Rhondda Cynon Taf Revised Local Development Plan 2022 - 2037 Preferred Strategy

Section 9 – Strategic Policies

The Council is committed to playing its part in tackling the causes of climate change by reducing carbon emissions. We are making good progress, but we all need to do more, and faster, if we are help to reverse the damage to our planet and adapt to the changes already happening, both within the Council and within the County Borough.

Welsh Government made a climate emergency declaration in 2019. As such, it is imperative that the RLDP reduces carbon emissions that contribute towards the potentially devastating impacts of climate change. In order to do so the Council has developed a climate change strategy Think Climate Change. The RLDP will support this strategy to deliver its ambitions.

The RLDP will ensure that the allocations included within it are in sustainable locations, which reduce the need to travel and thus reduce carbon emissions. This is set out clearly in the Candidate Site Methodology, which the sites have been assessed against. All other new development throughout the plan period will also be expected to reduce carbon emission and be in sustainable locations, which reduces the need to travel and lessens the reliance on the private vehicle.

Future Wales – The National Plan requires that the Town Centre First principle is used when locating development. Our Settlement Centres are highly sustainable locations, which have good access to services and facilities and also more sustainable modes of transport. A sequential approach should be taken thereafter for locating development.

Should it not be possible to locate a development close to the settlement centre then the provision of adequate services, facilities and community and physical infrastructure will be required, alongside improvements to sustainable transport modes including public transport and active travel routes.

The design of buildings is equally as important as the location and design of sites. The RLDP will seek to ensure that more developments are low or zero carbon, using sustainable materials that support the objectives of the circular economy. Buildings should be designed to the highest standards, using high quality sustainable materials and energy efficient heating technologies, thereby reducing energy consumption.

The County Borough's green spaces, open spaces, naturally rich diversity of semi-natural habitats and soils, trees, and soils play a crucial role in carbon reduction and in tackling climate change, for example through carbon storage, natural cooling and helping reduce pollution. Therefore, the RLDP will seek to protect and enhance these important natural assets.

Our good quality agricultural land provides the opportunity to grow our own food, reducing food miles. High value agricultural land will be protected, in line with national policy.

The use of brownfield land in preference to greenfield land for development will be supported, however it is acknowledged that there is a lack of brownfield land in RCT to deliver all new development.

Appropriate renewable energy schemes will be supported and more detailed policies will be prepared at the Deposit stage. The RLDP will strive to further reduce waste generation and to support the continued excellent work in recycling and innovation in this area. Waste will be subject to detailed policies at deposit stage.

The Revised Local Development Plan is committed to the creation of sustainable communities and places, which offer a high standard of living. The plan embraces the concept of place-making, as set out in national policy, which seeks to create high quality development, promote people's prosperity, health, happiness, and well-being.

The RLDP will also support the vision of the Well-being Plan, which seeks a more equal Cwm Taf Morgannwg. It aims to create healthy local neighbourhoods, as well as sustainable and resilient neighbourhoods. This policy supports the delivery of developments, which can contribute to these aims.

The creation of well-designed and high-quality development sites which create attractive, inclusive, and accessible communities to live, work and socialise are a priority for the RLDP. Development should allow people to feel safe, live within cohesive communities and help reduce inequalities experienced by some.

Proposals must consider the relationship, function and context of the site within its wider surroundings. This will include creating linkages between established and new development, strengthening connections between people and place.

The strong culture, heritage, and traditional character of Rhondda Cynon Taf and its assets should be respected and enhanced through the design process.

Developments should promote wellbeing and good physical and mental health, through including features such as green and open space, play space, access to nature, active travel routes and other spaces to encourage community cohesion. Where possible, these features should be linked to those existing in the wider community network.

More frequent and intense rainfall together with the topography of RCT increases the risk of flash flooding in RCT. More frequent rain also leaves the ground saturated which further increases the risk. The steep sided valleys cause rapid runoff of surface water towards the urban areas in the lower reaches, through ordinary watercourses and to the main rivers.

