Living Levels Accommodation Project

Descriptions

The Living Levels Accommodation project covers the Gwent Levels area in Monmouthshire and Newport – from the River Rhymney to the Wye and bounded by the M4 to the north. The Gwent Levels are environmentally, historically and archeologically unique in Wales with multiple statutory protections of the landscape.This RDP Leader funded Living Levels Accommodation study will focus on addressing the shortage of visitor accommodation of all types to support sustainable tourism activity which has been identified in the recent Destination Plan for the Gwent Levels.A solution to environmentally sustainable accommodation in the Gwent Levels, that will satisfy the current restrictions but meet tourism demands, is sought.The Study should:•Identify and consider innovative and environmentally adapted accommodation that would complement the landscape, eg floating/on stilts.•Consult with Newport City Council and Monmouthshire County Council planners, and relevant statutory agencies to get a full understanding of permissible accommodation.•Investigate options that are more likely to be granted planning permission.•Identify best practice examples of visitor accommodation provision in similar landscapes•Undertake an audit of current visitor accommodation (capacity, type, quality and location) against target markets identified in the Gwent Levels Destination Plan.•Identify potential barriers (financial, time, resources, physical, process) to development of visitor accommodation and suggest solutions.•Identify those businesses, landowners and farmers interested in providing more visitor accommodation within the Gwent Levels area.•Through an open invitation process, identify two pilot businesses in the Gwent Levels area – one in rural Newport and one in Monmouthshire - to help through the process of obtaining the necessary permissions.• Develop a Guide/Toolkit through the planning process that can be shared with others for future development•Identify potential capital funding schemes for the pilots to develop the proposed accommodation.