Planning reforms set to speed up infrastructure decisions and create jobs

Reforms aimed at making Wales the fastest country in the UK for determining planning applications, creating new jobs and driving economic growth have been unveiled.

Speaking at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Cymru Conference in Cardiff earlier this week, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, outlined how the Welsh Government is taking decisive action to streamline the planning process, address resource challenges, and build a modern, efficient planning system fit for the future.

The Cabinet Secretary said: “An efficient planning system is essential for creating the homes, jobs and infrastructure Wales needs, while also enhancing our environment and strengthening our communities.

“I am determined to make Wales the fastest country in the UK to determine infrastructure applications. This ambition extends to all planning applications, recognising that this will drive economic growth across our nation.”

Key measures

The announcement includes several key measures to accelerate decision-making and boost the planning profession:

• Nearly £9m of direct investment into planning services provided by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Welsh Government’s Planning Directorate, strengthening the capacity of these critical services to deliver faster decisions.
• New fee regulations to be introduced by the end of this year, representing the largest single investment in planning services for many years. The increased revenue will be reinvested directly back into planning services to improve performance and reduce waiting times.
• Funding for two Senior Planner roles to work on infrastructure applications across North Wales as part of an expanded North Wales Shared Planning Service, demonstrating the value of regional cooperation to address resourcing challenges.
• A new Town Planning Bursaries scheme via the Pathways to Planning programme to increase the pipeline of qualified planners across Wales, with the Welsh Government meeting the costs for graduates to obtain a post-graduate planning qualification.

The Cabinet Secretary has also commissioned RTPI Cymru to undertake comprehensive workforce planning research to develop a clear picture of capacity, resource and skills needs across the public planning sector.

This research will inform a long-term strategy to increase the capacity and resilience of planning services throughout Wales.

Reforms

Digital transformation forms another key part of the reforms, with the Centre for Digital Public Services developing projects to enhance communication between planning departments and the public, improve user experiences, and establish digital standards for sharing planning information.

The reforms build on recent successes, including:

• Delegation of Development of National Significance (DNS) decisions to inspectors for projects up to 50MW, which has already resulted in five decisions being issued between 9-14 weeks ahead of the 36-week statutory deadline.
• The recent Royal Assent of the Infrastructure (Wales) Act, establishing a new streamlined consenting process for significant infrastructure projects.
• Publication of the near-final text of the Planning (Wales) Bill ahead of its formal introduction to the Senedd in September, which will consolidate and modernise planning legislation.

The Cabinet Secretary added:“These reforms represent a step change in how planning works in Wales.

“By investing in our planning services, developing digital solutions, and growing the planning profession, we are creating a planning system that will drive sustainable economic growth, deliver the infrastructure Wales needs, and create good jobs across the country.”