1.1.1 This is the first Unitary Development Plan to be prepared by Bridgend County Borough Council and is referred to throughout this document as the UDP.

1.1.2 Government legislation requires that each Unitary Authority in Wales should prepare a UDP which will replace any existing development plans covering their area, and furthermore that the UDP should be prepared as soon as possible.

1.1.3 The plan is called a Unitary Development Plan because it consists of both strategic and local planning policies for the area. Previously these were covered separately in different plans, and prior to local government re-organisation in 1996, these were generally prepared by different authorities.

1.1.4 The Government has produced guidance for Unitary Authorities to assist with the production of their UDPs in the form of Planning Policy Wales (March 2002) and Planning Guidance (Wales) Unitary Development Plans. This guidance is supplemented by a series of Technical Advice Notes which provide detailed advice on specific topics to be addressed, and this UDP reflects this guidance.

1.1.5 The UDP must contain policies and proposals for the development and use of land in the County Borough, and in particular, should include land use policies and proposals for:-

Housing;
Conservation and improvement of the natural and built environment, including through better design and use of Green Belts if appropriate;
Economy, including agriculture, forestry, industry, business, retail and other employment-generating and wealth-creating development;
Land use/transportation strategy addressing accessibility and the provision of strategic and integrated transport facilities including highways, railways and other infrastructure;
Mineral working (including disposal of mineral waste) and the protection of mineral resources;
Safeguarding of natural resources;
Waste management and disposal, land reclamation, re-use and hazards;
Tourism, leisure, sport and recreation;
Energy conservation and generation, including renewable energy.

This Plan covers the period up to 2016.

1.1.6 When adopted, the UDP will replace the current development plan for the area which comprises the Mid Glamorgan Replacement Structure Plan, the Mid Glamorgan Mineral Local Plan for Limestone Quarrying and the Ogwr Borough Local Plan. Taken together, these plans have an end date of 2006. The current development plan contains land allocations which are under construction or have the benefit of planning consent and the UDP will have to acknowledge many of these commitments.

1.1.7. Section 70(2) of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 requires that any decision with respect to a proposed development shall have regard to the development plan, so far as it is material to the application, and to any other material considerations. Where the development plan is material to the development proposal, and must therefore be taken into account, section 54A of the Act (inserted by section 26 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991) requires the application to be determined in accordance with the plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

1.1.8. In taking development control decisions, the Local Planning Authority will ensure that any proposal is assessed against all the policies that are relevant to it.

1.2 Format of the UDP

1.2.1 The UDP is comprised of a Written Statement and a Proposals Map.

The Written Statement comprises two elements:-

Part 1

Consists of a very brief statement of the strategic policies for the area. These policies provide a context and framework for the more detailed policies and proposals contained in Part 2.

Part 2

Consists of more detailed polices and proposals. Part 2 is divided into fifteen chapters and related appendices. These cover the main topic areas of Environment, Housing, Employment, Transportation, Retailing, Tourism and Leisure, Sport and Recreation, Social and Community Facilities, Minerals, Waste, Unstable Land, Energy and Utilities, Regeneration and Implementation and Resources; and

The Proposals Map which includes:-

Inset Maps that show, on an Ordnance Survey base of the County Borough, the physical expression of the policies and proposals in the Written Statement.

1.2.2. In writing its policies, the LPA has used will or will not be permitted wherever appropriate, sometimes subject to a proposal satisfying certain criteria. There are other instances where the full acceptability or otherwise of a development proposal is not clear-cut by reference to one policy alone. In such cases, which require further assessment in respect of other policies of the Plan or material considerations, the LPA has used the words will be favoured or will not be favoured.

1.3 The Area Covered by the UDP and Regional Planning Context

1.3.1 The UDP covers the whole of the County Borough of Bridgend. The County Borough is at the geographical heart of South Wales. It covers an area of approximately 25,500 hectares, and in 2001 had a population of 128,650.

1.3.2 The County Borough extends approximately 20km from east to west, encompassing the Ogmore, Garw and Llynfi valleys to the north, and bordering the Bristol Channel to the south. The largest settlements are the towns of Bridgend and Maesteg and the seaside resort of Porthcawl. Bridgend is the largest of these settlements and is the administrative centre for the area.

