The first formal stage in the preparation of the Merthyr Tydfil Second Replacement Local Development Plan (LDP), 2026-2041 is the Candidate Site process. The process permits landowners (individual or organisations, inclusive of developers or the Council) to submit sites for potential inclusion in the LDP. Sites can be proposed for a variety of uses, including but not limited to residential, employment, retail, leisure, tourism, renewable energy, waste, minerals, green infrastructure, open space, biodiversity, community facilities, education and transport.
All sites submitted will be subject to a multi-stage assessment process to ascertain the most appropriate for inclusion within the Plan. This will include discussions with external consultees including Natural Resources Wales, Cadw, Heneb, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, National Grid, Wales and West Utilities, Western Power Distribution and the Local Health Board, alongside a public consultation at Preferred Strategy stage.
The most appropriate sites will become allocations within the Second Replacement Local Development Plan, which the Council have a statutory duty to produce.
The Submission of Candidate Sites
Methodology
The Call for Candidate Sites commenced on 23rd September 2026 and will conclude on the 16th December 2026.
Prior to submitting a Candidate Site, the Council highly recommends that all Site Promoters (individuals or organisations who submit sites into the process) read the Candidate Site Methodology. The Methodology outlines the various stages of the process, alongside the criteria against which all sites will be assessed. Furthermore, it contains essential information regarding the site submission process and what is required to ensure that the submission is ‘duly made’. Sites that are missing vital components (such as an OS plan at the requisite scale or viability information), or do not meet the stipulated thresholds for the proposed use, will not be registered.
The Methodology is available to view at the bottom of this page.
Candidate Site Submission Form
A comprehensive Candidate Site Submission Form has been compiled by the Council, which will need to be filled out by the Site Promoter (or their agent). It is highly advisable to read all of the information printed on the front of the form, to aid understanding and ensure compliance with the requirements.
Should a Site Promoter wish to submit more than one use on a site, a separate form will be required for each use proposed. Furthermore, should a Site Promoter submit more than one site, a separate form will be required for each site submission.
Forms for Candidate Site submissions should be completed in full. There is a separate process for Settlement Boundary Review sites, which is detailed within the Candidate Site Methodology.
The Candidate Site Submission Form is available to download/print at the bottom of this page.
Candidate Site Guidance Notes
The Council has compiled a set of Candidate Site Guidance Notes to assist Site Promoters with their submissions. The Guidance Notes provide the rationale and additional detail behind the information being sought by the Council and should be read in conjunction with the submission form and methodology.
Furthermore, the Guidance Notes provide signposts to third-party information, which can be obtained from external bodies or organisations, to assist in completing the Candidate Site Submission Form.
The Candidate Site Guidance Notes are available to view at the bottom of this page.
Candidate Sites Constraints Plan
The Council has also produced a Candidate Sites Constraints Plan, which will assist in completing the Candidate Site Submission Form. This plan contains information held by the Council, inclusive of adopted LDP (2016-2031) layers.
Where information is not held by the Council but by a third party organisation, links have been provided in the Candidate Site Guidance Notes to illustrate where the information should be obtained from.
The Candidate Sites Constraints Plan can be accessed via the link below
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/0f8a3058c5ee4639a5e0dccc21164496/page/Constraints-Plan
Additional Information and Surveys
Notwithstanding the Candidate Site Submission Form, accompanying OS plan and viability information; additional details or surveys are likely to be required as sites progress through the process. Information requested will be appropriate and proportionate to the site and its proposed use, and the Council will not request anything more than is deemed necessary in determining the suitability of a potential allocation.
Candidate Site Submissions
The submission of a completed Candidate Site Submission Form and supporting documentation should be undertaken electronically, via email to:
development.planning@merthyr.gov.uk.
Where individuals are unable to submit via email, the Council will accept submissions via post. Submissions should be sent to:
The Planning Policy Section at Unit 5, Triangle Business Park, Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 4TQ.
Please note that there may be a delay in receiving and acknowledging postal submissions.
The Council strongly advises that proof of submission or delivery is retained by the Site Promoter.
The submission of a Candidate Site, or receipt of acknowledgement, should in no way be construed as a commitment for the site’s inclusion within the Second Replacement Local Development Plan, 2026-2041.