A corporate joint committee must prepare a plan for its area to be known as a strategic development plan.
The plan must set out—
the committee's objectives in relation to the development and use of land in its area;
the committee's policies for the implementation of those objectives.
The plan must be in general conformity with the National Development Framework for Wales.
The plan must specify the period for which it is to have effect.
The Welsh Ministers may by regulations make provision about—
the period that may be specified under subsection (4);
the form and content of the plan.
In preparing its plan the committee must have regard to—
current national policies;
the National Development Framework for Wales;
any strategic development plan for an area that adjoins the committee's area;
the local development plan for each area all or part of which is included in the committee's area;
the resources likely to be available for implementing the plan;
any other matters prescribed by the Welsh Ministers in regulations.
The committee must also—
carry out an appraisal of the sustainability of the plan;
prepare a report of the findings of the appraisal.
The appraisal must include an assessment of the likely effects of the plan on the use of the Welsh language in the area.
A plan is a strategic development plan only in so far as it is—
adopted by resolution of the corporate joint committee as its strategic development plan, or
approved by the Welsh Ministers under section 65 or 71 (as they apply by virtue of section 60N).
The plan ceases to be a strategic development plan on the expiry of the period specified under subsection (4).