1.3.3 The County Borough has an excellent transportation infrastructure with the M4 motorway traversing the southern part of the County Borough in an east-west alignment, providing fast road access to Cardiff, Swansea, the rest of South Wales and beyond. Additionally, an inter-city high speed rail service linking the area with the whole of the national rail network, provides fast and efficient rail transport, whilst Cardiff-Wales Airport is only 19 kilometres away.

Aerial view of Bridgend Town Centre

1.3.4 Access to the motorway system is facilitated by 3 motorway junctions at Pencoed, Sarn and Pyle. The locational advantages largely attributed to the motorway has seen the 'M4 Corridor' attracting considerable inward investment, as well as being a focus for out-of-town retail developments. The area has also been the preferred location for most of the major volume house builders. Indeed, the M4 Corridor has seen rapid expansion and major releases of land for development over the past 15 years, with the focus being on Bridgend and its environs.

1.3.5 Meanwhile, in contrast to the M4 Corridor, many of the valley communities in the north of the County Borough are experiencing problems of deprivation. These areas previously dependent upon the coal and iron industries have suffered the most in terms of the dramatic shift in the structure of the local economy over the past 30 years or so, and have been starved of new job opportunities and of investment in general. Increasingly, what were once cohesive and viable valley communities are becoming fragmented and excluded from the benefits of economic growth. The falling population and changes in retail patterns, particularly in the Ogmore and Garw valleys means that communities are unable to sustain commercial ventures including essential shops, and increasingly community facilities need to be heavily subsidised.

1.3.6 The changing fortunes of the communities of the County Borough are closely tied in with the changes which have taken place in the economy. Many of the communities in the County Borough owe their origins to the iron and coal industries which formed the lifeblood of the area for much of the past 100 years. However, since the 1940s these traditional heavy industries have gradually disappeared. New employment opportunities were created as modern manufacturing enterprises established primarily in the southern part of the County Borough, along the major road network. This area is now home to many important international manufacturing establishments. Manufacturing is an important source of jobs in the local economy, however, most of the workforce in the County Borough are employed in the service sector.

1.3.7 Services, particularly Public Services such as the health service and public administration are now the principal source of jobs in the area. Many of the jobs that have been created in this sector have been taken by female workers and women currently account for 59% of the workforce in the County Borough, a significantly higher proportion than in the rest of Wales.

Junction 36, M4 Motorway

1.3.8. Planning Policy Wales (March 2002) encourages ongoing consultation and collaboration between local planning authorities on issues of common concern and those which cross boundaries. Bridgend CBC is a member of the South East Wales Strategic Planning Group (SEWSPG) which comprises 10 unitary authorities and one National Park Authority. The South East regional planning group coincides with the National Assembly's Regional Committee area.

1.3.9. SEWSPG has produced two volumes of Regional Planning Guidance for South East Wales. It is intended that these will promote a consistent policy approach across the region, including a common set of strategic planning objectives to provide an agreed context for the preparation of UDPs. Although as it has been formulated in parallel with the first round of UDPs, the Council takes the view that the regional guidance is not prescriptive. Rather, it will help shape the policies of the UDP after due public consultation and the process of public inquiry.

1.3.10. The Council awaits further clarification from the Assembly in respect of the final status of the Regional Guidance.

1.3.11. In addition, as the County Borough is the westernmost unitary authority within the South East Wales Group, it has regular independent liaison meetings with Neath Port Talbot County Borough which forms part of the South West Wales Strategic Planning Group. These meetings address issues of mutual concern and further promote cross-border co-ordination of planning policies.

PART 1 POLICIES

ENVIRONMENT
POLICY 1

THE ENVIRONMENT OF BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH IS A VARIED AND FINITE RESOURCE. DEVELOPMENT WHICH ENHANCES, PROTECTS OR CONSERVES IT, WILL BE ENCOURAGED; WHEREAS DEVELOPMENT WHICH DIMINISHES, ENDANGERS OR NEGLECTS IT, WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.

