The Local Development Plan sets standards and policies for development within Snowdonia National Park. Snowdonia National Park Authority refer to the plan to guide their planning decisions.
What does the plan include?
The Local Development Plan lists factors to consider when evaluating planning applications and granting planning permissions. The factors are based on the qualities that need to be protected and enhanced within the National Park. These include:
- the natural beauty of the park
- the park’s communities and culture
- the park’s wildlife
- the park’s heritage and history
Eryri Local Development Plan Interactive Map
The Eryri Local Development Plan Interactive Map allows you to zoom in and around a map of Snowdonia to see which policies affect where.
Supplementary Planning Guidance
Alongside the Local Development Plan, Snowdonia National Park Authority will publish Supplementary Planning Guidance documents. These documents go into further detail about the policies contained in the Local Development Plan.
Several Supplementary Planning Guidance documents look at different development matters, including:
- Sustainable design
- Light pollution
- The Welsh language
- Affordable housing
- Visitor accommodation
Hard copies of the adopted Eryri Local Development Plan 2016-2031 including its Proposals and Inset Maps are available for inspection at the National Park Office, Penrhyndeudraeth and at the Authority’s Information Centres.
Snowdonia National Park Authority will publish detailed maps and proposal maps to accompany the Local Development Plan. The purpose of these maps is to show the ‘status’ of specific areas within Snowdonia National Park. For example, the maps outline places designated as:
- Areas of Natural Beauty
- Conservation areas
- Dark Sky Areas
These areas have specific standards and policies intended to protect their special qualities.
The first step in producing the Local Development Plan is to develop the evidence base.
Snowdonia National Park Authority will consider what are the main issues facing the National Park and how Local Development Plan policies can seek to address these challenges. The Authority will involve the Park’s communities in preparing the Local Development Plan to ensure that the draft plan effectively meet their needs.
Once the evidence base has been collected, the work of drafting the plan can begin. The information and issues gathered will guide the development of new policies or amend existing policies.
After the drafting process is complete, the Planning Inspectorate will examine the draft plan. The Planning Inspectorate is a department within the Welsh Government responsible for planning matters over the entirety of Wales.
A Planning Inspector will hold a public examination to consider comments on the draft plan.
At the end of the process, the Authority will adopt the plan and use it to inform their planning decisions.
Snowdonia National Park Authority will review the Local Development Plan every four years. A revision can take between 2–3 years to complete.