Well-being of Future Genarations (Wales) Act (2015)

4.1.1. The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015) is concerned with improving the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of Wales. It requires the public bodies listed in the Act to think more about the long-term, work better with people, communities, and each other, look to prevent problems and take a collaborative approach to working. The Act puts in place seven well-being goals under a range of headings. The provision of an appropriate range and choice of employment sites and premises can contribute to achieving the following goals:

• A prosperous Wales
• A resilient Wales
• A healthier Wales
• A more equal Wales
• A Wales of cohesive communities
• A globally responsive Wales.

4.1.2. The Act places a duty on the Council to take reasonable steps in exercising its functions to meet the wellbeing objectives set out above. This SPG has been prepared as part of the Council's duty and the 'sustainable development principle', as set out in the Act and has sought to ensure that the needs of the present are met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Future Wales: The National Plan 2040 (February 2021)

4.2.1. Future Wales: The National Plan 2040, sets out theWelsh Government's strategic national development framework and builds upon the key objectives of Planning Policy Wales. It outlines the Welsh Government's strategies for addressing key national priorities through the planning system. These include sustaining and developing a vibrant economy, providing quality development in the right places for the right reasons, achieving decarbonisation and climate-resilience, developing strong ecosystems, and improving the health and well-being of communities.

4.2.2. In relation to economic development, Future Wales emphasises the need for future economic growth to align with the decarbonisation of the Welsh economy and to support innovation, entrepreneurialism and the development of skills and high-quality employment.

4.2.3. The National Development Plan outlines a number of strategic policies which development proposal must consider and will inform how decision makers determine planning decisions. The following strategic policies are considered likely to be relevant to employment-based proposals in the Vale of Glamorgan:

• Policy 1 – Where Will Wales Grow,
• Policy 2 – Shaping Urban Growth and Regeneration – Strategic Placemaking,
• Policy 5 – Supporting the rural economy,
• Policy 6 – Town Centre First,
• Policy 13 – Supporting Digital Communications,
• Policy 16 – Heat Networks,
• Policy 33 – National Growth Area – Cardiff, Newport and the Valleys.

Planning Policy Wales (PPW) Edition 11 (February 2021)

4.2.4. Planning Policy Wales (PPW) Edition 11 (February 2021) sets out the Welsh Government's aims and objectives for land use planning within Wales across a range of social, environmental, and economic topics. It indicates that the planning system should create sustainable places which are attractive, sociable, accessible, active, secure, welcoming, healthy, and friendly (paragraph 2.3 refers).

4.2.5. PPW translates the national well-being goals into 5 planning principles - Growing Our Economy in a Sustainable Manner; Making Best Use of Resources; Facilitating Accessible and Healthy Environments; Creating and Sustaining Communities, Maximising Environmental Protection, and Limiting Environmental Impact.

4.2.6. The 'Growing our economy in a sustainable manner' principle sets out the role that the planning system has in facilitating economic development:

"The planning system should enable development which contributes to long term economic well-being, making the best use of existing infrastructure and planning for new supporting infrastructure and services. Communities, national and local government, businesses, and the third sector must work together to take a long-term view, integrating and aligning priorities through greater collaboration to achieve sustainable economic benefits for all in line with the well-being goals." (PPW Figure 4, Page 17 refers)

4.2.7. Section 5 Productive and Enterprising Places sets out the measures that LPAs should adopt in carrying out their forward planning and development management functions to support the economy. These include ensuring that there is sufficient employment land to meet future employment needs at the local and strategic level, directing employment uses to the most appropriate locations, and providing a framework for protecting existing employment sites being lost to inappropriate non-employment uses.

Technical Advice Notes (TAN)

4.2.8. Technical Advice Note (TAN) 23 Economic Development (2014) provides advice on planning for economic development, the rural economy and how to address these issues in development plans and when making decisions. It advises that local planning authorities should avoid releasing existing employment land / premises for other uses where there is strong evidence of future need for B Class Uses. Due to the relatively low land values associated with employment land (when compared to other competing uses such as housing and retail), it is generally difficult to replace employment land once lost to alternative uses.

4.2.9. When considering non-employment proposals on land identified for employment uses, TAN 23 (paragraph 4.6.9 refers) recommends that local planning authorities should only consider this where one or more of the following apply:

• "they have poor prospects of being re-occupied for their previous use;
• the particular market that the site is part of is oversupplied;
• the existing employment use has unacceptable adverse impacts on amenity or the environment;
• the proposed redevelopment does not compromise unduly neighbouring employment sites that are to be retained;
• other priorities, such as housing need, override more narrowly focussed economic considerations; and/or
• Land of equal or better quality is made available elsewhere, even if this is not within the local planning authority boundary."

