Overview

Neath Port Talbot Council is preparing a new Local Development Plan (LDP). The LDP will guide development across the borough, allocating land for new development and providing detailed strategies for specific geographic areas / land uses. A key element of the LDP is a focus upon the main town, district and local centres across the county borough, which provide a focus for local communities.

Our role

In order to support the retail, leisure and town centres elements of the new LDP, we were asked to prepare a new set of evidence base information in relation to retail and town centre land use issues. This included:

  • Assessing the need for food and non-food retail floorspace across the County Borough
  • Undertaking a review of the land use profile of the main town, district and local centres
  • Obtaining and analysing up-to-date shopping and food & beverage patterns across the main settlements, including an analysis of their respective catchment areas
  • Assessing the most appropriate locations to meet identified needs, including the need for planning new local centres to serve new/growing residential communities
  • Providing advice on the content of strategic and development management policies for the new LDP
Outcome

Our Retail & Town Centres Study now forms part of the evidence base for Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council’s new Local Development Plan.