2.1
The key trends and issues to be addressed by the Rhondda Cynon Taf LDP have been identified following consideration of:
• The results of pre deposit consultation with key stakeholders;
• The results of the Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Exercise; and
• A review of baseline social, economic and environmental information.
2.2
The issues identified through this process have directly informed the development of the core strategy for the LDP.
2.3
Pre deposit consultation undertaken between January – May 2006 has provided a clear indication of those land use issues that key stakeholders consider to be of primary importance in Rhondda Cynon Taf. These issues can be broadly grouped into the following categories:
• Transport / Infrastructure;
• Relationship with M4 / Cardiff;
• Employment;
• Housing;
• Environment, and
• Rhondda Cynon Taf.
2.4
A detailed list of those issues identified through this process is contained in the Report of Findings of the Visioning Workshops (March 2006).
2.5
The Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment (SA / SEA) scoping exercise was undertaken between January – April 2006. The process identified key strategic problems, objectives and issues for sustainability. The broad issues identified were as follows:
• Climate change;
• Economic development / housing provision;
• Transport;
• Protection of the landscape and biodiversity;
• Town centre vitality; and
• Cultural change.
2.6
A detailed discussion of each of the broad issues identified is contained in the Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report (March 2006).
2.7
In order to ensure that a robust basis was established on which to develop a spatial strategy for the LDP, a review was undertaken of key social, economic and environmental data. The review of the available data supports the issues identified through the pre deposit consultation process and the SA / SEA Scoping exercise. The analysis provides a clear picture of the social, economic and environmental issues which need to be addressed through the LDP process. The key trends identified are as follows:
Key Social Trends
• The resident population of Rhondda Cynon Taf mid-2007 is 233,734 persons. This population is projected to increase by 20,900 or 9% by mid-2030 (Office for National Statistics).
• The population projections for South East Wales forecast an overall increase in population of 14.7% between 2006 and 2031 to 1,631,000 persons (Welsh Government – Population Projections, 2006).
• The population of Rhondda Cynon Taf has remained largely unchanged between 1991 and 2001. However this masks significant local variation, between 1991 – 2001 the population of the central and northern valleys declined by 5% whilst the population of the south increased by 10% (Office for National Statistics).
• 72% of household completions between 1991 and 2006 in Rhondda Cynon Taf occurred in the south of the County Borough (JHLA, 2008).
• Of the 95,400 households in Rhondda Cynon Taf 52.9% are in terraced houses / bungalows, 26.2% are in semi-detached houses /bungalows and 12.3% are in detached houses / bungalows (Housing Needs Assessment, 2006).
• The most expensive housing sub-market in Rhondda Cynon Taf is in the south with the average sale of a 4-bedroom property 60% higher than a similar property in the north of the County Borough (Housing Needs Assessment, 2006).
• The County Borough has around 4000 empty properties, the majority of which are in the north of Rhondda Cynon Taf (Housing Matters – A Local Housing Strategy for Rhondda Cynon Taf, 2002-2012).
• There is a shortfall of 870 affordable housing units per annum in Rhondda Cynon Taf. (Housing Matters – A Local Housing Strategy for Rhondda Cynon Taf, 2002-2012).
• 28 of the 152 lower super output areas in Rhondda Cynon Taf are in the top 10% of most deprived areas in Wales (Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2008).
• The highest overall concentration of deprivation in Rhondda Cynon Taf is located in the central and northern valleys (Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2008).
• The highest levels of housing deprivation in Rhondda Cynon Taf are in the central and northern valleys (Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2008).
• Rhondda Cynon Taf has more super output areas in the most deprived 10% in Wales for health deprivation than any other local authority in Wales (Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2008).
• 27% of residents in Rhondda Cynon Taf suffer with a limiting long-term illness compared with a Welsh average of just 23% (Office of National Statistics).
• The highest levels of health deprivation in Rhondda Cynon Taf are in the central and northern valleys (Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, 2008).
• 41% of residents in Rhondda Cynon Taf have no academic qualifications compared with a Welsh average of 33% (Office of National Statistics).
Key Economic Trends
• 73% of residents in Rhondda Cynon Taf are economically active compared with a Welsh average of 75% (Employment Land Review, 2008).
• The central and northern valleys have above average levels of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) in Wales and the highest level of claimants in Rhondda Cynon Taf at 3.1% (Employment Land Review, 2008).
• The south of the County Borough has an above average level of economic activity and the highest number of economically active individuals in Rhondda Cynon Taf at 73% (Employment Land Review, 2008).
