Council joins ranks with opposition over fears for Cardiff's future growth

Cardiff council's executive has joined forces with the opposition to criticise the process of creating a Cardiff Local Development Plan.

A new LDP is currently being put together to map out the growth of built and natural environment for Cardiff over the next 15 years – after the first one was scrapped last year following criticisms from Welsh Assembly Government planning inspectors.

A motion put forward by Lib Dem council leader Rodney Berman, and seconded by Conservative opposition leader David Walker, calls into question the WAG's requirement for each authority in Wales to create an LDP – saying the process is no "fit for purpose".

The motion tabled for this afternoon's council meeting suggests there should be a region-wide approach to dealing with sprawling housing development – and says the last of Cardiff's green spaces are threatened with being wiped out if the current LDP continues to progress.

Calls for regional approach to planning future growth

Two motions are tabled for the meeting – the first calls into question the latest population projections for Cardiff – which predicts the city's population will increase by 42% by 2033. The projections were based on 2008 data and the motion notes these do not take into account the affect of the financial crisis and may be rebalancing predictions which came from the 2001 census which were found to be too low.

The motion goes on to suggest the future planning for city sprawl, greenfield development and any changes based on population figures – all should be addressed using a region-wide approach – rather than implementing a 15-year plan for Cardiff on its own. The motion reads:

"This council... believes that the Welsh Assembly Government has not put in place sufficient strategic mechanisms for managing growth within the city region and there has therefore been a lack of opportunity for a proper regional debate between the Welsh Assembly Government and local authorities as a result of the failure of the Wales Spatial Plan.

"This means that there is no effective mechanism in place by which to allocate a share of future population growth in the Cardiff region among surrounding local authorities in South East Wales, including related new housing development, in order to better spread prosperity through a wider and more inclusive city regional approach."

The motion then goes on to say the LDP framework is not "fit for purpose" and calls upon the Welsh Assembly Government to allow room for a city-regional approach which addresses future economic growth and housing development within south east Wales as a whole.

Chair of Cardiff Civic Society Peter Cox said the charity, which aims to improve the natural and built in environment in Cardiff, had already highlighted problems with Cardiff's population growth in its green paper published on the LDP. Cox said:

"We obviously welcome the debate and the idea of that debate being carried out in context of the city region, not just Cardiff."

But the Civic Society objected to the idea the LDP is not "fit for purpose":

"We don't agree with that. The LDP process has its faults, but our view is Cardiff is interpreting the process in a very narrow way and failing to explore the opportunities that it offers."

Conservative party leader David Walker said as a ward member for Lisvane, which the last remaining operating farms south of the M4 in Cardiff, he is worried about the consequences urban sprawl could have:

"Once green open space is used for housing, it is lost to the city and our ancestors forever. We have a duty therefore to preserve what we can for future generations to enjoy. The city may not wish to become the size of a Bristol or larger still. It is attractive as a city to live in because its scale is what it is.

"Clearly the best people to decide on how Cardiff expands are those elected by its citizens to represent them in planning and economic development matters, its councillors. But Cardiff is not free to decide its future, the WAG wants to second guess what is needed with flawed data about population growth.

"No sensible person believes that the city's population should grow by 42% by 2033. Yet these are the parameters the WAG is imposing. Such decisions can and should be devolved without ill informed and damaging meddling.

"I believe that this projection for population growth should be dramatically and realistically downscaled. Cardiff planners should then stick to their plan to primarily use former commercial land for development."

Cardiff council leader Rodney Berman said:

"It would in my view be lunacy to expect Cardiff's population to grow by 42% by 2033 while nearby valley authorities see their populations only growing by a small percentage in the same time frame, but that's what WAG seems content to oversee.

"WAG needs to get a grip of this issue and allow Cardiff's future growth to be better spread amongst the wider economic region. Why can't a share of the city's future prosperity be shared among neighbouring local authority areas, helping to create a wider city region and transferring some of that prosperity to less affluent areas in the valleys?

"The motion is a cross-party attempt to get the message across to WAG that ministers need to look urgently at the impact of their LDP policies. If they continue to abdicate their responsibility to plan housing growth on a regional basis then Cardiff could be forced to see all the greenfield sites which currently exist within our existing administrative boundaries built upon. WAG needs to listen to this and take action."

Action called to protect Cardiff's greenfield sites

The second motion tabled for today's full council meeting, proposed by deputy leader Neil McEvoy and seconded fellow Fairwater Plaid Cymru councillor Lisa Ford again calls into question the LDP process. It reads:

"This council expresses deep concern with the local development plan framework and does not believe that it is fit for purpose. We particularly note that the present process and estimated population trends spell the end to green field sites in Cardiff, resulting in urban sprawl, unless action is taken.

"We ask the Welsh Government to recognise and address the current deficiency and the need to encourage the development of a low carbon economy, to encourage new business growth and create sustainable and modern communities within regional contexts."

The Welsh Assembly Government has previously defended its LDP process against similar attacks from the council's executive, arguing:

"The Welsh Assembly Government stands by its Local Development Plan process.

"The process means that local authorities are required, by law, to have an up to date development plan in place, setting out their policies and proposals for the development and use of land. Looking 15 years ahead, the plan should identify where different types of development, such as the new jobs or homes, should or should not be located."

Responding to this fresh criticism, a Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said:

"The Assembly Government has put in place a framework to enable cross boundary working on various aspects of the Local Development Plan, for example the Regional Transport Plan, Regional Waste Plan and collaboration on minerals and housing through a regional apportionment exercise.
"It is unfortunate that Cardiff did not fully engage in cross boundary working when they started their LDP five years ago, resulting in them being left behind. The Assembly Government does not dictate a level of housing for Cardiff to provide, this is a matter for the council to decide, based on evidence. This does however require strong leadership which the Assembly Government looks towards Cardiff to demonstrate when progressing their LDP. "Most local authorities are making good progress in finalising their LDP's and a number already have their plans in place. Indeed the minister for environment sustainability and housing met recently with planning leads from the all 25 planning authorities and no concerns were raised about the LDP process."

Labour party attacks Lib-Dem/Plaid executive

The Labour group has said the ruling Liberal Democrat/Plaid Cymru executive should have met with nearby council leaders in the region to discuss ways of sharing housing units across south Wales – and has said the council administration is in "disarray" over the LDP process.

Labour leader Heather Joyce said council leaders should have "taken action" earlier and met with neighbouring leaders to discuss options – highlighting that Cardiff remains "in limbo" over its future while no plan is in place.

Cerys Furlong, Labour's press spokesperson said:

"The Lib Dems and Plaid used the LDP for political purposes. They were not willing to make the hard and realistic decisions required, and it has backfired.

"The most worrying aspect of this is that Cardiff is now at the mercy of developers, un-regulated development on green-field sites and in-fill in urban wards of the city with no strategic planning."

Councillors will vote on both motions at the meeting at County Hall this afternoon.

Vision and objectives report

Ahead of this afternoon's council meeting, a report outlining the vision nd objectives for the Cardiff Local Development Plan has been posted online.

The collective vision for the city for the next ten years states:

"By 2020...Cardiff will be a world class European capital city with an exceptional quality of life and at the heart of a thriving city region."

This vision is to be met by objectives set out in the report – including responding to economic, social needs in a sustainable way which enhances Cardiff's environment.

In the report, the council also addresses the need to build on greenfield sites in the city: "by maximising the contribution of brownfield sites, then identifying greenfield sites that are considered to represent the most appropriate and sustainable locations to accommodate new development".

Download the report here or scroll below.

What do you think of this fresh criticism of the LDP process? Leave your comments below.