A FURTHER delay to producing a new Local Development Plan (LDP) for Blaenau Gwent has been revealed to councillors.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Place scrutiny committee on Tuesday, June 18 councillors were given an update on how work to deliver the new LDP is progressing.

The LDP is a document that will direct where housing and industrial developments in the county borough should take place up to 2033.

The current LDP was for 2006 to 2021 is now out of date.

The new LDP will direct where housing and industrial developments in the county borough should take place up to the mid-2030s.

Work on the new plan started in September 2018.

As work on the document was revving up the Covid-19 pandemic struck in March 2020 and hampered the initial consultation phase.

Staffing issues due to sickness, retirement, and the need to recruit new officers has further hampered the work.

Last year a revised delivery agreement timetable was rubber stamped by councillors which said that the new LDP would be adopted in “early 2025”, but this expectation has now slipped back further to autumn 2026.

Development plans team manager, John Raine explained that the “purpose” of his report is for the updated timetable to be agreed at a full council meeting which will then be passed on to the Welsh Government for ratification.

Mr Raine said: “We’ve had two calls for candidate sites and have received 130 potential locations that we are currently assessing.

“Since the last update in January 2023 work has progressed on the deposit plan and updating the draft policies for that.

“However there has been some delays in finalising the evidence base required for the deposit plan.”

These have included the need for new assessments and studies of the local housing market, regional growth, and master-planning strategic sites to provide “evidence” for the LDP.

If the changes are agreed this would see the draft deposit plan reported to cabinet and full council in December and January.

This would then be followed by an eight week public consultation period expected to take place in February, March, and April 2025.

Mr Raine explained that a report based on the outcome of that consultation would be readied for December 2025 and submitted for examination by the Welsh Government in January 2026.

A public examination of the replacement LDP would also take place in “early” 2026 with Mr Raine expecting the planning inspectors (Welsh Government) report to be received back by the council in the summer of 2026.

Mr Raine said: “This would enable adoption of the replacement LDP in the autumn of 2026.”

Independent group leader Cllr Wayne Hodgins asked whether there would be any further “final call” for candidate sites.

Mr Raine said: “We’re not formally calling for another round of candidate sites because we’ve done two.

“The deposit plan public consultation would then provide an opportunity for representations to be put forward.”

Mr Raine explained that if a developer felt they had a “more deliverable” site it can be suggested at the consultation part of the process next year.

Committee chairman, Labour’s Cllr Malcolm Cross said; “The workload has been phenomenal, and I really sympathise as it has been a challenge.”

“You have our full backing taking this forward as we really need to see more developments, industrial units and housing.

“We wish you well keep up the good work.”

The committee backed the revised delivery timetable which is expected to go before full council for ratification at a meeting on July 18.