Letter from Carwyn Jones

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   I've had a letter from Carwyn Jones (personally signed by him and not attributed to a civil servant like Mr Ancram). I've not posted it on the main board for several reasons - including that I don't really want it getting into the public domain with journalists and fans quoting it.
Dear Mr Roderick,
I am writing in reply to your e-mail of 14 August about my decision to call-in a planning application for housing development at Stradey Park, Llanelli.
Our policy on call-in is set out in section 4.12 of Planning Policy Wales. I will generally only call-in a planning application if I consider it raises issues of more than local importance. A proposal which appear to conflict with national policies may warrant being called-in on those grounds.
Planning Policy Wales is supported by a series of Technical Advice Notes (TANs). TAN 15 entitled "Development and Flood Risk" was most recently revised in July 2004. In this revision, areas liable to flood risk are categorised according to risk. An area designated as a C2 flood risk zone is described in TAN 15 as "an area of floodplain without significant flood defence infastructure" where "highly vulnerable development should not be considered". The Stradey Park area of Llanelli is designated as a C2 flood risk zone and housing is considered to be a highly vulnerable development. As a consequence I considered that an application to construct up to 450 houses in an area which was partly a C2 flood risk zone appeared to conflict with national planning policies and , therefore, justified my intervention.
The letter from teh Enviroment Agency to CCC was dated 25 July. You say that the Agency had no issues with flooding subject to minor workds and that the Agency, therefore, can be deemed as decreeing that the area is not a flood risk. This is not actually correct. The Agency confirmed in the letter that residential development is categorised as highly vulnerable and that the sitr is partially located within a C2 zone. The Agency stated that "to accord with requirements of TAN 15, such development should not be permitted and we must therefore object in principle to this planning application".
The case papers are now with the Planning Inspectorate and I anticipate than an inspector will be appointed shortly. It will be his or her role to consider all the relevant evidence associated with the application, including flood risk evidence. As with all applications which come to be determined within the Assembly, I do not want the determination of this application to be subject to any undue delay. I can confirm that the planning application will be determined on its merits.
Yours Sincerely,
CARWYN JONES 
I think that the salient points are that he agrees that it should be quick and that the outcome is not pre-determined because it is a C2 zone.
What I do find interesting is that my interpretation of the EA evaluation, after reading it fully, is that they agree that mitigation can work but that they have to object in princliple - i.e. they MUST and not necessarily that they WANT.
The other point is that CJ agrees that "highly vulnerable development should not be considered". Where does it say that they MUST not be considered a la Peter Johnson and Stradey 9?

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Abbey Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Veteran Joined: 07 November 2004 Location: Bridgend Status: Online Points: 14763	Post Options Post Reply Quote Abbey Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Letter from Carwyn Jones Posted: 21 September 2006 at 10:43am
	I've had a letter from Carwyn Jones (personally signed by him and not attributed to a civil servant like Mr Ancram). I've not posted it on the main board for several reasons - including that I don't really want it getting into the public domain with journalists and fans quoting it. Dear Mr Roderick, I am writing in reply to your e-mail of 14 August about my decision to call-in a planning application for housing development at Stradey Park, Llanelli. Our policy on call-in is set out in section 4.12 of Planning Policy Wales. I will generally only call-in a planning application if I consider it raises issues of more than local importance. A proposal which appear to conflict with national policies may warrant being called-in on those grounds. Planning Policy Wales is supported by a series of Technical Advice Notes (TANs). TAN 15 entitled "Development and Flood Risk" was most recently revised in July 2004. In this revision, areas liable to flood risk are categorised according to risk. An area designated as a C2 flood risk zone is described in TAN 15 as "an area of floodplain without significant flood defence infastructure" where "highly vulnerable development should not be considered". The Stradey Park area of Llanelli is designated as a C2 flood risk zone and housing is considered to be a highly vulnerable development. As a consequence I considered that an application to construct up to 450 houses in an area which was partly a C2 flood risk zone appeared to conflict with national planning policies and , therefore, justified my intervention. The letter from teh Enviroment Agency to CCC was dated 25 July. You say that the Agency had no issues with flooding subject to minor workds and that the Agency, therefore, can be deemed as decreeing that the area is not a flood risk. This is not actually correct. The Agency confirmed in the letter that residential development is categorised as highly vulnerable and that the sitr is partially located within a C2 zone. The Agency stated that "to accord with requirements of TAN 15, such development should not be permitted and we must therefore object in principle to this planning application". The case papers are now with the Planning Inspectorate and I anticipate than an inspector will be appointed shortly. It will be his or her role to consider all the relevant evidence associated with the application, including flood risk evidence. As with all applications which come to be determined within the Assembly, I do not want the determination of this application to be subject to any undue delay. I can confirm that the planning application will be determined on its merits. Yours Sincerely, CARWYN JONES I think that the salient points are that he agrees that it should be quick and that the outcome is not pre-determined because it is a C2 zone. What I do find interesting is that my interpretation of the EA evaluation, after reading it fully, is that they agree that mitigation can work but that they have to object in princliple - i.e. they MUST and not necessarily that they WANT. The other point is that CJ agrees that "highly vulnerable development should not be considered". Where does it say that they MUST not be considered a la Peter Johnson and Stradey 9?

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