Supporting community and town councils in the Brecon Beacons

The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority has commissioned Planning Aid Wales for a second time to help community and town councils contribute to preparation of a Local Development Plan for the Park area.

In 2008, at the early stages of the Local Development Plan process, Planning Aid Wales delivered a series of training and capacity-building events for all community and town councils within the national park area. These workshops explained the Local Development Plan process and encouraged community and town councils to play a proactive role in it. They also introduced participants to a range of tools and techniques for involving their local communities. As a result of this work a majority of councils worked with their local communities to develop a local contribution to the emerging Local Development Plan.

In January 2009, the National Park Authority published its Preferred Strategy, and consultation events and meetings have been held to gather the views of individuals and community and town councils. Communities themselves have also organised their own events and meetings. A regular timetable of consultation and engagement activity has enabled the National Park Authority to build a picture of some of the key concerns and issues that community and town councils hold regarding the emerging Local Development Plan.

Now Planning Aid Wales is commissioned to deliver another programme of training and capacity-building workshops to support community participation during the later stages of Local Development Plan preparation from the so-called ‘Deposit consultation’ through to the public inquiry. The interactive training programme will include three different half-day workshops delivered sequentially between end-March and mid-June 2010.

Participants will learn about the plan preparation process so far and the key stages still left to complete. One aspect of plan-making that has traditionally attracted much interest from local communities is the selection of specific sites for housing development, so the methodology developed by the planning authority for this will be explained in a clear and logical way.

Participants will be alerted to key consultations and will consider practical ways of identifying and feeding through the views and aspirations of their local communities in these. They will also have an opportunity to explore what they can do to maximise the effect of their involvement in the process.

The programme will finish with a drop-in session that will provide assistance and guidance for community and town councils considering preparing a consultation response on the deposit Local Development Plan.

If you are interested in attending these events, please e-mail [email protected]

If you’d like to find out more about the possibility of having a similar training programme in your area, please contact Planning Aid Wales’ Training Officer, Maria Allen.

Mae Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog wedi comisiynu Cymorth Cynllunio Cymru am yr ail dro i gynorthwyo cynghorau tref a chymuned i gyfrannu at baratoi Cynllun Datblygu Lleol ar gyfer ardal y parc.

Yn 2008, yng nghyfnod cynnar y broses Cynllun Datblygu Lleol, darparodd Cymorth Cynllunio Cymru gyfres o ddigwyddiadau hyfforddiant a meithrin gallu ar gyfer cynghorau tref a chymuned o fewn ardal y parc cenedlaethol. Roedd y gweithdai hyn yn esbonio proses Cynllun Datblygu Lleol ac yn annog cynghorau tref a chymuned i chwarae rhan weithredol ynddi. Gwnaethant hefyd gyflwyno cyfranogwyr i amrediad o ddulliau a thechnegau i ymrwymo’u cymunedau lleol. O ganlyniad i’r gwaith hwn gweithiodd y rhan fwyaf o’r cynghorau gyda’u cymunedau lleol i ddatblygu cyfraniad lleol i’r Cynllun Datblygu Lleol oedd yn datblygu.

Yn Ionawr 2009, cyhoeddodd Awdurdod y Parc Cenedlaethol ei Strategaeth a Ffefrir, a chynhaliwyd digwyddiadau a chyfarfodydd ymgynghori i gasglu sylwadau unigolion a chynghorau tref a chymuned. Mae cymunedau eu hunain hefyd wedi trefnu digwyddiadau a chyfarfodydd. Mae amserlen rheolaidd o weithgaredd ymgynghori ac ymrwymo wedi galluogi Awdurdod y Parc Cenedlaethol i adeiladu llun o rai o’r pryderon allweddol sydd gan gynghorau tref a chymuned ynghylch y Cynllun Datblygu Lleol sy’n datblygu.

Nawr comisiynwyd Cymorth Cynllunio Cymru i gyflwyno rhaglen arall o weithdai hyfforddi a meithrin gallu i gefnogi cyfranogaeth y gymuned yn ystod cyfnodau terfynol paratoi’r Cynllun Datblygu Lleol o’r ‘Ymgynghoriad Adneuo’ trwodd i’r Ymchwiliad Cyhoeddus. Bydd y rhaglen hyfforddi rhyngweithredol yn cynnwys tri gweithdy gwahanol a fydd yn parhau am hanner diwrnod yr un ac a draddodir yn ddilynol rhwng diwedd Mawrth a chanol Mehefin 2010.

Bydd y cyfranogwyr yn dysgu am y broses o baratoi cynllun hyd yma ynghyd â’r camau allweddol sydd eto i’w cwblhau. Un agwedd o greu cynllun sydd, yn draddodiadol, wedi denu diddordeb mawr gan gymunedau lleol yw dethol safleoedd penodol ar gyfer adeiladu tai, ac felly esbonnir y fethodoleg a ddatblygwyd gan yr awdurdod cynllunio ar gyfer hyn mewn dull eglur a rhesymegol.

Tynnir sylw’r cyfranogwyr at ymgynghoriadau allweddol gan ystyried ffyrdd ymarferol o nodi a bwydo sylwadau ac uchelgeisiau eu cymunedau lleol yn rhain. Cânt hefyd y cyfle i archwilio’r hyn y gallant hwy ei wneud i fwyhau effaith eu hymrwymiad yn y broses.
Bydd y rhaglen yn gorffen gyda sesiwn galw-i-mewn fydd yn rhoi cymorth a chanllaw ar gyfer cynghorau tref a chymuned sy’n ystyried paratoi ymateb i’r ymgynghoriad ar y Cynllun Datblygu Lleol Adneuo.

Os oes gennych ddiddordeb mewn mynychu’r digwyddiadau hyn yna ebostiwch[email protected]

Os hoffech ddarganfod mwy am y posibilrwydd o gael rhaglen hyfforddi tebyg yn eich ardal, cysylltwch âSwyddog Hyfforddi Cymorth Cynllunio Cymru, Maria Allen.