ENVIRONMENT
POLICY 2

DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTY BOROUGH SHOULD SAFEGUARD THE INTEGRITY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. THROUGH CAREFUL SITING, PLANNING AND DESIGN, IT SHOULD PROTECT, CONSERVE AND ENHANCE:

1. INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL BIODIVERSITY;

2. SPECIAL LANDSCAPE AREAS;

3. THE HISTORIC BUILT ENVIRONMENT; AND

4. THE COASTAL ZONE.

ENVIRONMENT
POLICY 3

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WILL BE FAVOURED WHERE THEY EMBRACE OR ENCOURAGE:-

1. CONSERVATION, REDUCTION, RE-USE AND RECYCLING OF WASTE, POLLUTION CONTROL, AND THE CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES;

2. REDUCTION OF TRAVEL BY PRIVATE CAR AND VEHICLE MOVEMENTS, AND THE PROMOTION OF CYCLING, WALKING AND THE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT;

3. RECLAMATION OF DERELICT, DEGRADED OR CONTAMINATED LAND, AND ITS REMEDIATION TO BENEFICIAL USES; AND

4. REGENERATION OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

HOUSING
POLICY 4

LAND WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE FOR A NET ADDITION OF 9,950 DWELLINGS TO THE TOTAL HOUSING STOCK OF BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH IN THE PERIOD 1996-2016.

EMPLOYMENT
POLICY 5

252 HECTARES OF EMPLOYMENT LAND WILL BE ALLOCATED TO SATISFY THE VARYING NEEDS OF EXISTING INDUSTRY, INWARD INVESTMENT PROJECTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.

TRANSPORTATION
POLICY 6

IMPROVEMENTS TO THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK WILL BE CARRIED OUT TO:-

1. ENHANCE ROAD SAFETY;

2. DISCOURAGE INAPPROPRIATE CAR USE;

3. ENCOURAGE THE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND OTHER ALTERNATIVE MODES;

4. PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT;

5. PROVIDE ACCESS FOR ALL; AND

6. BENEFIT THE ENVIRONMENT.

TRANSPORTATION
POLICY 7

DEVELOPMENT WHICH CAN BE DEMONSTRATED TO PROMOTE AND ENCOURAGE THE FOLLOWING WILL BE FAVOURED:-

1. EFFICIENT USE OF THE EXISTING HIGHWAY NETWORK;

2. INCREASE IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT USAGE;

3. REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER AND LENGTH OF CAR-BORNE JOURNEYS;

4. WALKING AND CYCLING; AND

5. PROVISION OF RAIL FREIGHT FACILITIES.

RETAILING
POLICY 8

THE EXISTING RETAIL HIERARCHY WILL BE PROTECTED AND MAINTAINED AND PARTICULAR ENCOURAGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN TO PROTECTING AND ENHANCING THE VITALITY, VIABILITY AND ATTRACTIVENESS OF EXISTING TOWN AND DISTRICT CENTRES.

RETAILING
POLICY 9

OUT OF CENTRE RETAILING WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED WHERE IT IS LOCATED ON AN EXISTING OR ALLOCATED RETAIL SITE, AND/OR WHERE ALL THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA APPLY:

1. A NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN SATISFACTORILY DEMONSTRATED;

2. IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER OF PREFERENCE, ALL TOWN CENTRE, EDGE OF CENTRE AND DISTRICT CENTRE SITES, HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY ASSESSED, AND NONE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE SUITABLE AND AVAILABLE;

3. INDIVIDUALLY AND CUMULATIVELY, WITH OTHER EXISTING OR COMMITTED RETAIL DEVELOPMENTS, THE POTENTIAL THREAT TO VITALITY, VIABILITY AND ATTRACTIVENESS OF EXISTING CENTRES HAS BEEN ASSESSED AND WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE;

4. THE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE PRIMARY ROAD NETWORK AND THE EFFECT ON TRAFFIC FLOWS HAS BEEN ASSESSED AND WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE;

5. THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE WELL SERVED IN TERMS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT.

TOURISM
POLICY 10

PROPOSALS FOR TOURISM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE FAVOURED WHERE:-

1. THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH OF THE LOCAL ECONOMY IN TERMS OF NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND BUSINESS CREATION; AND

2. THEY PROTECT AND CONSERVE AREAS OF THE LANDSCAPE, BIODIVERSITY, THE COAST AND HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT WHICH ARE OF SPECIAL INTEREST, AND ARE SO LOCATED AND DESIGNED THAT THEY CONSERVE OR ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT; AND

3. THEY RESPECT THE NEEDS AND AMENITIES OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

LEISURE
POLICY 11

PROPOSALS FOR LEISURE DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING FOOD AND DRINK USES OUTSIDE THE EXISTING COMMERCIAL CENTRES, WILL BE PERMITTED WHERE:-

1. A NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN SATISFACTORILY DEMONSTRATED;

2.THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT THREATEN THE VITALITY, VIABILITY AND ATTRACTIVENESS OF EXISTING TOWN AND DISTRICT CENTRES;

3. IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER OF PREFERENCE, ALL TOWN CENTRE, EDGE OF CENTRE, DISTRICT CENTRE, EXISTING OUT OF CENTRE SITES, HAVE BEEN ASSESSED, AND NONE HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE SUITABLE AND AVAILABLE.

4. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE WELL SERVED BY A CHOICE OF TRANSPORT, AND CONTRIBUTE TO REDUCED RELIANCE ON TRAVEL BY PRIVATE CAR.

5. THE AMENITIES OF NEARBY RESIDENTS WILL NOT BE HARMED BY NOISE, SMELL, LITTER OR OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS.

SPORT AND RECREATION
POLICY 12

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO, AND / OR PROTECT SPORT AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND SERVICES WILL BE ENCOURAGED.

SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
POLICY 13

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO, AND/OR PROTECT, SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES WILL BE ENCOURAGED.

MINERALS
POLICY 14

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS FOR MINERAL DEVELOPMENT WILL BE FAVOURED WHERE THEY PROVIDE FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE COUNTY BOROUGH'S SHARE OF REGIONAL PRODUCTION SUBJECT TO:-

1. ENSURING THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF EXTRACTION ARE ACCEPTABLE; AND

2. SECURING APPROPRIATE, HIGH QUALITY AND PROMPT RESTORATION AND AFTERCARE TO PROVIDE FOR A BENEFICIAL AFTER-USE.

MINERALS
POLICY 15

MINERAL RESOURCES SHALL BE CONSERVED WHILE SECURING NECESSARY SUPPLIES BY PROMOTING THE EFFICIENT USE OF PRIMARY AGGREGATES AND ENCOURAGING THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS SUCH AS INDUSTRIAL BI-PRODUCTS AND RECYCLED MATERIALS.

MINERALS
POLICY 16

MINERAL RESOURCES LIKELY TO BE REQUIRED FOR EXTRACTION WILL BE SAFEGUARDED FROM STERILISATION BY PERMANENT DEVELOPMENT.

WASTE
POLICY 17

DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE PROVISION OF A RANGE OF WASTE MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES WHICH:

1 MEET THE OBJECTIVES OF NATIONAL POLICY IN RESPECT OF THE PROXIMITY PRINCIPLE AND THE WASTE HIERARCHY;

2 MEET TARGETS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE DISPOSED OF BY LANDFILL, AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE RECOVERED, COMPOSTED OR RECYCLED.

UNSTABLE LAND
POLICY 18

THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNSTABLE LAND OR POTENTIALLY UNSTABLE LAND, WHICH INVOLVES THE ERECTION OF BUILDINGS OR STRUCTURES, WILL NOT BE PERMITTED UNLESS ADEQUATE MITIGATION MEASURES ARE FIRST AGREED IN WRITING WITH THE LOCAL PLANNING AUTHORITY AND SUBSEQUENTLY CARRIED OUT.

ENERGY AND UTILITIES
POLICY 19

DEVELOPMENT FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS, UTILITY SERVICES OR THE EXPLOITATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES WILL BE FAVOURED WHERE IT CAN BE DEMONSTRATED THAT ANY ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE BEST AND MOST SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTS (IN TERMS OF LANDSCAPE AND SCENIC, ARCHITECTURAL AND HISTORIC, AND NATURE CONSERVATION VALUE) WOULD BE MINIMAL.

ENERGY AND UTILITIES
POLICY 20

ALL DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS SHOULD SEEK TO MAXIMISE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WATER CONSERVATION IN THEIR LAYOUT, DESIGN, MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION.

REGENERATION
POLICY 21

ANY DEVELOPMENT WHICH IS LIKELY TO PUT A REGENERATION STRATEGY AT RISK WILL NOT BE PERMITTED.

IMPLEMENTATION AND RESOURCES
POLICY 22

APPLICATIONS FOR BUILT DEVELOPMENT SHOULD INCLUDE MATERIAL PROPOSALS WHICH DEAL WITH THE FAIR AND REASONABLE DIRECT AND INDIRECT INFRASTRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT, AND WHICH ALSO ENSURE THAT THERE IS NOT A CONSEQUENTIAL AND SIGNIFICANT PLANNING LOSS TO THE EXISTING COMMUNITY. WHERE APPROPRIATE, SUCH PROPOSALS WILL BE SECURED BY MEANS OF PLANNING AGREEMENTS/ OBLIGATIONS.

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