In general terms, Caerphilly’s Local Development Plan promotes and guides development to the north of the county borough and focuses new development in the south on existing brownfield sites within settlements.
Housing Provision
In producing the LDP the council has had to consider how much land is needed for housing to meet the needs of Caerphilly’s population up to 2021. The council has made provision for the development of approximately 10,269 new homes. More than 600 potential housing sites were assessed in order to decide where this growth should be located but only 74 were included in the final plan.
Affordable Housing
The LDP also aims to increase the amount of affordable housing to be provided in Caerphilly to meet the needs of the residents. The council is aiming to provide in excess of 900 new affordable homes through the Planning System over the plan period.
Employment and Commercial Development.
The Plan identifies five Principal Towns (Bargoed, Blackwood, Caerphilly, Ystrad Mynach , Risca Pontymister) within the county borough to meet the future shopping needs of residents.
In producing the LDP the council has had to consider how much land is needed for employment to meet the needs of Caerphilly’s population up to 2021. The plan allocates over 100ha of new employment land for this purpose distributed across the whole of the county borough.
Oakdale Plateau is the largest employment site in the Plan and is critical in ensuring the future economic prosperity in the area. The Inspector has endorsed the employment provision in the plan in terms of the range and distribution of sites.
Transportation
According to the inspector, “The plan takes a balanced and realistic approach to transportation and highways matters, both in its transport policies and proposals…”. The Inspector however recommends the deletion of a proposed relief road scheme at Aberbargoed as he feels that there is some doubt over the delivery of the whole road within the plan period.
Protection of the Natural Environment
The plan also recognises large parts of the county borough as being important in terms of protecting valued parts of the surrounding countryside.
There are four important local designations that will ensure that the valued parts of the countryside and valuable habitat are protected from inappropriate forms of new development up to 2021.
These are Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation, Special Landscape Areas, Visually Important Local Landscape Areas and Green Wedges. The inspector has endorsed the designation of all of these areas with the exception of a part of a Special Landscape Area in the Northern Rhymney Valley.