4.2.10. Technical Advise Note 12: Design (2016) - provides additional guidance and advice on enabling good design within the planning system. The design context is individual to each proposal, however, there are broad areas which should be covered in any proposal which are outlined in TAN 12. Section 5.12 sets out the key design principles that of relevance to Employment and Commercial Areas:

• The design of employment areas is important, as high quality of design can add value to commercial property, support the image of modern businesses and encourage further investment. Early consideration of the need to embrace high environmental standards, low carbon aspirations and minimise the need for artificially cooled buildings, provide opportunities to develop shared low carbon and renewable energy options.
• Large new employment buildings can often make a bold statement of their purpose. Recognising the functionality of business premises is important to ensure they contribute to the economic success of the occupier. However, robust design, high quality materials, flexibility of exterior and interior layout and appropriate landscape treatment such as earth form or planting, can help to integrate new business premises into their surroundings, minimise the need to artificially cool buildings and allow for easier conversion by successive occupiers. Service and utility features, exposed and imaginatively detailed, may in many cases provide elements of interest in otherwise plain facades. The need to consider the building and landscape maintenance processes once the development is completed is also essential to ensure that the development remains integrated.
• Where employment premises are grouped together, a sufficient scale of planting and earth forms is essential, to absorb the bulk of the building, ancillary circulation, and parking areas. Opportunities to minimise energy demand through the adoption of renewable energy or low carbon technology such as district heating schemes including CHP running on low carbon fuel, should be realised. Mixed employment uses would improve the feasibility and viability of such schemes and care should be taken to avoid the creation of insular estates. Efforts should be made to present a positive, outward looking image by ensuring key buildings within the development front onto roads and help improve connectivity. Accommodating parking within courtyard layouts can help to reduce the overall visual impact of parking areas. Separate, safe and attractive routes for pedestrians and cyclists, and high-quality facilities for public transport should be incorporated. Low maintenance regimes will be particularly important in mixed occupancy areas.
• Where situated in proximity to other uses, smaller employment premises especially, will need to be more closely related in terms of scale and appearance to their context. This should not mean concealing their purpose but expressing it in a way which reflects or complements the setting. In some circumstances, especially in regeneration and rural areas, the conversion of existing buildings for employment purposes will be appropriate. However even in these areas there can also be a place for new buildings of an appropriate appearance.

4.2.11. Technical Advice Note 18: Transport (March 2007) - provides guidance on achieving a sustainable and integrated land use planning and transport system. To achieve a more sustainable pattern of development TAN 18 provides detailed guidance upon the location of development, parking, and the design of development. In respect of employment and commercial developments the TAN indicates that Local Planning Authorities should seek to maximise opportunities to maximise accessibility for all and encourage the use of sustainable transportation modes. The TAN encourages the use of planning obligations to implement travel plans and secure provision of cycle parking and changing facilities.

4.2.12. TAN 21 Waste (2014) sets out the locational considerations for the provision of waste management facilities, and in relation to employment sites and building the TAN indicates:

• [...] many general employment sites and major industrial areas are likely to be suitable locations for waste facilities but this will depend on a variety of local factors, including the nature of existing users and the strategy adopted for particular employment sites.
• It is expected that facilities for recycling and remanufacture can be appropriately accommodated on many general employment sites, providing suitable access and transportation is available, however there may be site specific reasons for these being located elsewhere.
• Some waste facilities, such as open windrow composting will not be suitable in built up areas and may be more appropriate in rural locations.

4.2.13. In this respect the LDP identifies employment sites considered to be most suited for co-location of employment (Policy SP8 Sustainable Waste Management) and waste management facilities and sets out specific criteria for determining proposals for new waste managing facilities (Policy MD 20 Assessment of Waste Management Proposals).

4.3.1. The Vale of Glamorgan Adopted Local Development Plan (LDP) (2011- 2026) provides the planning policy framework for managing the use and development of land within the authority. The LDP Strategy seeks to promote new and enhanced employment opportunities in sustainable locations and also reflects the Welsh Government's economic aspirations for St. Athan and Cardiff Airport. The LDP includes ten strategic objectives which set out the overall social, economic, and environmental context and policy direction of the Plan. The following objectives and policies are of relevance to this SPG:

4.3.2. In order to support the local and wider regional economy, it is essential that the Council ensures there is a range and choice of land and premises available to both encourage inward investment and support the existing and future needs of local businesses. The LDP employment policies therefore seek to address this and have been informed by the Employment Land and Premises Study (2013).

4.3.3. LDP Policy SP1 - Delivering the Strategy contains 8 criteria which set out in broad terms how the LDP strategy will be delivered over the plan period. Criterion 2 is of particular relevance to the SPG which states the strategy will be achieved by "promoting a range of employment sites intended to meet the needs of the Vale of Glamorgan and the wider capital region" (LDP, p.38, 2017).

4.3.4. LDP Policy SP2 - Strategic Sites identifies 3 strategic sites that contribute to the promotion of development and regeneration opportunities within the specific areas identified within the strategy. Barry Waterfront and St. Athan are allocated for mixed use and land adjacent to Cardiff Airport is allocated solely for employment uses.

