Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
Vale of Glamorgan Council

Introduction
The following representation is made in support of the employment allocation of Land south of Port Road (Model Farm), Rhoose (44.75 ha net) within the Vale of Glamorgan Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP) Deposit Plan.
Policy SP14: Employment Growth of the Deposit Plan identifies the site as a strategic employment allocation to support job growth and economic prosperity across the Vale of Glamorgan over the plan period and to meet the projected employment land needs of 67.8 hectares of employment land, as well as the delivery of up to 5,338 jobs and provision of 182 net hectares of employment land for B1 (Office and Light Industry), B2 (General Industries) and B8 (Distribution and Storage).
Our client, Legal and General, fully support the proposed allocation within the Deposit Plan which is to contribute 25% of the RLDP allocated employment land provision.

Site Context
The site proposes a 44.75 ha business park on land at Port Road, Rhoose, adjacent to Cardiff Airport. The site will provide approximately 1.7 million sq. ft Class B1, B2 and B8 floorspace, car parking, landscaping, drainage infrastructure and biodiversity enhancement. It will provide high quality offices, light industrial and warehousing and distribution units in a unique setting. It will also deliver an extension to the existing Porthkerry Country Park.
The site is allocated in the adopted Local Development Plan (LDP) 2011 – 2026 under Policy SP2: Strategic Sites for employment uses at land adjacent to the airport and Port Road, Rhoose, as part of the St. Athan – Cardiff Airport Enterprise Zone. Additionally, the site is one of the 11 sites allocated for future employment development under Policy MG9.
The Cardiff Airport and Gateway Development Zone 2011-2026 Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) emphasises the strategic significance of the site, highlighting its potential to deliver regionally important economic growth across a range of employment sectors.
An outline planning application was submitted on the allocated site in 2019 for demolition of existing buildings and erection of 44.79ha Class B1/B2/B8 Business Park, car parking, landscaping, drainage infrastructure, biodiversity provision and ancillary works. The application was amended in 2021 to a hybrid planning application ref: 2019/00871/OUT comprising an outline application for the demolition of existing buildings and erection of 44.75ha Class B1/B2/B8 Business Park, car parking, landscaping, drainage infrastructure, ecological mitigation and ancillary works (all matters reserved aside from access) within Area A and a full application for change of use from agricultural land to country park (Use Class D2) within Area B. The application was recommended for approval at Committee.
Notwithstanding the positive recommendation, the site is currently subject to an appeal for non-determination of 2019/00871/OUT. The inquiry was adjourned in March 2025 due to procedural matters and is scheduled to recommence in March 2026. Legal and General remains committed to the delivery of the site through its participation in the appeal process.

Cardiff Airport and St Athan Enterprise Zone
Planning Policy Wales
Planning Policy Wales (PPW) forms the national policy for Wales, outlining guidance for making planning decisions. PPW advises that the planning system plays a central role in supporting economic growth by ensuring that a sufficient supply of appropriately located employment land is identified and protected through development plans.
Employment land should be aligned with the principles of sustainable development, the well-being goals, and national decarbonisation objectives. Planning authorities are required to:
• Plan proactively for a mix of employment opportunities;
• Allocate and protect land that meets the current and future needs of business and industry;
• Ensure that employment land is well-connected, particularly via public transport, road, and digital infrastructure.
Paragraph 5.4.17 recognises Enterprise Zones as an example of where co-ordinated action can take place to encourage investment in a particular sector in a particular place. It refers that planning authorities should seek to support the development of business networks and clusters particularly in relation to innovative and technology-based enterprise.

Future Wales: The National Plan 2040
Future Wales: The National Plan 2040 (Future Wales) forms the development plan for Wales. It influences all levels of the planning system in Wales and helps to shape Strategic and Local Development Plans prepared by councils.
Model Farm falls within the Gateway Development Zone of the St Athan – Cardiff Airport Enterprise Zone which has been designated by Welsh Government for aerospace and defence related investment. It is supported by Policy 10 of Future Wales which recognises:
‘The Enterprise Zone offers a wide range of development sites and business accommodation, providing opportunities for the development of bespoke facilities or investment in existing accommodation’.
The strategic role of the Enterprise Zone is reinforced by several policies in Future Wales:
• Policy 1 (Where Wales Will Grow) – supports concentration of economic growth in the South East region, including Enterprise Zones.
• Policy 2 (Shaping Urban Growth and Regeneration) – requires that development at strategic gateways such as Cardiff Airport be maximised to support economic resilience.
• Policy 33 (National Growth Area – Cardiff, Newport and the Valleys) – identifies the Cardiff Airport & Bro Tathan Enterprise Zone as a nationally significant economic cluster.

Replacement Local Development Plan
The Deposit Plan sets out an overall strategy, allocating land for a range of and uses and setting out policies aimed at guiding development and framing development management decision making. The Deposit Plan Vision looks forward 15 years to 2036, where:
The Vale has a thriving local economy with a balanced, diversified business base. New employment growth at Bro Tathan and Cardiff Airport Enterprise Zones has attracted inward investment from knowledge-based and high-tech businesses, creating high quality employment and training.
Key strategic Objectives 9 Building a Prosperous and Green Economy – promotes the Cardiff Airport and St Athan Enterprise Zone as an important employment area, enabling delivery of high-quality and skilled jobs, training, and education opportunities. It promotes a range and choice of good quality employment land and supports infrastructure to enable local businesses to expand. The objective is to create opportunities for inward investment and enable the Vale of Glamorgan’s economy to respond to future changes in work and employment patterns. Legal and General fully support the objective which aligns with Welsh Government aspirations for the Cardiff Airport and St Athan Enterprise Zone.

Employment Land Provision
The Council’s adopted Economic Development, Employment Land and Premises SPG provides detailed guidance on how planning applications relating to employment land will be considered in support of the LDP strategy. The SPG reinforces the strong policy presumption in favour of retaining and delivering employment uses on allocated and existing employment sites, particularly those of regional economic importance such as land near Cardiff Airport and the Bro Tathan Enterprise Zone (i.e. Model Farm).
Model Farm’s position within the Enterprise Zone, in proximity to Cardiff Airport, Bro Tathan Enterprise Zone and the Cardiff and Vale College development presents the opportunity to develop the area into a high-quality business cluster. These strategically located flagship sites are intended to stimulate inward investment and consolidate the role of the Vale of Glamorgan within the Cardiff Capital Region.
The Employment Land Study (March 2023) recognises the value of Model Farm in recommending its allocation in the RLDP. Accordingly, Policy SP14 – Employment Growth of the Deposit Plan consolidates this opportunity through allocating the Model Farm site as a major employment allocation. Legal and General agrees that the position of Model Farm as a major employment site within the employment hierarchy reflects its importance as a key area of investment and employment opportunity within the Vale of Glamorgan.

Delivery
The value that the Deposit Plan places on the development of Model Farm is wholly appropriate given its alignment with PPW, Future Wales and Welsh Government’s reaffirmed commitment to delivering Enterprise Zones in Wales.
Legal and General remain committed to delivering the proposal at Model Farm. In doing so, Legal and General intend to collaborate with other users in the Enterprise Zone to realise its full potential in driving economic development of the wider Cardiff Capital Region.