Cardiff council's LDP delays are a dangerous mess, warns planner. Mr Pickles take note.

"There is now a suggestion of a delay of a further year in the progress in preparing Cardiff's revised Local Development Plan in order to consider the wider city region, the main point being that growth should be regionally distributed not just borne by Cardiff.

 would agree with the need to consider this but this is a huge change in approach for planning in Wales, with many neighbouring local authorities who would have to bear residential growth having already adopted plans. Such an approach is also contrary to that being rolled out in England under the 'localism' banner. 

Perhaps the mess Cardiff finds itself in is a lesson for the Rt. Hon. Mr Pickles; with no regional strategy can you rely on individual authorities to work together without their own needs and agenda being at the cost of wider strategic advancement?   

 "This move leaves Cardiff relying on a plan dating from 1996 and leaves the capital without an updated plan for another year, with adoption not being until October 2015. 

Can we really wait another three years?  

Without at least some form of interim guidance to direct development, the knock on effect for business in South East Wales is likely to be dangerous - particularly given Cardiff is supposed to be bringing forward an Enterprise Zone. Substantiation of this status is required too - while over the border the Westminster government is providing clarity to places such as Bristol that have been designated Enterprise Zones; thereby priming the areas for inward investment; no such direction has been provided in Cardiff. 

Was the Enterprise Zone designation merely a hollow political move to prove the Welsh Government's supposed 'delivery' agenda? Let's hope this cynicism is proved wrong."

Gareth Hooper, partner in DPP's Cardiff office