaning it is fundamental to the delivery of the LDP.

Of the 3,000 homes identified as being needed for this LDP, 1,200 will be in Maesycwmmer.

An additional 1,500 homes are also expected to be allocated for housing in Maesycwmmer in a future LDP, but not the one currently being put together.

A new road is expected to be built to access the proposed site. At the meeting, Cllr Jan Jones, Cllr Jo Rao and Cllr Marina Chacon-Dawson all expressed concerns about the new road and its effect on traffic.

Cllr Chacon-Dawson, who represents Cefn Fforest and Pengam, said the A472 “doesn’t function very well at the moment” and the development would increase pressure.

Head of planning Rhian Kyte said: “Maesycwmmer is reliant on a new access road. It will serve the new development and also ease traffic on the A472.”

Councillors were told the road would pass Bryn Meadows and link with the Dyffryn Industrial Estate – further details are to be revealed.

Rhian Kyte said: “Another road in Maesycwmmer would change the way people travel in and around that area.”

Employment

In addition to housing, employment is also a significant factor in an LDP. The council has said it aims to dedicate 44.5 hectares of land across the county borough for employment use.

Ms Kyte said allocating this land for employment use would help to ensure that existing businesses in the county borough could expand, in addition to attracting new companies to the area.

The head of planning and regeneration revealed to councillors that approximately six companies currently operating in the county borough are in a position where they want to expand but don’t have the appropriate land to do so.

Cllr Walter Williams questioned whether his ward, Argoed, would be considered as a location for development. He said he’d previously been told the area was “too rural”.

Ms Kyte urged the councillor to get in touch with the planning department with particular plots he had in mind.

A six-week public consultation will take place between October 19 and November 10.

Following the consultation period, the second replacement LDP will move onto the next stage which is a Deposit Local Development Plan, due to take place in April 2023.

This is the stage where detailed sites are earmarked for potential development and the stage where the first replacement LDP sparked a backlash in 2016.

• The preferred strategy and its supporting documents are available for inspection on the council’s website, and copies of the Preferred Strategy have been placed in each of the libraries throughout the County Borough. Comments on the Preferred Strategy can be made through the council’s website, via e-mail to the LDP mailbox at ldp@caerphilly.gov.uk, or by letter to Strategic Planning, Tredomen House, Tredomen Park, Tredomen, Ystrad Mynach, CF82 7WF.