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Residents have until the end of November to share their views on the council’s strategy for housing and employment as part of the second replacement Local Development Plan (LDP).

The LDP 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.

On September 29, Caerphilly County Borough Council approved its preferred strategy and the public are now being asked their views on this in a six -week consultation between October 19 and November 30.

Officers are to be available by appointment in Tredomen and all libraries will have readily available documents on the second replacement LDP.

Drop-in sessions will be taking place throughout the consultation period.

The LDP can be viewed online at Caerphilly.oc2.uk

To contact the LDP team directly email LDP@caerphilly.gov.uk or call 01443 866777.

Cabinet member for Planning, Cllr Philippa Leonard, said: “There will be an unstaffed permanent exhibition in the lobby of the Business and Technology Centre in Tredomen that anyone can go and inspect. Where officers are not tied up with the appointment system they may be available to answer questions, although this is not guaranteed.

“Where a person does not have access to the internet and would have difficulty in visiting either their local library or the Business and Technology Centre in Tredomen, we can provide the documentation in hard copy, but we would look to minimise this to minimise the amount of printing required to print these large documents and to accord as far as possible with the council’s electronic first policy.”

What’s being consulted on?

Currently the LDP is at the preferred strategy stage, which includes a focus on town centres, and names Maesycwmmer as the strategic site – meaning it is fundamental to the delivery of the LDP.

Maesycwmmer is the only site confirmed to be included in the second replacement LDP so far, with proposals to build 1,200 homes in the village.

Candidate sites have also been put forward to the council for consideration and the council is asking for residents’ views on these.

A candidate site is submitted by a developer or landowner for potential inclusion in the LDP – the submission of a site does not indicate a commitment from the council to include it in the county borough’s plans.

The list of candidate sites includes Gwern y Domen, near Rudry, but no decisions as to whether these will be allocated have been made yet according to council leader Sean Morgan.

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.

Cllr Morgan said: “We’re not at the stage where things are going to be ruled in or ruled out.

“The consultation that’s out at the moment is to check if people are happy with the strategy – which is a large development in Maesycwmmer and favouring town centres.”

The leader said the preferred strategy had “political backing” as it was approved by full council and the next stage – where candidate sites are included in the plans – is the “most important” stage.

Independent councillor Nigel Dix, from Blackwood, is urging residents to have their say on the LDP as part of the consultation.

He said: “This is a test for the council, whether it is serious about putting action behind its words by protecting greenfield sites.”

Cllr Dix has expressed concerns over two candidate sites – land at Heol y Cefn and land at Cwmgelli farm – both in the Blackwood ward, which he represents.

These sites have been proposed for housing, their current use is agricultural.

Persimmon’s plans for 300 homes at land near Heol Y Cefn, known as Grove Park, have caused controversy in the community. The plans for the greenfield site are currently being investigated by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales.

Cllr Dix said: “I’m very keen that the public fully engages with the consultation process and make the council aware of their opposition to greenfield sites – sites such as Grove Park.”

Plaid Cymru councillor Steve Skivens has also referenced greenfield sites in his criticism of the council’s preferred strategy.

Cllr Skivens said: “My concern is that there are way too many houses being built and the infrastructure will not support it.”

He added: “Any consideration of large scale housing is going against the grain a bit with the climate emergency.

“Caerphilly county borough could go from industrial to a greener, much nicer place.”

Labour councillor Jamie Pritchard, who is the council’s deputy leader, urged fellow councillors to “reflect on the housing crisis and put themselves in the shoes of people who are in difficulty”.

He continued: “My housing casework is increasing week by week. The cross-party LDP focus group unanimously agreed the projections for house building in the new LDP.

“My message for some councillors is don’t blanketly campaign against any house building in public, whilst calling for more housing in council meetings.”