Planning Policy Wales sets out a range of comprehensive policy considerations for development proposals and flood risk. Technical Advice Note 15 sets out further guidance for development proposals associated with flooding from all sources.

The main rivers in RCT include the River Taff, River Rhondda, River Cynon and River Ely, which are all prone to flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. Main river flooding is often caused by river levels 'overtopping' their 'banks' and/or 'breaching' of defence structures. This risk is high in RCT, and is primarily owed to the urban extent of communities located in and around the river flood plains.

Local flood risk is defined as the risk from ordinary watercourses (or smaller streams and rivers), surface water and groundwater sources. Managing local flood risk is the responsibility of Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs); being RCT Council. Flooding from surface water and ordinary watercourses is the most common source of flooding in RCT.

This strategic flood risk policy further accords with and sits alongside the RCT Local Flood Risk Management Strategy and Action Plan, the Strategic Flood Consequences Assessment, the Statutory Standards for Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) for surface water drainage management (with RCT CBC being the SuDS Approval Body for new developments here).

It is intended that a comprehensive policy approach will be formulated at the subsequent Deposit Stage of the RLDP. This will include appropriate Development Management policies for proposals within the (Welsh Government) identified local flood risk zones. There will also be further policy to seek to reduce all local and main river flood risk in RCT, to expand upon some of the concepts raised in these Preferred Strategy policies .

Welsh Government have declared a Nature Emergency and seek to embed further biodiversity considerations into the planning process; with revisions to Planning Policy Wales (expected) in autumn 2023. This also builds upon the Biodiversity Duty for public bodies established in S.6 of the Environment (Wales) Act.

Due to the high baseline biodiversity context of RCT, implementation of the diverse objectives of the RLDP, including both development and ecological aspirations, will be challenging. This strategic biodiversity policy aims to address Welsh Government policy in the context of Rhondda Cynon Taf.

The SINC system provides the framework for biodiversity conservation in RCT and sets out the habitats and species of conservation concern, which require protection. Other areas of ecological importance in RCT include Local Nature Reserves, Wildlife Trust Nature Reserves, Living Landscapes sites and Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites (RIGS).

Further detailed development management policies will be prepared for the Deposit Plan and the current supplementary planning guidance will be reviewed.

Special Landscape Areas

It has been determined that the Special Landscape Areas (SLA) that were comprehensively identified in the current LDP will remain in place in the RLDP. The annual monitoring of the LDP has indicated that no change has occurred within these landscapes that has resulted in them losing their high quality features for which they were designated. The Deposit Stage of the RLDP will review the current SLA policies to ensure that they will continue to appropriately protect and enhance the quality and character of these landscapes.

Green Wedges

It is intended to undertake a review of Green Wedges for the Deposit Stage of the RDLP, utilising a new methodology, as prepared for the South East Wales Region.

The table below, sourced from the Housing Supply Paper,indicates in detail how this overall provision is set out.

The dwelling requirement was determined through the consideration of multiple areas of the evidence base. The outcome of this is set out in the Growth Options section of the Preferred Strategy.

The scale of spatial distribution of new housing allocations will align with the Preferred Strategy, with more houses to be allocated in the South than in the North. Initial assessment of the Candidate Sites has indicated that there are sufficient sites to accommodate the level of additional need. This distribution is in general alignment with the past completions over the current LDP plan period, which is also mirrored in the current landbank sites.

There are a known 1,561 dwellings on committed landbank sites with a fair expectation to come forward in the Northern Strategy Area in the first half of the RLDP plan period; with 2,562 in the Southern Strategy Area. Landbank sites have either already commenced or have secured planning permission and are deemed to be genuinely available for development.

By their nature, Windfall sites have not yet been fully identified. However, analysis of past trends in the Housing Supply Paper, (including the dismissal of abnormal trends), along with a proactive search for potential sites through a formal Urban Capacity Study, has indicated a reasonable likely contribution. Future windfall development proposals would be preferred on previously developed land and provided on a 'Town Centre First' approach, where possible. Proposals for the conversion of suitable structures to residential development in appropriate locations is also encouraged.

