Views sought on potential changes to Vale of Glamorgan’s development plan

Views will be sought in the autumn on potential changes to the Vale of Glamorgan’s local development plan.

Local development plans are major council policies which set out where and how much building should take place across an area.

The current plan includes schemes like the regeneration of Barry Waterfront but also more unpopular developments like the proposed business park at Model Farm.

In November, Vale of Glamorgan council will begin the first of several public consultations on replacing its development plan, looking at what priorities and issues should be considered.

Then, next summer, the council will make a call for candidate sites to be put forward for potential housing developments or for employment use. Several further consultations and revisions will be made until the replacement plan is finally signed off in October 2025.

Details of the replacement plan were revealed in a recent cabinet report. The council’s cabinet is due to meet on Monday, September 27, to approve the start of the process.

The cabinet report said: “Overall, it is considered that the adopted local development plan strategy remains relevant. It has been effective in promoting development opportunities in the key settlement of Barry and in other sustainable urban settlements in the South East Zone.

“The ongoing regeneration of Barry Waterfront has been particularly successful in providing a mix of uses including housing, employment, retail, and leisure uses as well as new infrastructure.

“The Cardiff Airport and Bro Tathan Enterprise Zone has attracted significant new inward investment to the Vale of Glamorgan and will continue to be a key consideration in the replacement local development plan.”

Once sites are earmarked for development, either for housing or employment, it can be difficult for local communities to prevent planning applications getting approval. One example is Model Farm, east of Cardiff Airport, which was earmarked as a potential major employment site in the current development plan.

The current plan sets out how land across the Vale of Glamorgan should be developed until 2026. The replacement plan would cover a period of 15 years, up until 2036, taking into account how the population of the Vale is likely to grow over that time.

Other factors likely to influence the replacement development plan include climate change and the coronavirus pandemic, and how local planning policies can adapt to tackle both crises.