2.1 The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 makes it a requirement for local planning authorities in Wales to prepare aLocal Development Plan (LDP) for their areas. The Isle of Anglesey County Council and Gwynedd Council have decided to prepare a single Plan (the Plan) for Anglesey and Gwynedd Planning Authority areas.

2.2 When the Plan is adopted, it will replace the Development Plans shown in the table below. It will also replace the Anglesey Unitary Development Plan (that was stopped in 2005), and Interim Planning Policies, which currently are material planning considerations for determining planning applications by the Isle of Anglesey County Council.

2.3 Once the Plan is adopted, the majority of decisions on planning applications in the two Planning Authority areas will be based on the contents of the Plan.

2.4 The Plan will deal with Anglesey and Gwynedd but parts of Gwynedd within the Snowdonia National Park will not be included. Map 1 shows the Plan area. It is neither a sub-regional nor a formal administrative area but whilst every area has its own special character, both Councils believe that there is a strong cross-boundary relationship between them in terms of function, economy, infrastructure and policy. This means that collaboration on a development plan makes planning and economic sense.

(For illustration purposes only)

2.5 Working together will enable both Councils to tackle complex issues together and it may provide a stronger voice for them when discussing issues with their partners. A review of information available has shown important cross-boundary issues which provide a robust base for preparing a Plan for the area in question. These are:

• Jobs - The demand for and supply of jobs create strong travelling patterns between Anglesey and north Gwynedd.
• Jobs - decommissioning work at Trawsfynydd (over 650 workers) and the electricity generation and decommissioning work at Wylfa (over 600 workers) completed during the Plan period - projects that employ workers from across the Plan area.
• Wales Spatial Plan (2008) - identifies 6 Zones, which were developed by the Area Groups following extensive collaboration and research. Each Zone approached the issue in different ways, which reflects their agreed regional priorities. The Plan area lies within 2 of the 6 Zones and further information can be seen in Chapter 3 of the Deposit Plan.
• Anglesey Energy Island Programme - a collaborative approach between a number of stakeholders in the public and private sectors (including the UK Government and the Welsh Government) to place Anglesey at the forefront in terms of energy research and development, generating and servicing, which will be a means of influencing major infrastructure projects bringing economic and social benefits to the Island and north west Wales.
• Road and Railway networks - Important elements of the road and railway networks cross the administrative boundaries of both areas.
• Cross- boundary Housing Market Areas which have common influences.
• Shopping - Bangor's influence as a sub-regional shopping centre.
• Infrastructure - the capacity of the road network, energy transmission network, the sewerage treatment network and works and water supply.
• Landscape - the relationship across the Menai Strait.

2.6 It will state what the strategy and aims for development and land use will be in the area covered by the Anglesey and Gwynedd Planning Authorities and it will include policies used to implement these strategies and aims over a period of 15 years (2011 to 2026). The Plan will have a significant influence on development of the whole area and individual communities. It will provide guidance regarding the location of new houses, employment opportunities, leisure and community facilities and where these will be provided in the area. The Plan will be used to determine which developments will receive permission in the future by the Councils and where.

2.7 It is a requirement for the Plan to be 'sound', i.e. showing good judgment and that it can be trusted. The matters that are important to the area must be examined, based on evidence regarding the economy, the society and the environment and fair consideration must be given to practical alternative options. The Plan will be measured against the Tests of Soundness. These deal with the contents of the Plan as well as its preparation process. The Tests are reproduced in Appendix 1.

2.8 The process of preparing the Plan is shown in Figure 2.

(For illustration purposes only)

2.9 The Plan has been assessed against the Tests of Soundness. These deal with the content of the Plan's policy, along with the processes for producing it.

2.10 The Plan has developed over the last 3 years. A summary is provided below of the 13 key stages in the process.

2.11 Delivery Agreement - This establishes the timetable for preparing the Plan as well as a public participation plan showing the who, how and when for public participation and consultation. The first one was approved in December 2011. It has by now been updated (December 2014) to reflect the latest situation regarding preparing the Plan.