Other strategic policies that should be read alongside this in relation to future residential development, include firstly the Settlement Centres Policy, which sets out considerations for residential developments in Settlement Centres. The Placemaking and Sustainable Communities Policy, alongside the Climate Change and Carbon Reduction Policy then set out policy criteria from these perspectives.

Further detailed development management policy to guide future residential development will be included at the Deposit Stage of the RDLP. It will also set out further considerations for allowing exception and other sites for affordable housing.

It is necessary to provide diversity in the housing market and ensure a range of house types and sizes to cater for the needs of all members of our communities in RCT. The identified level of provision should help to increase the amount of good quality housing that is affordable across both social and private markets. Although it is inevitable that the scale of housing delivered will be greater in the south than in the north, it remains that significant new housebuilding will occur in all parts of RCT to allow for housing need and opportunities for all.

It is further considered that suitable provision of new housing is proposed in those areas of RCT with the highest proportions of Welsh Speakers.

Affordable Housing

The RCT Local Housing Market Assessment Draft Findings 2024 found that 5,672 affordable/non-open market dwellings are needed in RCT over the plan period 2022-2037. This equates to 378 each year on average or 67.1% of the total housing requirement of 8,450 dwellings. This would provide for both the current unmet needs and future needs of affordable housing, however any losses to the current affordable housing stock (such as demolition) would increase the number of affordable dwellings needed by a corresponding amount. Conversely, vacant affordable properties, which return to use, will reduce the need.

RCT has historically delivered approximately 25% of the overall annual dwelling completions as affordable since the adoption of the current LDP. Based on this average rate, RCT would need to develop an unrealistic 1,512 dwellings per year in order to meet the 378 affordable dwellings need.

If the current trend were to continue over the plan period, then it would be expected that approximately 140 affordable dwellings could be provided on average each year over the plan period, equating to a total of approximately 2,112. Given completion rates of affordable housing in more recent years, and the higher proposed level of overall housing delivery, this seems a very achievable figure.

Analysis within the Housing Supply Paper adds further confidence to this. Through current landbank affordable housing permissions, windfall sites and proposed allocations, it is considered feasible that up to 159 affordable dwellings could be delivered each year on average. This is further backed by the spatial distribution of the housing provision in the Preferred Strategy, which generally aligns with the Local Housing Market Assessment's identified housing market areas and scale of need. This 159 dwellings per annum would again equate to around 25% of the overall housing provision.

Further analysis of the viability of housing sites will seek to ensure definitive policies that will set out the required scale of developer contributions to the affordable housing need. This is expected to vary and correspond with the areas identified in the high-level Viability Report, prepared for the Preferred Strategy. These policies will be set out at the Deposit stage of the RLDP, which will also give further detail on how these contributions will be sought.

The successful delivery of wider affordable housing proposals from other sources will continue over the plan period, such as the WG Social Housing Grant, investment from RCT Council and continued re-investment by Registered Social Landlords in the County Borough.

Empty Homes

RCT has strategic intentions to bring empty residential properties back into use. Although this process is essentially bringing new houses onto the market, they cannot be considered like-for-like as a new dwelling that would be included in the housing provision. There are currently 2,894 empty properties across the County Borough, 2,120 of which are located in the Northern Strategy Area, while the remaining 774 are located in the Southern Strategy Area. With recent past rates of completion as high as 273 in 2021/22, along with current available funding, it is expected that this will continue to form the source of many available new, starter family homes, particularly in the northern strategy area.

A housing trajectory will be prepared for the Deposit stage of plan preparation, which will illustrate the phasing and delivery of housing allocations and known landbank sites over the lifetime of the plan. This will allow for effective monitoring of housing in the Revised LDP and ensure a sufficient supply of housing.

