Gwrthwynebu
Ail Gynllun Datblygu Lleol Adneuo Diwygiedig Sir Gaerfyrddin
ID sylw: 4995
Derbyniwyd: 14/04/2023
Ymatebydd: Miss Elissa Aldous-Hughes
Cydymffurfio â’r gyfraith? Nac Ydi
Cadarn? Nac Ydi
Removing the SLA status for all of Carmarthenshire's 18 SLAs has no obvious explanation or grounds and instead leaves these special areas unprotected and open to unsuitable and insensitive planning developments. Why are Carmarthenshire's councillors abandoning this important recognition and protection of Carmarthenshire's ecology, biodiversity, heritage, tourism, employment, farming and residential factors?
The 18 Special Landscape Areas should be reinstated in the LDP and more detailed and nuanced rules put into place to managed the competing desires of renewable energy production and the ecological, heritage, tourism, employment, farming and residential needs. If a new alternative form of landscape protection is desired this should be devised, created and approved alongside the adoption of this LDP, not afterwards to avoid areas being left without protection in the meantime. Full disclosure of why areas are and aren't selected should be provided.
What grounds are there to remove all 18 of Carmarthenshire's Special Landscape Areas? Has the condition and 'special' nature of these areas suddenly degraded? Removing the SLA status leaves these areas unprotected by the extra planning sensitivity & consideration and care that their uniqueness requires. The current SLAs help safeguard the landscape and preserve it's character for the future. Why is this no longer an aim and commitment of Carmarthenshire's councillors? The only apparent benefit appears to be to large non-Welsh renewable companies who wish to build large scale developments with as few restrictions and little expense as possible.
If these areas aren't protected from large scale developments, Carmarthenshire will lose some of it's most valuable natural and historical assets. Other sections of the LDP highlight the importance of encouraging and preserving Carmarthenshire's tourism economy - these SLAs are the special and unique areas that attract visitors to Carmarthenshire.
Given the move towards renewable energy and the inevitable indelible costs such developments would have on Carmarthenshire's landscapes we need a more detailed, more granular, more nuanced approach to Carmarthenshire's landscapes, to ensure such developments only go ahead in areas that are not highly sensitive or special. This LDP does the opposite, by stripping all protection and offering a signed blank check for the whole of Carmarthenshire. It is not following the county's, the land's or the residents' best interests.
The Plan seeks to recognise the high quality landscapes across the plan area and will be supported by a Landscape Character Assessment which will seek to characterise landscape importance and inform future decision making. Those areas currently identified as Special Landscape Areas will be fully considered as part of the Landscape Character Assessment. This will be prepared and published as Supplementary Planning Guidance for adoption concurrent with the Plan.