Agenda item

To submit a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that the report outlines the second stage of the process in preparing the Local Development Plan – Develop Vision, Objective and Options Consultation process.  Consulting on the plan is not a statutory requirement, but the Council is keen to ensure that there is an opportunity for the communities and stakeholders to have a say in the future development of the Island.  This stage represents the first substantive consultation in the preparation of the new Local Development Plan, and it is intended to identify the key planning issues, challenges and opportunities facing the Island; establish a draft Vision and Strategic Objectives; present options for growth and spatial distribution of development; seek early engagement to inform the next stage, the Preferred Strategy.  He noted that the key issues, challenges and opportunities facing Anglesey have been identified by considering national planning legislation, policy and guidance, reviewing the Council’s strategic priorities and undertaking initial engagement with stakeholders.  The sustainability of accessing suitable housing, providing infrastructure for ambitious growth, climate change response, promoting the Welsh language and culture, protecting the natural historic environment and managing resources and promoting the place shaping and wellbeing. 

Chapter 5 of the report highlights the Vision to ensure that the Plan has a coherent focus for all policies to wok towards delivering, a strong and clear vision for the future will sit at the heart of the document.  The Vision should provide a spatial dimension that ensures that the Plan is unique to Anglesey and be an ambitious description of what type of place the Island will be at the end of the period of the Plan. 

Chapter 6 of the report sets out the Council’s draft objectives.  The draft objectives will ensure that the draft vision as set out in Chapter 5 is delivered and will form the basis of the Local Development Plan. 

Chapter 7 of the report refers to the proposed policy direction giving an overview of the different areas of the policy direction.  Each theme and topic area summary is provided, alongside an overview of the key national and regional context; proposed changes from the existing Joint Local Development Plan policy/approach and the evidence required to support the proposed future policy direction. 

Chapter 8 of the report deals with housing and employment growth scenarios.  It considers the contextual information provide in Chapters 3 and 4 and considers how many homes and additional jobs it may be necessary to plan for between 2024 and 2039. 

Chapter 9 of the report refers to Spatial Options which focuses on the key settlements which recognises Holyhead, Llangefni, Amlwch and Menai Bridge which will see new growth potential and to small to medium sized sites in the majority of Local Service Centres and Villages in the Local Development Plan area.  There would be focus on brownfield sites and regeneration of urban centres.  Dispersed Development across all settlements at a level that is proportionate to the size of each settlement based on population within each settlement will be considered.  Transport Corridor Focus will consider development along the A55 corridor which runs from Menai Bridge to Holyhead.  It would also favour sites that have easy access to public transport hubs. 

The Chief Planning Officer referred to the next steps in the process will be to undertake a public consultation for a period of 5 weeks from 16 February – 20 March, 2026.  A summary of the feedback following the public consultation will be reported to this Committee.

Members of the Committee ascertained as to the platforms to be used in the consultation process.  The Planning Policy Team Leader responded that the public will be given an opportunity to respond to the consultation through the Council’s website, and paper copies of the documentation will be available at local Libraries and all Council Offices on the Island.  The favoured option by the Council is through the Opus platform on the Council’s website.  The Chair said that he will request the Press Office of the Council to advertise the consultation on the Authority’s social media platform. 

Councillor Robert Ll Jones expressed concern that the Penrhos Nature Reserve had been omitted from the list of key settlement and places at 3.2.1 of Chapter 3 of the report.  The Director – LUC responded that the site will be referred within the documentation.

It was RESOLVED :-

·          To agree any necessary amendments to the draft Vision, Objectives and Options Consultation Paper;

·          To endorse a final draft Vision, Objectives and Options Consultation Paper;

·          To undertake a five-week public consultation period from 16 February – 20 March, 2026;

·          To delegate authority to the Chief Planning Officer (in consultation with the Portfolio Member for Planning and Public Protection) to make any further minor amendments for accuracy prior to the public consultation period commencing.