• In 2001 31,000 people residing in Rhondda Cynon Taf worked outside the local authority. This figure increased to 38,400 in 2004 with 19,000 of these commuting to Cardiff (Economic Development Prospects and Employment Land Implications, 2008).
• The employment structure of Rhondda Cynon Taf is dominated by three sectors ‘public administration’, ‘manufacturing’ and ‘distribution, hotels and restaurants’. Together, these three account for 74% of all available jobs in Rhondda Cynon Taf (Employment Land Review, 2008).
• Between 2000 and 2006 33 hectares of employment land was developed in Rhondda Cynon Taf at an average rate of 5.5ha per annum (Employment Land Review, 2008).
• Convenience (food) sales floor space in Tesco Talbot Green, Asda Aberdare and Tesco Upper Boat are trading 26% above the companies’ average benchmark turnover (Retail Capacity Assessment, 2007).
Key Environmental Trends
• 45% of Rhondda Cynon Taf passes the Fields in Trust standard of 1 kilometre to the nearest sports area of over 1,000 m² (Open space Assessment, 2007).
• The highest levels of ‘physical environment’ deprivation (for poor air quality, flood risk and waste disposal sites) occur in the central and northern valleys (Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2008).
• Municipal waste arisings in Rhondda Cynon Taf for 2004 / 05 stood at 131,777 tonnes. There was an average annual growth in arisings of 2.18% over the previous 6 year period compared with the SE Wales average of 2.92% (Regional Waste Plan Annual Monitoring Report 2006).
• Average household waste arisings per household for 2004 / 05 stood at 1.332 kilograms compared with the SE Wales average of 1.284kg (Regional Waste Plan Annual Monitoring Report 2006).
• Only 15.6% of municipal waste was recycled and composted in Rhondda Cynon Taf in 2004 / 05 compared with 20.7% in SE Wales as a whole (Regional Waste Plan Annual Monitoring Report 2006).
• Rhondda Cynon Taf is important for nature conservation with significant areas of semi natural habitat and high levels of habitat diversity. There are 3 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) at Coedydd Nedd a Mellte (part), Blaen Cynon (part) and Cardiff Beechwoods (part) and 14 Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
• Rhondda Cynon Taf has 16 conservation areas and 366 listed buildings (at the time of the preparation of the LDP).
• There are eight sites in Rhondda Cynon Taf which have potential sand and gravel resources.
• Large parts of the County Borough are located on the coal resource, with a substantial mining legacy being present.
2.8
The trends identified in this section provide a clear indication of the deep-seated social, economic and environmental factors that need to be addressed, in order to achieve balanced development across the County Borough. The factors identified provide a clear picture of the two parts of Rhondda Cynon Taf.
2.9
The central and northern valleys of the County Borough are experiencing:
• High levels of deprivation;
• Dereliction compounded by a declining population;
• Low levels of house building; and
• Below average levels of economic activity.
2.10
The south of the County Borough in contrast, has experienced:
• A significant growth in population supported by high levels of house building;
• Above average economic activity;
• Increased access to high-level services, facilities and jobs; and
• Development pressure because of its accessibility from the M4 and the wider region.
2.11
When these factors are considered across the County Borough as a whole they reveal the difficulties in managing cross-boundary relations with the M4/Cardiff and the relationship between the north and south of the County Borough. The key issues are:
• Internal and cross-boundary migration patterns;
• The provision of services in the north and development pressure in the south;
• Dependence on the wider region for employment and road congestion, and
• High levels of out commuting for employment.
2.12
If the trends portrayed are allowed to continue, those areas of Rhondda Cynon Taf with the least signs of socio economic deprivation are likely to prosper, whilst those areas of the County Borough showing signs of the most significant socio economic deprivation are likely to decline further.
2.13
In the central and northern valleys, the LDP strategy will seek to:
• Halt the process of decline by stimulating growth in the housing and employment markets;
• Removing dereliction, and
• Supporting services in important urban centres.
2.14
In the south, the strategy will seek to:
• Manage growth by balancing housing and commercial development with social and environmental considerations.
2.15
In accordance with the above, the LDP will provide a policy framework which:
• Seeks to address the socio-economic balance between the north and the south of the County Borough;
• Meets the housing and employment needs of a growing population;
• Provides a range of quality, affordable housing;
• Brings empty properties back into beneficial use;
• Provides a range of employment sites to meet local need, attract inward investment and assist in diversifying the employment market;
• Reduces out-commuting by providing a range of employment and commercial opportunities in accessible locations across Rhondda Cynon Taf;
• Manages waste and provide recycling opportunities within the boundaries of the County Borough;
• Protects the rich biodiversity and landscape of Rhondda Cynon Taf; and
• Protects the cultural and built environment.