LDP2 Preferred Strategy

1.0 Introduction

Overview

1.1 The Swansea Local Development Plan 2023-2038 (known as 'LDP2') will provide the new basis for determining planning applications for proposed development in Swansea. In essence, LDP2 is a new planning blueprint for the whole County and once adopted it will replace the current Swansea LDP 2010-2025.

1.2 LDP2 will set out how, and where, development should come forward to match the Council's ambitions and objectives. The overarching aim of the Plan is to ensure that place-led development happens in the right location at the right time, benefitting communities and the local economy, and that our natural and built heritage is afforded protection and enhancement. As a 15-year planning framework, LDP2 will help guide funding and investment decisions over the long term. It will also influence the formation of a range of other plans and strategies, which in combination have potential to have profound impacts on people and places across Swansea.

1.3 As well as setting a framework for future housing and jobs growth in Swansea, LDP2 will provide a statutory basis to secure affordable homes, supporting infrastructure and a range of facilities and services through the development process. This includes for example new schools, areas of open space, leisure facilities and travel networks. By ensuring that all of this is delivered in a place-led and well-planned way, maximising the opportunities for biodiversity enhancement, LDP2 can make a significant contribution to improving the wellbeing of communities across Swansea.

What is the Preferred Strategy?

1.4 The Preferred Strategy is the 'Pre-Deposit' Plan for LDP2. It sets the strategic direction and overarching principles from which the detailed plan - known as the 'Deposit' - will be drawn. The Deposit stage follows later in the process and will present a comprehensive set of planning policies, development proposals, and maps identifying settlement boundaries and land use allocations.

1.5 In advance of the Deposit Plan, the key requirements of the Preferred Strategy are to:

• confirm the key issues, opportunities and constraints of most importance and relevance to Swansea.
• set out a vision and strategic objectives to guide the formation of planning policies and proposals.
• define the scale of housing and jobs growth that evidence shows we should plan for
• identify the broad nature of how growth will be met in spatial terms.
• identify the potential for brownfield land and/or 'land-banks' to provide for future development needs.
• highlight the existing and future role and function of the range of settlements and neighbourhoods across Swansea.
• define a set of strategic policies that provide a high level policy framework for delivering on the identified Vision and Objectives.

1.6 Elements of all the above are brought together in Chapter 7 of this document in a 'Placemaking Strategy for Abertawe 2038'. This outlines how LDP2 will deliver the Plan's Vision and ensure that future development across the County comes forward in a manner that is consistent with the principles of the Placemaking Wales Charter, the duties of the Well-being and Future Generations Act, and the sustainable development requirements defined in national planning policy.

Consultation and Engagement

1.7 The formation of the Preferred Strategy benefitted from a range of consultation and engagement exercises, the details of which are available to view here Local Development Plan 2 - Vision, objectives and options for growth - Swansea. As part of this Pre-Deposit process two key technical papers^[1] were published and discussed with consultees. These papers provide source and explanatory information relating to the Key Issues, Vision, Objectives, Growth Scenarios and Spatial Approaches, and thereby provide useful background to the Preferred Strategy.

1.8 The engagement undertaken throughout the Pre-Deposit stage reflected the Community Involvement Scheme set out within the agreed LDP2 Delivery Agreement. As well as comprising a public consultation, this involved discussions and workshops with key partners and stakeholders in the development process, including the Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and the development industry. The formation of the Preferred Strategy also benefitted from detailed engagement with the Council's Elected Members. The Background Paper 'Starting the Conversation on LDP2: Engagement Report, December 2024' provides a summary of how the comments and feedback received during the early engagement exercises helped shape the Preferred Strategy.

1.9 Notwithstanding the engagement already undertaken, the publication of the Preferred Strategy marks an opportunity for the public, stakeholders and indeed any individual or organisation with an interest in the process to submit representations. This feedback can be used to help refine the Plan Strategy and in the production of the detailed 'Deposit' Plan. This approach reflects the Council's emphasis on consensus building in the formation of LDP2. Further information on how to submit comments as part of the LDP2 process is available at Preferred strategy - Swansea

Other Supporting and Background Documents

1.10 It is critical that LDP2 is founded upon relevant data and the most up to date evidence possible. The range of supporting documents and background information that underpins the Preferred Strategy is described in Appendix A and are available to view as part of the consultation process.

1.11 LDP2 draws on the evidence gathered during the plan period of the Swansea LDP 2010-2025, including the series of LDP Annual Monitoring Reports Planning delivery and monitoring - Swansea prepared since plan adoption and the comprehensive review of the existing LDP in the Swansea LDP Review Report (July 2023). These have informed the process of identifying where new evidence has been required to be produced, and has focussed on a wide range of environmental, economic, social and cultural issues.

1.12 Whilst the extent of supporting information to underpin the Preferred Strategy is significant, further evidence will also be amassed to inform the Deposit Plan.

Integrated Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment

1.13 In line with statutory requirements, the Preferred Strategy has been informed by an Integrated Sustainability Appraisal (ISA). This integrated approach to appraising the LDP2 and its effects covers the requirements of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), Sustainability Appraisal (SA), Well-Being of Future Generations Act (WBFGA), Health Impact Assessment (HIA), Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) and Welsh Language Impact Assessment (WLIA). The aim of the statutory ISA process is to assess how the emerging plan will help to achieve wider environmental, economic, social and cultural objectives. The ISA process is iterative and will inform each stage of plan preparation.

1.14 In addition, the Preferred Strategy has been subject to Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) screening. The aim of the statutory HRA process is to assess the extent to which implementation of the plan would have any significant effects on internationally important wildlife sites. The HRA process will also be iterative and further HRA will be undertaken on the detailed Deposit Plan.

1.15 Further information on both the ISA and HRA process is available at Local Development Plan 2 - Integrated Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulations Assessment - Swansea. Both the ISA Initial Sustainability Appraisal Report and the Shadow Stage 1 Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report of the LDP2 Preferred Strategy are available within the Councils consultation portal for comment as part of this consultation.

Candidate Sites Register

1.16 A Candidate Sites Register has been published detailing all sites submitted to the Council for consideration for potential inclusion in the final LDP2. It is important to emphasise that these sites listed in the register are those submitted by promoters for consideration only as part of plan formation, i.e. this list is not the proposed allocations for LDP2. The sites will be subject to a detailed, staged assessment process to identify whether they are appropriate and necessary for inclusion in LDP2 in any form.

1.17 The outcome of an initial Stage 1 Assessment of these sites, which identifies whether sites are fundamentally not appropriate to be subject to a detailed Stage 2 Assessment, is highlighted in the register.