Council to consider LDP plan next week

Cardiff Council's executive is due to consider the final version of the Local Development Plan (LDP) Delivery Agreement next Thursday after taking on criticisms from consultees.

The Delivery Agreement outlines the timescale and framework for creating the new LDP – a huge document which will set out how Cardiff is to develop over the next 15 years. The Delivery Agreement contains no policies, as the LDP process is still in its early stages, but it does describe how to engage citizens in the process of making the LDP, and over what time frame the LDP should be adopted.

The draft delivery agreement was heavily criticised by Cardiff Civic Society for failing to engage properly with Cardiff citizens, setting out a process for making the LDP which was too long, and in need of carrying a bolder vision. See our article detailing the Civic Society's criticisms here.

Meetings have taken place with Cardiff Civic Society to discuss how to improve on the draft delivery agreement.

Cardiff Civic Society chair Peter Cox said:

"We had a very long and very fruitfull discussion. The council was there are well as the executive member for planning. We were asked to explain our concerns about the delivery agreement. There was a general agreement it would be better if there was greater engagement with the public in the process. There were concerns about costs and concerns about whether it was legally possible and practically possible to reduce the time scale."

The council withdrew its original LDP in April this year after planning inspectors from the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) made it clear that they did not support the council's plan, most notably the 'brownfield only' strategy.

If the draft agreement is approved next week, the council said a series of consultee and public conferences will take place across the city with a user-friendly LDP website set up and regular updates published in Capital Times. The delivery agreement will then go before the full council on 23 September before being re-submitted to WAG for approval.

Cardiff Council executive member for environment, Councillor Margaret Jones, said:

"It is important that the council moves as quickly as possible on this issue which is of huge importance to the city and as the Council begins to prepare a new Local Development Plan it remains fully committed to giving people the opportunity to be involved in the whole process."