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Welsh Government | NDF Regions and Rural Study

1. Study OverviewMarch 2019

Mae’r ddogfen yma hefyd ar gael yn Gymraeg.This document is also available in Welsh.

OGL © Crown Copyright WG38364 Digital ISBN 978-1-83876-626-9

Welsh Government NDF Regions and Rural Areas Study Study Overview

| Issue | 13 March 2019 \\GLOBAL\EUROPE\CARDIFF\JOBS\264000\264350-00\4 INTERNAL PROJECT DATA\4-50 REPORTS\07. STUDY REPORT\ISSUE STUDY OVERVIEW.DOCX

Contents Page

1 Study Overview 1

1.1 This Report 1 1.2 NDF Context 1 1.3 Purpose of this Study 2 1.4 Approach and Reports 2 1.5 Arup’s involvement 4



Page 1

1 Study Overview

1.1 This Report This report provides an overview of the NDF Regions and Rural Areas Study, and the approach taken to reporting on its findings. It:

a) Sets out the context to the research

b) Outlines the purpose of this study;

c) Explains the approach to the Study and where its findings can be found; and

d) Describes Arup’s involvement in the Study.

1.2 NDF Context The Welsh Government is preparing a National Development Framework for Wales (NDF). The NDF will be a development plan for the whole of Wales, replacing the Wales Spatial Plan on publication in September 2020. It will set out national planning policies for the next 20 years and express spatially the Welsh Government’s long term economic, social and environmental objectives.

The NDF will form part of the statutory plan for determining planning applications and will assist the determination of Developments of National Significance (DNS). Following the consultation on the National Development Framework (NDF) Preferred Option in the summer of 20181, the Welsh Government are now in the process of developing the Draft NDF with consultation planned for July 2019.

As set out in the Preferred Option, it is proposed the NDF will include both national and regional policies across the defined regions. The three regions will cover North, Mid & South West and South East Wales as shown in Figure 2. This reflects the three regions identified by the Welsh Government’s Economic Action Plan.

Chief Regional Officers have been appointed for each region and have commenced work to develop the Welsh Government’s approach to improving regional working and delivery.

The Planning Act facilitates this approach and provides a legal framework for the preparation of Strategic Development Plans (SDPs) on a regional basis. From a regional perspective, the NDF’s role includes supporting the delivery of the Welsh Government’s regional policies and better strategic planning / collaboration between Wales’ Local Planning Authorities (LPAs).

The programme for the NDF is illustrated in Figure 3, with:

• Consultation on the Draft NDF planned for July to September 2019; and

• Assembly consideration of the Draft between April and June 2020.

1 https://beta.gov.wales/national-development-framework-issues-options-and-preferred-option

https://beta.gov.wales/national-development-framework-issues-options-and-preferred-option



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1.3 Purpose of this Study The objectives for this Regions and Rural Areas Research Study are:

a) To develop an evidence base for each NDF region that supports NDF policy development and using this, to identify the issues and spatial areas NDF policies should focus on;

b) To identify broad rural areas and develop an evidence base that supports NDF policy development and using this, to identify the issues and spatial areas NDF policies should focus on; and

c) To involve stakeholders in a and b.

There are two parts of this research2:

1. Part 1 - Regional Baseline and SWOT3 Analysis to Support NDF Policy Development; and

2. Part 2 - Identification of Broad Rural Areas and SWOT Analysis to Support NDF Policy Development.

The research covers all Wales and a wide range of potential policy areas.

The research is intended to be high-level and it is not intended to provide evidence and support policy development for all levels.

Regional and local planning tiers are responsible for developing evidence and policies appropriate to their level.

However, the NDF will have a role supporting regional planning and Strategic Development Plans (SDPs) across Wales.

The Welsh Government is also keen, through this research, to understand what the planning system can do through the NDF to support rural areas.

1.4 Approach and Reports To help achieve the study objectives, Ove Arup & Partners (Arup) who were commissioned to undertake this Study, produced a suite of reports that address the requirements for the study.

These are summarised in Table 1 below:

2 The requirements for the study were provided to Arup within a Specification document, which informed Arup’s proposal for the research, which was accepted by the Welsh Government in September 2018. 3 The SWOT Analysis and NDF policy development requirements of this work are not intended to identify and address all issues at all levels. Rather they are to support the development of high-level national planning policy and provide direction for regional planning.