Gypsy and Traveller Communities Accommodation Needs

The Council and the RLDP are required to provide for the accommodation needs of the Gypsy and Traveller Communities. The Housing Act (Wales) 2014 updates the definition of a 'Gypsy and Traveller' to include Travelling Showpeople, alongside New Travellers where they are able to demonstrate a cultural tradition of nomadism or of living in mobile homes. The Act mandates that the accommodation needs of Gypsy and Traveller communities must be assessed; agreed by the Welsh Government; and adequate provision made. The mechanism for assessing provision is the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA).

RCTCBC's Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment, produced in February 2022 by Opinion Research Services, assessed the need for future Gypsy and Traveller accommodation throughout the County Borough. The principal objective of the study was to provide a robust assessment of existing and future needs for accommodation in the short-term and over the life of the Revised LDP (2022-2037). The accommodation needs have been compiled through a combination of desk-based research and stakeholder engagement, including members of the Travelling Communities.

RCT's GTAA is presently in draft form and is subject to approval by the Welsh Government. The assessment identifies an unmet need; as such, there will be a requirement to allocate sufficient pitches to address this. The assessment concludes that 27 pitches will be required over the plan period, which accounts for anticipated new household formation, based on current demographics. Having had due regard to the findings of the GTAA, the Council will provide the necessary policy framework to allow for the needs of the Gypsy and Traveller communities to be met, at the Deposit stage of RLDP plan preparation.

The RLDP must maintain a suitable level of available employment land to facilitate new and allow for the expansion of existing RCT businesses, along with inward investment into the County Borough. RCTCBC commissioned the BE Group to undertake an Employment Land Review to ascertain need over the plan period. Using both methodologies detailed within the 2015 Welsh Government guidance Building an Economic Development Evidence Base to Support a Local Development Plan, there is a recommended need for 49 hectares of employment land from 2022-2037, including an appropriate allowance for a buffer, as detailed within the Development Plans Manual (Ed. 3).

As set out above, the Council has identified approximately 68 hectares of available employment land. This includes a new allocated site on the Llanilid Key Site and the re-allocation of the Tower Colliery site on the Land South of Hirwaun Key Site. There are also several sites in the Council's existing employment landbank. It should be noted that the proposed employment land at Llanilid is in addition to that identified in the Employment Land Review.

These sites will be safeguarded for employment opportunities throughout the RLDP plan period. This will ensure a continued supply of employment land, which will meet the needs of the economy locally and cater for potential inward investment opportunities. It is acknowledged that the total land available is greater than the overall need identified. However, not all of our existing employment landbank sites would necessarily be of a sufficient scale, or commercially attractive for larger investment opportunities. The Key Site allocations will ensure that opportunities for significant inward investment can be accommodated in excellent strategic locations, providing additional employment opportunities locally, whilst simultaneously having excellent access to the strategic rail and highway network.

Having this availability of employment land is integral to meeting the identified level of growth for the RLDP i.e. the realisation of the housing requirement and the associated expected increase in jobs over the plan period. This policy sits alongside the Settlement Centres policy in promoting opportunities for increased employment and achieving a sustainable economy across RCT.

It is nevertheless acknowledged that the expected jobs increase is to come from sources other than just these employment sites. The proposed level of housing growth for RCT will also result in increased jobs growth from other areas. This would include, but is certainly not limited to, public services and institutions, self employed/employed people who may not have a specific base (agile type working) and of course the growing number of people working from home.

This policy seeks to ensure the future prosperity and suitability of our Settlement Centres. The principles within it should help to maintain their viability and vitality and also continue to provide appropriate services and facilities at a local, county wide and regional level. Further detail on the process of identification of these centres is set out in The Settlement Centre Paper. For note, the changes from the current LDP include the identification of new centres at Llanharry, Penywaun, Llwydcoed and The Precinct at Cardigan Close, Tonteg.

