Preferred Strategy

4. Influences on the Plan

4.1 Whilst the LDP plays a key role in shaping decision making and the location and nature of developments within the County, it is prepared and operated within the national framework set through legislation and by Planning Policy Wales^[5] and accompanying Technical Advice Notes^[6].

4.2 The process itself for the preparation of the LDP is set within statutory regulations, with further procedural guidance contained within the LDP Manual as prepared by the Welsh Government. The preparation and content of the LDP will be assessed against three tests of soundness^[7] namely:

1. Does the plan fit?
2. Is the plan appropriate?
3. Will the plan deliver?

4.3 The preparation of the Plan will culminate with the Planning Inspector (as appointed by the Welsh Government). The Inspector will examine the LDP against these three tests to assess its soundness. The findings of the Examination will be published in the Inspector's Report, and its content and recommendations are binding on the Authority.

4.4 As the Council plans for the future, we must also work closely with, and respond to, various partners, other agencies, funding bodies and decision makers to inform, guide and implement programmes and proposals. The LDP, whilst central in informing future policies, programmes and investment strategies across a range of agencies and bodies will have also been influenced by, and reflect those which support the delivery of its policies and proposals.

4.5 A number of important documents and strategies relate to Carmarthenshire. We have and will, where applicable, prepare the plan to reflect such documents and plans of other organisations, including our neighbouring planning authorities, and national and regional policies and strategies. We will work with our neighbours and others in the preparation of the LDP as appropriate.

4.6 There have been a number of significant contextual changes in Welsh legislation since the adoption of the current LDP. These include the publication of the Planning (Wales) Act 2015 and the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. Perhaps most significant however, is the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. This represents a big change, with the Plan required to contribute to its aims of improving the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales as part of carrying out sustainable development. The Plan will look to the national well-being goals and objectives as well as the Council's own well-being objectives^[8] in its policies and proposals.

4.7 The Council, in preparing its New Corporate Strategy, consolidated the following plans into the one document and will underpin many aspects of the LDP in moving forward:

1. It supersedes the 2015-20 Corporate Strategy;
2. It incorporates our Improvement Objectives as required by the Local Government Measure 2009;
3. It includes our Well-being Objectives as required by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. For the first time in Wales, there is a shared vision and set of goals for all public bodies to work towards, our Well-being Objectives are set to maximise our contribution to these,
4. It includes Carmarthenshire County Council's Executive Board key projects and programmes for the next 5 years as set out in 'Moving Forward in Carmarthenshire: the next 5 years'.

Figure 2

4.8 This Draft Preferred Strategy also reflects the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) Scoping Report^[9] giving full and careful consideration of all the relevant factors it identified. As we continue the process of preparing the Plan, the SA and the requirements for producing the Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) will help us in developing the LDP in a way which ensures it takes on board those sustainability and environmental values.

4.9 Such contextual changes, the findings of the Review Report and changes in evidence will be important in informing how the Plan is prepared, and its direction both strategically through this Draft Preferred Strategy, but also at a detailed policy level.

4.10 Extensive work and liaison has, and is, being undertaken to build and raise awareness and communication with a wide range of organisations and individuals. The information, issues and evidence emerging from such communications has been invaluable in the work undertaken to date and will continue in ensuring the preparation of the LDP is as informed and consensual as possible.