Page 3

Table 1 Study Approach and Reports

Output Reports Contents

Study Overview 1. Study Overview a) NDF context, purpose of study and reports, Arup’s involvement

Data and Definitions Report

2. Data and Definitions Report

b) Introduction including context, purpose of study and reports, and structure

c) Data collection including approach, method, cooperation, findings, stakeholder feedback, how data has been utilised in the research with tables and maps.

d) Defining ‘Major’ –including employment sites, retail/commercial sites, generating stations and transport schemes

e) Defining and mapping key settlements

f) Adjoining English regions g) Defining Rural Areas h) Consideration of the Well-being

of Future Generations Act i) Summary of Study

Workshop Reports

3. Regional Workshop Report – North Wales

4. Regional Workshop Report – Mid & South West Wales

5. Regional Workshop Report – South East Wales

6. Rural Workshop Report – North Wales

7. Rural Workshop Report – Mid & South West Wales

8. Rural Workshop Report – South East Wales

j) Approach to stakeholder involvement

k) Workshop arrangements and attendees

l) Results of activities m) Summary of stakeholder

feedback

SWOT4 Reports 9. Regional SWOT Report 10. Rural SWOT Report

n) Approach to SWOT o) Stakeholder feedback p) Data validation q) SWOT analysis r) Role of the NDF in supporting

and addressing the SWOTs, considering interrelationships and ways of working

s) Summary of what the NDF should do to support / address SWOTs in regions and rural areas

4 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)



Page 4

As a suite of documents, the Data and Definitions Report should be read alongside the associated Workshop and SWOT Reports for a comprehensive understanding of the results and findings of the research.

All outputs that comprise the suite of reports for the study provide context, purpose and cross reference to each other as appropriate.

In particular, the Data and Definitions Report clearly explains the approach to the study and reporting, providing an overview of the outputs together as required.

The study reports have been published on the National Development Framework website by the Welsh Government separately and alongside each other5.

1.5 Arup’s involvement The Welsh Government selected a focused team of specialists at Arup to undertake this important piece of research. An organogram of the project team is provided in Figure 1. The project team structure offered a multi-disciplinary team of research and policy specialists, working alongside GIS, digital and stakeholder engagement experts. The team offered both analytical and practical experience in data gathering, spatial analysis, policy development and plan making.

Arup has completed many similar research commissions, working with both Welsh Government and other organisations (e.g. Planning Advisory Service or Scottish Government). The selected project team offered extensive research experience, working across the UK on behalf of public, private and third sector organisations.

The inclusion of Kieron Hyams (Project Director), Corinne Swain OBE (Arup Fellow) and Paul Milbourne (Head of School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University) as specialist advisors offered unrivalled experience in government-level strategic planning research with specialists having worked extensively for the Welsh Government and in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland for National Government. In addition, David Brown (Research Lead) and Allan Pitt (Policy and Stakeholder Lead) have undertaken several previous research studies for the Welsh Government. They have also recently worked closely with RTPI Cymru, developing the Value of Planning Toolkit.

Arup has an award-winning local and global network of GIS experts working to industry standards on multidisciplinary projects across all sectors and throughout all project development stages from planning to operations. In delivery this work, Arup’s GIS and Web specialists worked closely with the Welsh Government statistics team to help ensure that the end deliverables were tailored to our aspirations to make data available to all, utilising the Lle Portal6 where practicable.

Trosol provided Welsh translation services during the production of research materials, study outputs and at workshop events.

5 https://gov.wales/topics/planning/national-development-framework-for-wales/?lang=en 6 http://lle.gov.wales/

https://gov.wales/topics/planning/national-development-framework-for-wales/?lang=en

http://lle.gov.wales/



Page 5

Figure 1 Project Team Organogram

Project Manager / Research Lead David Brown

GIS Lead Jayne Evans

Policy & Stakeholder Lead

Allan Pitt

Project Director Kieron Hyams

Welsh Government

Data Analyst Felicity Graves

Researcher Ella Philips

Welsh Language Lead Rhodri Evans

(Trosol)

National & Regional Policy Advisor Corinne Swain (Arup Fellow)

Rural Policy Advisor Paul Milbourne

(Cardiff University)

Researcher Emmeline Reynish



Page 6

Figure 2 NDF Regions



Page 7

Figure 3 NDF Timeline

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