Gwynedd Local Development Plan (the new Plan)

Following a decision by Cyngor Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey County Council to cease the joint working agreement on Planning Policy matters on 31 March 2023, the Gwynedd Planning Policy Service has been established. 

The process of preparing a new Local Development Plan (LDP) for the Gwynedd Local Planning Authority area only (which is the area of Gwynedd located outside the Eryri National Park) has commenced. The new LDP will cover a period between 2024 and 2039. The Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan continues to provide the local policy framework for decisions on planning applications, until the Gwynedd Local Development Plan is adopted.

In accordance with national guidance, Local Planning Authorities must review their adopted Local Development Plan (LDP) every four years and prepare a Replacement Plan. The current Plan, the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan was adopted on 31 July 2017. Therefore , a Review Report has been prepared relating to the process of preparing a new Local Development Plan for the two Local Planning Authority Areas (Gwynedd and Anglesey). 

The Review Report looks at all the evidence relevant to the Joint LDP and reaches a conclusion about the type of review that will be followed. It does not detail any changes to be made to the Plan.  

The Draft Review Report was subject to a 6 week public consultation period between 5 November and 20 December 2021.  

The Full Council agreed at its meeting on 3 March 2022 to publish the Review Report and submit it to The Welsh Government. 

The Review Report is available to download:

Review Report: Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan (March 2022)

Further it is possible to inspect a hard copy of the document at Siop Gwynedd Caernarfon, Pwllheli and Dolgellau.

A number of statutory steps are required to be followed as part of the preparation and adoption of the Local Development Plan. 

The first step in the process is to prepare a Delivery Agreement. The Delivery Agreement is split into two parts, namely:- 

  1. Timeline of Key Steps for the preparation of the new LDP; and
  2. A Community Involvement Plan that sets out how and when stakeholders and the community can contribute  to the Plan preperation process.  

A public consultation in relation to the Draft Delivery Agreement along with the Impact Assessment on Equality, Welsh Language and Economic Disadvantage was undertaken between 26 October 2023 and 7 December 2023.  

The final Delivery Agreement and the Impact Assessment on Equality, Welsh Language and Economic Disadvantage  were approved by Cyngor Gwynedd on 7 March 2024. The Welsh Government's agreement to the Delivery Agreement has also been received.  

 

Candidate Sites

A key stage in the process of preparing a Local Development Plan is to identify potential sites for a range of land uses including housing, employment and other uses such as community and recreation. It is also important to identify sites that need protecting due to their special landscape, open space or conservation value.

The Call for Candidate Sites is now open and the Council is calling on members of the public, community groups, landowners and developers to formally submit sites for consideration within the Gwynedd Local Development Plan (LDP).


Submitting a Site

All Candidate Sites will have to be submitted via a standardised form.  The Council encourages site proposers to complete the online Candidate Site submission

 Online Candidate Site Submission Form 

The online form enables site proposers to produce and submit a map, obtain constraints information, view guidance notes and upload supporting documentation.

Alternatively paper copies of the form can be downloaded.

To discuss anything regarding the above, or for help filling in the application form, please contact the Planning Policy Service:


Guidance and Information relating to the Candidate Site Process

Candidate Site submissions should have regard to the following guidance and information:

  • Candidate Site Guidance Notes: Provides guidance on completing each question on the form and on the additional information that needs to be submitted in support of the submission.
  • Interactive Constraints Map: Created to identify any key policy and designated site constraints. Site proposers will need to refer to the Constraints Map in order to respond to relevant questions on the Candidate Site Submission Form. Please note that this data should NOT be relied on for legal purposes and may not be fully up-to-date with changes made to the constraints' data in the County.  The Council can accept no responsibility for any error or inaccuracy which may arise'.
  • Candidate Site Assessment Methodology: Sets out the process, assessment criteria, and methodology to be used by the LPA to determine the suitability of Candidate Sites for inclusion as Allocated Sites within the new LDP. 
  • Impact Assessment on Protected Characteristics, the Welsh Language and Socio-Economic Disadvantage

The Candidate Site Register

All submitted Candidate Sites will be made available to view on the LPA’s webpages within what is called a 'Candidate Site Register'.  No personal information will be placed on the register.

The Call for Sites period will close on 15 January 2025. 

  

Keeping in touch

If you wish to receive correspondence from the Planning Policy Service in relation to the preparation of the Local Development Plan, please contact the Planning Policy Service to register your details planningpolicy@gwynedd.llyw.cymru