Wales Planning

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Planning in Wales is devolved to the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) and as a result, the planning system is different from that operating in England.  The most notable differences are in National Guidance, Planning Policy Wales 12 (PPW),  the Technical advice notes (TANs) and the development plan system (LDPs).

A further key difference is the two-tier system of governance as in Wales all authorities are unitary.  There are 22 unitary authorities and 3 National Parks. As a major stakeholder the HBF represents the house building industry on a number of national and local fora producing policy, guidance and good practice advice. The HBF also works with a number of fellow trade federations including the FMB and RTPI and other professional organisations in order to represent the interests of the industry.

Current issues of concern to the house building industry in Wales are, development viability, slow progress of development plans and their reviews.

The Planning (Wales) Bill received Royal Consent on the 6th July 2015 making it the first time Wales has had its own Planning Act.  Various pieces of the secondary legislation has now been enacted, including the requirement for pre-application consultation and production of a Pre-application Consultation Report [PAC] report.

National Welsh Planning Policy

The PPW12 was published in February 2024.

"PPW will deliver the vision of the Wales we want set out in the Well-being of Future Generations Act: a more prosperous Wales, a resilient Wales, which supports healthy, functioning ecosystems and recognises the limits of the global environment, a healthier Wales, a more equal Wales, a Wales of more cohesive communities, a Wales of vibrant culture and a globally responsible Wales. The concept of placemaking introduced in this policy is a key element to deliver on the aspirations of the Act and drive plan-making and development management decisions."

For more information please click here

Local Planning Guidance

Each Local Planning Authority must prepare a Local Development Plan which sets out their proposals and policies for future development and use of land in its area.

These plans provide certainty and consistency for decisions about developments. Local planning applications should be determined in accordance with these plans.

Here you will find a full list of Unitary Development Plan and Local Development Plan publications, including the latest information with respect to Unitary Development Plan and Local Development Plan progress.

National Development Framework

The plan was renamed Future Wales: the national plan and was published in Feb 2021

https://gov.wales/future-wales-national-plan-2040

Future Wales will provide a spatial context for facilitating the delivery of development in Wales over the next 20 years. Future Wales will be used to guide both public and private investment. Welsh Government’s aim is to ensure investments and developments – whether large or small in scale - contribute to the broader ambitions of the Welsh Government and to the well-being of communities.

More information is available here

Community Infrastructure Levy

The Community Infrastructure Levy is will be devolved to Wales in April 2018. The Welsh Government have yet to announce if they intend to make any changes to the current system.

Currently only 3 of the 22 LPA’s in Wales have an Implemented Charging Schedule (RCT, Caerphilly, and Merthyr Tydfil).

Place-making Wales Charter

The Placemaking Wales Charter has been developed in collaboration with the Placemaking Wales Partnership which is made up of stakeholders representing a wide range of interests.  The Charter reflects the collective and individual commitment of these organisations to support the development of high-quality places across Wales for the benefit of communities. 

For more information please click here

Appeals

The Planning Inspectorate was replaced in Wales by the Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) in October 2021. The service is not yet fully operational and the latest update can be found here https://gov.wales/planning-and-environment-decisions-wales-services-update

For current appeals please click here