2.12 Evidence - reviewing and developing the evidence base (a continuous process) which includes information and social, economic and environmental trends, to give a comprehensive and sound foundation for developing the strategy, policies and designations.

2.13 Pre-deposit Participation and Consultation on the Preferred Strategy Document - this stage entailed identifying and assessing the main matters and strategic options (2011 - 2012). It was followed by a period of preparing the Preferred Strategy (2012 - 2013) and then submitting that document for public consultation (May 2013).

2.14 Preparing the Deposit Plan and public consultation - the comments on the Preferred Strategy were considered, and the evidence reviewed in order to prepare the Deposit Plan. This Deposit Plan shows the strategic vision, objectives and policies in detail, to guide the development of land and buildings up to 2026. It will be available for inspection and comment during February and March 2015 (date to be confirmed). After the public consultation, the Councils will advertise and ask for comments on the Alternative Sites Register, namely sites submitted by developers/landowners and so on during the public consultation process on the Deposit Plan.

2.15 Submitting the Plan and Examination in Public - The Council will consider comments received during the public consultation stages and report on the consultation as a whole. The report will summarise the main matters raised. An independent Planning Inspector will then choose which matters need to be considered during the Examination in Public. The purpose of this will be to assist the Inspector to reach a conclusion regarding the soundness of the Plan, using the established tests of soundness. It is anticipated the Examination in Public will happen in April 2016.

2.16 The Inspector's Report - The report will say whether the Plan is sound or not and may give information about the mandatory amendments and the reasons for them. It is foreseen this report will be published in autumn 2016.

2.17 The Plan Adopted and Implemented by the Councils - This will have to happen within 8 weeks of receiving the Inspector's Report. It is foreseen the Plan will be adopted in December 2016. Then it will replace the development plans of both Councils, the Anglesey Unitary Development Plan that was stopped and the Interim Policies.

2.18 Monitoring - The strategy, objectives and policies of the Plan will be monitored annually. The conclusions of the monitoring work will be shown in an annual report, sent to the Government of Wales and published and available in recognised public locations.

2.19 Full review - The Plan will be reviewed in full every 4 years unless the annual Monitoring Report states differently.

2.20 The rest of the Deposit Plan is as follows:

2.21 The Plan also includes:

2.22 The evidence base forming the basis for the Plan is in a number of documents. These are listed in Appendix 2: Schedule of Key Documents.

2.23 You can submit observations on the Deposit Plan during the 6 weeks public consultation period. Details about the public consultation period can be seen in the statutory notice on the Councils' websites and in the public places where this document can be viewed.

2.24 Separate consultations will be held on the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and the Habitats Regulation Assessment note alongside this consultation. Separate submissions should be submitted as explained in the documents themselves.

2.25 Follow the instructions on the Council's website to see the on-line version of this document to make your observations. This is the Councils' preferred method in order to make the process of assessing these observations as effective and efficient as possible.

2.26 Observations can also be submitted by using the appropriate form and sending it to the following address planningpolicy@gwynedd.gov.uk

2.27 You may submit your observations in writing. You must use the appropriate observations form and send it to the address below. You must ensure that any observations clearly states to which part / paragraph of the Plan you are referring and that it includes your contact details - your name, address, telephone number and any e-mail details, so that we will be able to contact you should we have any questions. You can see copies of the Plan at local public libraries in Gwynedd and Anglesey, Council Offices in Bangor and Llangefni, Siop Gwynedd, where you can also receive assistance to see the information kept on the Plan website.

2.28 Should a document be required in a different language, in large print or in a different format then do not hesitate to contact us as soon as possible.

2.29 The contact details of the Joint Planning Policy Unit is as follows:

By e-mail: polisicynllunio@gwynedd.gov.uk

By writing to: Gwynedd and Anglesey Joint Planning Policy Unit, 1st Floor Bangor City Council Offices, Ffordd Gwynedd, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 1DT

Over the phone: 01766 771000 and ask for the Joint Planning Policy Unit

Our website address: www.gwynedd.gov.uk or www.anglesey.gov.uk