Preferred Strategy

8. Preferred Strategy

The over-arching Preferred Strategy sets out to achieve and deliver the Vision and Objectives of the plan. It has emerged from the consideration and analysis of the growth and spatial options and other considerations, including but not limited to:

• Addressing and responding to the Key Issues.
• Alignment with Future Wales, national, regional and local policies and strategies.
• Meeting the needs identified by evidence, including the LHMA and Employment Needs Assessment.
• Findings from supporting evidence: Settlement Assessment, Small Settlement Assessment, Cluster Analysis, Rural Approach and Integrated Planning and Transport Strategy, Housing Land Supply, Second Homes and Short-Term Holiday Lets, Specialist Housing and Vacancy Rate background papers.
• The initial ISA.
• The Annual Monitoring Reports and the Review Report of the Adopted Powys LDP (2011-2026).
• Participation, engagement and stakeholder feedback.

The Preferred Strategy proposes the scale of growth for housing and employment that will be delivered over the plan period 2022-2037 to meet identified needs. Spatially, the strategy distributes this growth through the Sustainable Settlement Hierarchy, Regional Growth Area Clusters, Local Clusters and the Rural Areas including Non-Cluster Settlements.

The Preferred Strategy utilises the Higher Growth Option (Dwelling-led 10 Year scenario) and the Regional Growth Area Led (Focussed Growth) Spatial Option and is described by the following Strategy Statement:

• The Replacement LDP Strategy focuses the majority of growth to settlements in the Bro Hafren and the Heart of Wales Regional Growth Area Clusters, with lower levels of growth enabled within settlements in Local Clusters. In other parts of the Plan area, development will be proportionate and appropriate focused on achieving sustainable rural communities, meeting local aspirations and identified needs. Development across all areas will be directed to higher tiered settlements ensuring that development in the least sustainable areas is closely controlled.
• 
  The Strategy supports strong well-connected communities, reflects the role of Powys in the Mid Wales Region and recognises the importance of economic growth and the rural economy. The Strategy enables development management decisions to be made against a framework where the principles of sustainable development and placemaking, together with guardianship of the natural built and historic environment are fully embedded, whilst seeking to enable biodiversity to flourish and the challenges of climate change to be addressed.

8.1 The Key Diagram

The Key Diagram illustrates the Replacement LDP strategy showing the locations of the Regional Growth Area Clusters, Local Clusters and the Sustainable Settlement Hierarchy.

Figure 10 - Key Diagram