The Principal Settlement and Key Settlement Centres will be focal points for additional growth and strategic redevelopment opportunities. Appropriate commercial, leisure and residential (etc) uses will be encouraged within these locations, alongside their traditional functions to increase football and attract people from their communities, across RCT and from further afield. The three Principal Settlement Centres will continue to perform a sub-regional role, acting as the higher-level shopping, services, facilities and general visitor destination, for a wide catchment. The Key Settlement Centres will continue providing a similar role, albeit on a smaller scale and serving their respective areas within RCT.

The Smaller Settlement Centres play a very important role in providing for daily convenience shopping needs and other smaller services of the local communities. It is expected that any future proposals in these centres should accord with this policy, although it is acknowledged this would be at a commensurate scale.

These Settlement Centre locations are for the most part ones that also have good provision of, and/or good links to a variety of sustainable public transport modes or existing active travel routes. Many centres will see the benefits of the considerable investment in the South Wales Metro. This all clearly supports the principles of reducing dependence on private motor vehicles.

Furthermore, residential development in our Settlement Centres, or 'centre first' approach, is a key national planning policy aspiration. This policy will help to promote our centres for appropriate residential development, providing further diversity, and the most sustainable options, in the housing market in RCT.

The RDLP will support the aims of the RCT Tourism strategy, which seeks to increase tourist accommodation and support proposals that promote extended tourism trips.

The RDLP would like to build on the successes in this sector to see an expanded tourism offer for RCT.

The north and south of RCT have distinctly different characteristics, which means that in line with their respective strategy areas, a different approach to tourism is required. The northern strategy area with its high quality natural landscape features, culture and history means that it is appropriately placed to deliver a high quality tourism offer. The area has seen the growth in the tourism sector over the last few years with the opening and expansion of Zip World Tower and the ever-strong attraction of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. Walking and cycle routes in the area bring in considerable tourism usage and opportunities. This area is also undergoing some major infrastructure improvements through the dualling of the A465, and the South Wales Metro scheme making it even more accessible. The Rhondda Heritage Park is an established facility in the lower Rhondda.

By encouraging the expansion of the tourism offer and industry in the NSA, the Preferred Strategy intends that it can offer diversification of the economy and create much needed jobs. Therefore, the approach in the NSA is to encourage the development of a sustainable tourism industry, which builds on the current tourism offer. The RLDP will seek to ensure that the north creates a tourism sector that attracts visitors from across the UK and internationally.

The Southern Strategy Area also has some existing larger tourism destinations including the Principal Settlement of Pontypridd, with its facilities such as the National Lido of Wales, and the Royal Mint Experience in Llantrisant; along with others on a smaller scale, including its attractive landscapes, which attract from a more local catchment. The SSA is also recognised as playing a part in accommodating for the demand for those who visit Cardiff. Tourism in this strategy area will be carefully supported to ensure the appropriate sustainable expansion of our current tourism offers in the SSA.

The RLDP supports and encourages the conversion and re-use of historic and heritage buildings and assets into uses for tourism in our Principle Settlements and Key Settlements. This will secure the future of these valuable assets but also bring a benefit to the built environment and these existing communities alike, which in turn will attract more visitors.

The tourism industry makes an important contribution within Rhondda Cynon Taf; consequently, the Council will encourage proposals that enhance the tourism offer within the County Borough. This will include providing tourism accommodation, widening the scope of the tourism offer and improving the visitor experience.

Tourism is an important and growing sector for Rhondda Cynon Taf. As identified by the Welsh Government, it is a priority sector for Wales generally accounting for 9% of jobs in the country. The Rhondda Cynon Taf Tourism Strategy estimates that tourism within the County Borough is worth over £179 million to the local economy. As such, the strategy states: "it is vital that communities become aware of the importance of capturing the benefits of increased visitors and local businesses develop skills which will benefit the customer service and tourism sector" (RCTCBC, 2021, p10). This is supported by the Council's Corporate Plan (2020-2024) Making a Difference and the Public Service Board Well-being Plan Our Cwm Taf. The plans recognise the importance of developing the tourism offer, whilst supporting businesses within the region and acknowledging that the strength in RCT's visitor offer stems from our local communities.