Call for Candidate Sites
Torfaen County Borough Council is preparing a Local Development Plan (LDP), which will identify land to meet Torfaen’s development needs for the next 15 years including development proposals for housing, employment, retail, leisure, minerals, waste, transport, recreation & community facilities, etc.
We invited developers, landowners, elected members, community groups, members of the public and any other interested parties to tell us about potential ‘candidate sites’ for development or reuse in the County Borough from early 2006 until 9th March 2007. Whilst the official closing date has passed, the Chief Officer Planning and Public Protection has the delegated power to accept further candidate sites if he consider them acceptable in line with the Draft Candidate Sites Assessment Methodology| or other good planning reasons, for confirmation by Council when agreeing the Deposit Torfaen LDP.
Candidate sites can be for any use, not just housing or employment. However, this exercise is only part of the LDP information gathering process and should in no way be interpreted as a commitment from the Council that candidate sites will be taken forward into the Deposit Torfaen LDP.
Candidate site submissions cannot be treated as confidential. All candidate sites have been included in the ‘Candidate Sites Register’ which is available for public inspection at County Hall, Cwmbran during normal office hours. If confidentiality is an issue for you, please contact the Forward Planning Team (details below) to discuss your concerns.
So far over 200 candidate sites have been submitted, a copy of the register can be viewed at County Hall and the Civic Centre. All accepted candidate sites will be assessed, firstly to test if they are developable, and secondly if they are compatible with the emerging LDP strategy and associated Sustainability Appraisal. Candidate sites should therefore be consistent with overall sustainability principles and objectives, including protecting and improving the environment; reducing the demand for car use and increasing the use of public transport, walking and cycling; a preference for the development of appropriate ‘brownfield’ land; making people fitter and healthier; minimising the use of non-renewable resources; meeting the needs of communities; etc.
In order for Candidate Sites to be assessed for inclusion in the Deposit LDP, the Council is consulting on the 4 Stage Draft Candidate Sites Assessment Methodology:-
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for Developability;
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against the LDP Objectives;
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against the Sustainability Appraisal Objectives; and
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against the LDP Preferred Strategy.
We are NOT consulting on the candidate sites; but the methodology on how they will be assessed in time for inclusion in the Deposit LDP. The Council is only consulting on the ‘Strategic Sites’ essential to the delivery of the LDP Preferred Strategy at this time.
All comments on the Draft Methodology should be made by 10th March 2008, preferably using the attached candidate sites methodology comments form|.
The Council is now considering the Candidate Sites against the Draft Methodology; with the draft results being published for information in spring 2008 and at that time it is likely that further information will be requested / invited from those parties who proposed the site.
Following the submission of any further information, all the candidate sites will be reassessed against the Final Methodology (which will be agreed in mid 2008 after comments received on the Draft Methodology have been considered by Council) before the final sites are chosen for inclusion in the Deposit LDP, in early 2009.
The minimum information required for submission of a candidate site includes:
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An ordnance survey (OS) map of minimum scale 1:2500 clearly indicating the site submitted by outlining it in red; (we can supply 5 copies of an A4 OS Map extract at a cost of £19.00)
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Clear details of the current and suggested future land use(s) of the site;
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Details of candidate site ownership (if known) and any legal agreements or covenants that are attached to the land; and
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Any other information you consider relevant to allow a robust assessment of the candidate site.
Further details and additional information on the LDP can be obtained by contacting the Forward Planning Team by direct telephone line: 01633 648046, by email: ldp@torfaen.gov.uk|
If you wish to submit further candidate sites, please do so as soon as possible to: Rob Murray, Principal Planner - Forward Planning, Planning & Public Protection Service, Torfaen County Borough Council, Floor 4, County Hall, Cwmbran, Torfaen, NP44 2WN.