Deposit Draft Local Development Plan - Rhondda Cynon Taf

flooding. The availability of ‘developable’ brownfield land in RhonddaCynon Taf is a finite resource and it is clear that it cannot accommodatethe growth requirements of the County Borough. The development ofbrownfield and greenfield land will therefore be necessary to the strategyof the Plan.4.45. An important element of the strategy is the use of residential settlementboundaries to establish a settlement hierarchy. Residential settlementboundaries provide certainty for members of the public and developersabout the development limits of urban areas, they maintain the integrityand character of towns and villages and protect the countryside fromincremental urbanisation. The LDP however, takes a different approach tothe operation of residential settlement boundaries in the northern andsouthern strategy areas. In the Northern strategy area, except the principaltown of Aberdare, Policy NSA 12 provides for development both withinand subject to site-specific considerations, adjacent to the definedsettlement boundaries. In the southern strategy area Policy SSA 13development will only be permitted within defined boundaries. Thisapproach recognises the important role that the development of smallsites has played in ensuring the provision of new housing in the northernstrategy area. Development will not be permitted in either the northern orsouthern strategy areas in small settlements that do not have definedresidential settlement boundaries.4.46. Proposals for the development of the Strategic Sites are contained in PolicyCS 3. Details of the non-Strategic Sites are contained in Appendix 1.Policy CS 5 - Affordable HousingThe housing requirements identified in Policy CS3 will be expectedto contribute to established community housing need by providingapproximately 3000 affordable units over the plan period.4.47. Of major importance to the strategy is the delivery of affordable housing.The Local Housing Market Assessment (2006) shows that a significantproportion of the County Borough’s population are unable to meet theirhousing needs through the private housing market. The Assessmentindicates that 870 affordable units per annum need to be provided inRhondda Cynon Taf over the next five years to meet this requirement.Whilst the planning system will not make up this shortfall in total it willplay an important role in meeting this need. Through the LDP the Councilwill expand opportunities to maximise the provision of affordable housingin respect of both social rented and low cost housing for sale. This will beachieved by establishing appropriate arrangements for sites including onand off site provision, promoting the reuse / rehabilitation of existing olderhousing stock as defined by Policy AW 1 and through the application ofPolicy AW 3 which will allow the development of sites solely for affordablehousing in the countryside.4.48. Whilst the Council recognises the importance of securing affordablehousing, this must be achieved in a manner which balances the social,economic and environmental needs of the communities in RhonddaCynon Taf. The development of 4,350 affordable units over the five yearsof the plan period (2006 –11) would effectively mean that almost 90% ofnew housing constructed in Rhondda Cynon Taf during this period wouldbe affordable. Such an approach would impact significantly upon the34Preserving Our Heritage, Building Our Future