Local development plans: Eryri National Park

The overall plan

• The plan says new development must protect the National Park first. Its main policy, Strategic Policy A, gives the highest priority to protecting and enhancing natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage, and proposals that compromise the National Park's purposes will be refused. Policy A, page 30
• The plan says there are only limited opportunities for new development in the National Park. Strategic Policy C decides where these few opportunities go, using a hierarchy of towns and villages so that communities become more self-sustaining. Policy C, page 37
• The plan says Harlech, Aberdyfi, Betws y Coed and Llanberis face significant environmental limits on development. Because of this, the National Park Authority has had to look to some smaller secondary settlements to provide affordable housing for local people. Page 37

Homes

• The plan requires 770 new homes over the plan period, and makes provision for about 885 new dwellings up to 2031. Policy G, page 79
• The plan sets a target of 375 new affordable homes to meet local needs. Policy 30, page 80
• Affordable homes must stay affordable in perpetuity for a local person in housing need, secured through a legal agreement. Policy 30, page 80

Jobs and the economy

• The plan will protect the existing key employment sites at Bala, Dolgellau and Harlech for work uses. Policy H, page 93
• The plan says that if an existing business site or building outside those key sites is to be used for something else, its owner must first show that it has been advertised on the market for at least one year. Page 92
• The plan says an outline masterplan must be in place before any significant new development starts on the Snowdonia Enterprise Zone sites at Trawsfynydd or Llanbedr. Page 96
• The plan supports tourism and recreation development that is based on the principles of sustainable tourism. Policy I, page 102

Town centres and shops

• The plan says that any further loss of shop premises in core town centres should be resisted, so that the main shopping areas stay viable. Page 22
• The plan says that supermarkets and similar developments should be located in Y Bala and Dolgellau, as these are the most suitable and sustainable locations and are accessible by most means of transport. Page 108
• The plan says that new development in shopping areas must be within the defined retail area or within 300m of it, with good access on foot and by other transport. Policy Development Policy 24, page 109

Countryside, nature and heritage

• The plan says the natural environment, wildlife sites, geology and the qualities that make the National Park special will be protected from inappropriate development. Developers must make sure the natural environment is protected and enhanced where development is allowed. Policy Strategic Policy D, page 46
• The plan says the scale and design of new development, including its setting and landscaping, should respect and conserve the character, qualities and views of the landscape. Unacceptable impacts on the landscape will be resisted. Policy Development Policy 2, page 50
• The plan says the historic landscape, heritage assets and cultural heritage of the National Park will be conserved and enhanced. Development that would adversely affect listed buildings, scheduled monuments, conservation areas or historic parks and gardens will not be permitted. Policy Strategic Policy Ff, page 62
• The plan says that inappropriate development will not be allowed in areas designated as green wedges, which keep the land open and stop neighbouring settlements joining together. Important open spaces within towns and villages are also protected from development. Policy Development Policy 5, page 57

Climate, energy and flooding

• The plan says development will be kept away from areas at risk of flooding, and only allowed there if it meets the national guidance on development and flood risk (TAN 15). Page 50
• The plan's climate change policy aims to conserve and enhance woodland, upland soils and peatland, which help to store carbon, hold water and prevent flooding. Policy Strategic Policy Dd, page 51
• The plan says small renewable energy schemes, such as microgeneration under 50kW, will be considered favourably. Policy Development Policy 3, page 53
• The plan says larger renewable energy schemes, above 5MW, are generally considered incompatible with National Park purposes. Policy Development Policy 3, page 53

Transport

• The plan prefers walking and cycling for short trips, and buses or trains for longer ones, with the private car seen as the least preferred option. Page 112
• The plan protects the recreational routes shown on its proposals map, so development cannot stop them being used for recreation. Policy L, page 114
• The plan allows new or extended permanent visitor car parks in Dolgellau and Bala, but only where there is a demonstrated need for more parking spaces. Page 114
• Developments must provide enough car parking, and space to turn vehicles on site where needed, suited to the size of the development. Policy 1, page 40

The Welsh language

• The plan will refuse development that, because of its size, scale or location, would cause significant harm to the character and language balance of a community. Policy 18, page 89
• Applicants proposing 5 or more homes on unanticipated windfall sites must submit a 'Community and Linguistic Statement' with their planning application. Policy 18, page 89
• Where a proposal is likely to have severe linguistic impacts that reduce the number of Welsh speakers in a community, the council will consider refusing it for that reason alone. Page 88

Where it stands

Sites put forward Reached in February 2026.

The authority has asked landowners and developers to put forward sites they want considered for building. These are called candidate sites. Being put forward doesn't mean a site will be included.

What happens next

Consulting on a preferred strategy, expected 2027

The stages of a new plan

1. 1. Reviewing the current plan
2. 2. Setting a timetable
3. 3. Sites put forward
4. 4. Preferred strategy
5. 5. Draft plan published
6. 6. Sent for examination
7. 7. Being examined
8. 8. Adopted