4.3.5. LDP Policy SP5 - Employment Requirements quantifieshow much land is allocated in the LDP for employment use (492 ha) to meet the regional and local employment needs. The majority of the land allocated (approximately 438ha) is found on the three strategic employment sites at St Athan Aerospace Business Park, Land adjacent to Cardiff Airport and Land to the south of the M4 Junction 34 (Hensol). These strategic allocations address the regional employment need and are intended to meet the specific needs of the aerospace, high tech manufacturing and logistics distribution industries. According to the findings of the Council's Employment Land and Premises Study (2013), the local employment need was projected to be approximately 53ha. It should be noted that the LDP allocates approximately 55ha of employment land on local employment sites for B1, B2 and B8 uses which includes a 5-year supply buffer to allow for flexibility over the Plan period. Together with the strategic allocations the LDP provides a range of employment land to meet local and regional demand.

4.3.6. LDP Policy SP8- Sustainable Waste Management Facilities – Identifies the employment sites within the Vale of Glamorgan that are considered the most appropriate for the co-location of waste management facilities which would undermine the primary role of the sites identified as important sources of employment land and premises; namely Atlantic Trading Estate, the Operational Port and Docks at Barry, and Llandow Trading Estate near Cowbridge. In addition, the policy allows for waste facilities to be developed on suitable existing and allocated employment sites as identified in Policy MG9 Employment Allocations.

4.3.7. LDP Policy MG9 – Employment Allocations allocates a total of 492.24 hectares (gross) of land for employment uses to meet both local and regional employment need. Two of the strategic employment sites have been allocated to capitalise on the Enterprise Zone and cater specifically for the needs of the aerospace industry and high-tech manufacturing. The other strategic site (currently occupied by Renishaw) offers good connectivity and is best suited for logistics, manufacturing, and distribution. The three strategic sites are also considered under separate policies MG 10 (St. Athan – Cardiff Airport Enterprise Zone) and MG 11 (Land to the South of Junction 34, M4). The local employment allocations (54.68 hectares gross) seek to ensure that an appropriate range and choice of land is available to support local economic growth during the Plan period.

4.3.8. LDP Policy MD14 – New Employment Proposals supports proposals for class B1, B2 and B8 employment uses and complementary ancillary uses on existing and allocated employment sites. Ancillary uses must complement the wider function of the employment site and not affect the integrity of these sites, or unacceptably reduce employment land supply. On strategic and local employment allocations, LDP Policy MD15 –Protection of Allocated Employment Sites restricts non-employment uses to those of a minor ancillary nature.

4.3.9. LDP Policy MD16- Protection of Existing Employment Sites and Premises identifies existing local employment sites which provide valuable employment opportunities close to where people live and support economic growth. The type and quality of the existing employment sites identified under Policy MD16 varies from purpose built business and industrial estates to open sites used for storage and distribution. These are predominantly located within long established employment sites primarily found within and adjoining the larger towns of Barry and Penarth which serve the southeastern Vale, and at Llandow Trading and Industrial Estates which primarily serves the rural western area of the authority. The map in Appendix 1 illustrates the location of the larger existing employments sites, together with land allocated within the adopted LDP to support future economic growth. In accordance with national planning policy, in addition to the sites listed Policy MD16 seeks to protect the loss of all employment sites and premises currently in, or previously in employment use in order to support a diverse local economy.

4.3.10. LDP Policy MD17 - Rural Enterprise promotes farm diversification and rural enterprise in the rural Vale.

4.3.11. LDP Policy MD20- Assessment of Waste Management Facilities sets out criteria against which all applications for the treatment, processing, storage and distribution of waste will be assessed, including those relating to new waste management facilities and extensions to existing operations, including proposals located on sites identified under aforementioned policies SP8 and MG9.

4.4.1. The following SPGs are particularly relevant to this guidance and should be read in conjunction with this document. All SPGs are available on the LDP pages of the Council's website.

4.4.2. The Cardiff Airport and Gateway Development Zone SPG has been prepared to provide clarity on how development proposals at this strategic location will be assessed in order to ensure the delivery of a comprehensive, high quality sustainable development.

4.4.3. The Conversion and Renovation of Rural Buildings SPG recognises the benefits of allowing the conversion of rural buildings to alternative uses including business use. Such uses can provide both direct and indirect employment opportunities in the rural Vale and have significant benefits to the local economy and community.

4.4.4. The Parking Standards SPG sets out the Council's parking requirements for new developments and changes of use. The SPG relates to commercial vehicles, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. It also refers to travel plans (which are covered in more detail in a separate Travel Plan SPG) as well as the need for provision for Ultra Low Emission Vehicle charging points.

4.4.5. The Planning Obligations SPG - provides clarification of where, what, when and how planning obligations will be sought, in order to assist the Council in creating sustainable communities that provide social, economic, and environmental benefits. This guidance offers advice on planning obligations in support of the policies in the Vale of Glamorgan LDP.

4.4.6. Biodiversity and Development SPG - offers guidance to assist developers to meet the Council's proactive approach to achieve a high-quality natural environment. This includes outlining the information the Council requires to be submitted to support a planning application to demonstrate biodiversity has been appropriately considered as part of a development proposal.

4.4.7. Trees, Hedgerows, Woodlands and Development SPG - contains guidance relating to how existing vegetation should be considered within development proposals and emphasises the importance of protecting existing trees and integrating them within the design of development proposals.