Draft Delivery Agreement (March 2023)

Appendix 1: Replacement LDP Timetable

Description of Key Stages and Dates:

Stage 1: Delivery Agreement

Key Dates: Consultation on Draft DA (March to April 23), Welsh Government Approval (July 23)

The DA will act as the project management tool to guide the preparation of the RLDP. It will include the timetable for its preparation and the Community Involvement Scheme, setting out how and when stakeholders will be involved in the process. The DA will be subject to consultation with specific and general consultation bodies as appropriate and members of the public in order to seek views on its contents. The DA will need to be approved by Council and agreed by Welsh Government. Following this approval, the RLDP can formally commence.

Stage 2: Pre-Deposit Participation

Key Dates: Call for Candidate Sites (Aug-Oct 23), Consultation on Draft Scoping Report (Aug 23), Informal engagement in the generation of Draft Vision and Objectives and Strategic Options (Sep 23-January 24)

Following approval of the DA, the first formal stage will include the request for nominations for Candidate Sites to be submitted for consideration to be included in the Replacement LDP. This will be widely advertised and will take place over a 12-week period. To ensure potential sites are appropriately considered, they must be submitted during the Call for Sites period alongside the required supporting evidence. However, this is not a commitment that all sites will be taken forward in the RLDP. Following the close of the Call for Sites consultation, the Council will prepare a Candidate Sites Register which must be published on the Council's website and should be available as part of the RLDP Preferred Strategy consultation. The Council will undertake an initial Stage 1 Assessment of all submitted sites together with early detailed assessment work as appropriate.

The Council will prepare a Draft Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report which will set the context, establish the baseline and set out the Draft SA/SEA objectives which will be used to assess the emerging RLDP. Consultation with the key statutory bodies will be undertaken.

During this stage extensive work will be undertaken to gather information and evidence to understand the context and issues to be addressed in the RLDP. This will include through stakeholder engagement, the generation of a vision and objectives for the LDP and the development of strategic options and alternatives. This will inform the preparation of a Preferred Strategy for the RLDP and will set out the broad approach to the scale and location of growth that ensures development is planned in a sustainable manner. It will provide the strategic framework for more detailed policies, proposals and allocations that will be included in the Deposit RLDP. The Preferred Strategy will be informed by required sustainability assessments to be included and published as part of the Initial ISA Report.

Stage 3: Pre-Deposit Consultation

Key Dates: Consultation on Deposit RLDP (Jul-Aug 24)

This stage includes statutory 8-week public consultation and stakeholder engagement on the RLDP Preferred Strategy and accompanying ISA Report.

Following the close of the consultation period, the Council will assess responses received, decide upon changes required to the Preferred Strategy and prepare an Initial Consultation Report.

Further detailed assessment work will be undertaken on previously submitted Candidate Sites and assessment work will be undertaken on any new sites submitted during the Preferred Strategy consultation stage.

The Council will begin the process of preparing the Deposit LDP. The deposit plan will set out the strategy, policies and site allocations, based on the key issues, objectives and supporting evidence base for the plan. The deposit plan will shape and guide development proposals to sustainable locations to deliver the scale and type of growth necessary for local community well-being over the plan period. The plan will demonstrate development is financially viable, deliverable over a specified timeline and is supported by funded infrastructure. The ISA framework will be used to assess and mitigate the effects of the Deposit Plan and this assessment process will be set out in the Initial SA Report (the Environment Report). The SA report will record the results of assessing any revised or new options resulting from public consultation or other changes and the statutory environmental consultation bodies will be notified and given the opportunity to comment. The supporting SA report will be updated to reflect the assessment of the Deposit Plan.

Stage 4: Deposit Plan Consultation

Key Dates: Consultation on Deposit RLDP (Jun-Jul 25)

This stage includes a statutory 6-week public consultation and stakeholder engagement on the RLDP Deposit Plan, accompanying an ISA Report, a HRA Report and an Initial Consultation Report.

Following the close of the consultation period, the Council will analyse and record representations received and prepare the Council response to the representations and consider changes (Focussed Changes are to be the exception). The Council will make the representations available for public Inspection. The Council will finalise the consultation report and prepare statements of common ground with key/strategic objections.

A programme officer will be appointed, and the Council will liaise with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales to submit definitive timings for the remaining stages. Stakeholders will be kept up to date of timescales going forward.

Finally, the Deposit LDP, SA Report and associated documents will be presented to Council for approval for submission to the Welsh Government.

Stage 5: Submission

Key Dates: Submission of Deposit LDP to WG (Dec 25)

The Deposit LDP, SA Report, final consultation report and all supporting evidence will be submitted to the Welsh Government and Planning and Environment Decisions Wales for Examination by an Independent Planning Inspector.

The Council will follow published guidance on preparation/procedures for submission and examination. Details of the Examination will be advertised on the Council's Examination website and will be notified to representors and interested parties contained on the RLDP database. There will be an opportunity for those who made 'duly made' representations at Deposit to be heard by the Inspector. The Inspectors role is to examine the RLDP in its entirety and test its soundness, to consider all relevant evidence and prepare recommendations and the reasons for those recommendations in the form of the Inspectors Report.

Stage 6: Independent Examination

Key Dates: Pre-Hearing Meeting (if required) (Jan/Feb 26), Examination (Mar/Apr 26)

An independent inspector from PEDW will conduct the examination of the RLDP. This will be done over a series of hearing sessions on different topic areas. All documentation associated with the Examination will be made available on the RLDP website. Information will be sent to interested parties and the general public in addition to those involved in the general proceedings. The Inspector's role will be to examine the RLDP in its entirety and test its soundness. They will prepare recommendations and the reasons for those recommendations in the form of an Inspector's Report.

At the Examination stage, the ISA process will be used to ensure any changes made to the Deposit Plan (Focussed Changes, Matters Arising Changes during examination or those required by the Inspector appropriately assessed to ensure they are sustainable.

Stage 7: Receipt and Publication of Inspectors Report

Key Indicative Dates: Receipt and Publication of Inspectors Report (Aug 26)

The Inspector will submit their final report to the Council which will be binding. Prior to the report being published, the Council will undertake a fact check exercise within two weeks of receiving the Inspector's Report. Once this has been completed and the Inspector has responded to any points raised, the final report will be submitted to the Council and the Welsh Governments Planning Directorate. The examination will formally close upon delivery of the Inspectors Report to the LPA. The Council will publish the Inspector's Report prior to the date it is adopted during August 2025

Stage 8: Adoption

Key Indicative Dates: Council adopts LDP (Sep 26)

Within 8 weeks of receipt of the Inspector's Report, if the plan is regarded as sound, the Council must adopt the LDP. Following adoption, the Council will publicise an adoption statement in accordance with the regulations, publicise widely that the LDP has been adopted and where it can be inspected. The adoption will set out the date of adoption and the period for High Court challenge. The LDP becomes operative on the adoption date.

Stage 9: Monitoring and Review

Key Indicative Dates: Submit first LDP Annual Monitoring Report (Oct 28)

The Council will undertake annual Monitoring of the RLDP to identify the successful implementation of policies and areas where change is necessary. It will also monitor significant effects of the RLDP against sustainability objectives. The first AMR will be produced in October 2028 which will allow for a full year of monitoring (1^st April – 31^st March) during the financial year following adoption.

A statutory review of the RLDP will need to be commenced at the latest 4 years following adoption by September 2030.