It seems Cardiff's LDP has been leaked to the Welsh press.
Wales Online has a story up which outlines in quite a lot of detail what's going on and where. There's still no official word from the council but I've heard the it has, at least verbally, agreed that the detail is correct.
The LDP has been so heavily delayed and there's been a real battle over Greenfield release (we and others have talked about this before). The growth option they've eventually opted for at 45,000 new homes between now and 2026 is the middle of the road option (the highest option called for 54,400 homes) and is actually less than than the Welsh Goverment's housing projections for Cardiff.
Nobody wants to go on record (there are some very lucrative property and development deals to be done here) but as one pointed out, 'they'll have to justify using this lower figure to the Welsh Government...there is a real prospect that the final housing numbers may actually need to be higher than this.
Cardiff's argument is that housing numbers should be looked at on a regional basis rather than them being left to pick up the numbers others don't want because they are the last to produce their plan.
Generally the property industry seem pleased that Cardiff - at last, eventually - appear to be grasping the nettle, one they've been avoiding since it became clear in February 2010 that the previous draft of the LDP was going to be thrown out. But, they warn, this is just the preferred strategy, with member and public views on this being sought in October and December respectively.
This is the real crunch time. At this point the vision will come under intense scrutiny and the resolve of Cardiff Council to build 18,250 homes on Greenfield sites will be really tested.
To add fuel to the fire, the Independent Advisory Group appointed by the Welsh Government to report on future options for the delivery of the planning service are also due to report back in October. This may see revisions to the entire plan making process in Wales, potentially giving Cardiff the opportunity to scrap the plan again.
So while most are relieved that Cardiff does at last have a plan they're still left hanging. As one put it: ' This is merely the start of what I suspect will be a hugely emotive debate, which unfortunately, I am not convinced will end up looking like the current plan.'
If it doesn't there is the threat Cardiff will still not have an adopted plan by 2020.
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