Remove the site from the Plan.

Site SuV60/h1 – Land at College Bach, Llangynog
Further to the publication of the above document, we have been asked by our Clients to
review its contents, policies and proposals and advise them of any aspects we believe would
unreasonably affect their aspirations and interests. In doing so we consider it necessary to
make a formal representation to the “soundness” of the Carmarthenshire Deposit Local
Development Plan in relation to the allocation for residential development at Land at
College Bach, Llangynog (LDP Ref. No. SuV60/h1) under the provisions of Policy HOM1.
The proposed allocation has been fully assessed and in considering its context and
background (summarised below) it is considered that its continued inclusion will lead to the
Plan failing the 3 Tests of Soundness for the reasons set out below.
Site Background and Context
The allocation relates to the land shaded brown on the Proposals Map extract below and is
proposed for allocation in the 2nd Deposit LDP for the purposes of 6 residential units.
Plan A
(Extract of Proposals Map for Llangynog and Land at College Bach Allocation)
As part of the current consultation process into the 2nd Deposit LDP, the Council have again
published a “Site Assessment Table” (2023), which provides details of the Council’s analysis
of each received Candidate Site submission and existing allocations within the current
adopted LDP. Proposed allocation SuV60/h1 was considered as part of this process and as
a result the Council concluded as follows:
“Site to remain as an allocation with reference SuV60/h1.”
It is clear from the above that the Council considers that the site is deliverable for the
purposes of 6 houses, despite there being no clear evidence to support this decision.
The allocation is greenfield in nature with its topography being relatively level while gradually
sloping from north to south. Much of the perimeter of the allocation is covered with mature
vegetation, trees and hedgerows, as can be seen from the aerial photograph below (outlined
in red below).
Photograph 1
(Extract from Google Earth – June 2021)
Access to the allocation is currently gained via the College Bach (north of the allocation site),
via the property’s entrance. However, the western boundary of the allocation also borders
the C2081 (see below).
Photograph 2
(Streetscene of Drefach Road)
The allocation site is located directly off the eastern flank of the road, behind the hedgerow
(on the right in Photograph 2 above). As can be seen in the photograph, there is a sharp
bend in the C2081 some 50 metres north of the allocation, restricting the view of oncoming
traffic and so in turn, the visiblity of any access serving development on the site.
There are no planning applications relating to the allocation site in question to date.
Part of the site was allocated in the Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan (2014) under
Allocation SC15/h2 (as can be seen below).
Plan B
(Extract of current LDP Proposal Map for Land off Drefach Road (Adopted 2014))
Despite having almost 10 years of support for the principle of residential development at the
historic allocation from the Council, not a single housing unit has been delivered to date.
Tests of Soundness
Based on the above information and the guidance documents provided by the Welsh
Government and Council itself, it is considered that the inclusion of the adoption of the LDP
in its current form with the inclusion of the allocation in question, would result in it failing to
meet the requirements of the Tests of Soundness, for the reasons summarised below.
Test 1 – Does the Plan Fit?
The allocation fails the test of soundness due to its inappropriateness with regards to the
principles of sustainable growth and so is in conflict with Paragraph 4.2.2 of Planning
Policy Wales (Edition 11) requirements of national planning policy.
Test 2 – Is the Plan appropriate?
The allocation fails the test of soundness as its inability to be delivered would fail to
address key issues set out by the Plan (housing supply). The Council’s decision to allocate
the land appears to not have been done so on credible or robust evidence.
Test 3 – Will the Plan deliver?
The allocation fails to test the soundness as the site is clearly unable to deliver any new
housing. The Welsh Governments Development Plans Manual (Edition 3) is quite clear
with regard to rolling forward allocations and states that allocations “… rolled forward from a
previous plan will require careful justification for inclusion in a revised plan, aligning with
PPW. There will need to be substantial change in circumstances to demonstrate sites can be
delivered and justify being included again. Clear evidence will be required that such sites
can be delivered”. No evidence has been presented to demonstrate a change in
circumstances to indicate the allocation will now be deliverable and so its continued
allocation would lead to the plan being deemed unsound on this basis.
In summary, we object to the inclusion of the allocation in question on the basis of the
above and that its inclusion within the Plan would result in the document being ‘unsound’.
We therefore respectfully request that this Representation be given careful examination, and
that the allocation be removed to ensure that the document passes all the relevant tests of
soundness.