Consultation display

The Environment and Sustainability Committee is undertaking an inquiry into the general principles of the Planning (Wales) Bill.  

The terms of reference for the inquiry are to consider—

• The general principles of the Planning (Wales) Bill including the need for legislation in the following areas:
• The requirement to produce a national land use plan, to be known as the National Development Framework;
• The creation of Strategic Development Plans to tackle larger-than-local cross-boundary issues;
• Changes to Local Development Plan procedures;
• Front-loading the development management process by making provision for pre-application services;
• Introducing a new category of development to be known as Developments of National Significance that are to be determined by Welsh Ministers;
• Streamlining the development management system;
• Changes to enforcement and appeal procedures; and
• Changes in relation to applications to register town and village greens.

• Any potential barriers to the implementation of these provisions and whether the Bill takes account of them;
• The Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Planning (Wales) Bill and the extent to which the revised Bill takes account of the Committee’s recommendations;
• Whether there are any unintended consequences arising from the Bill;
• The financial implications of the Bill (as set out in Part 2 of the Explanatory Memorandum, the Regulatory Impact Assessment, which estimates the costs and benefits of implementation of the Bill);
• The appropriateness of the powers in the Bill for Welsh Ministers to make subordinate legislation (as set out in Chapter 5 of Part 1 of the Explanatory Memorandum, which contains a table summarising the powers for Welsh Ministers to make subordinate legislation); and
• The measurability of outcomes from the Bill, i.e. what arrangements are in place to measure and demonstrate the fulfilment of the Welsh Government’s intended outcomes from making this law.

Invitation to contribute to the inquiry

The Committee welcomes evidence from both individuals and organisations.

We will be holding oral evidence sessions during the second half of the autumn term 2014, so it would be helpful if you could indicate in your submission whether you would be prepared to give oral evidence, if invited.

Generally, we ask for submissions to be made in writing, because it is normal practice for the National Assembly to publish evidence provided to a Committee on our internet site, so that it becomes part of the public record. Please let us know if you have any objections to our publishing your evidence. We are also able to accept evidence in audio or video format.

The Committee welcomes contributions in English or Welsh, and we ask organisations with Welsh Language policies / schemes to provide bilingual responses, where applicable, in line with their public information policies.

If you wish to submit evidence, please send an electronic copy of your submission to: SeneddEnv@Assembly.Wales.

Alternatively, you can write to:

The Committee Clerk
Environment and Sustainability Committee
National Assembly for Wales
Cardiff Bay, CF99 1NA.

Submissions should arrive by Friday 7 November 2014 and should preferably be no longer than six pages of A4, have numbered paragraphs and be in Word format. It may not be possible to take into account responses received after this date.

Disclosure of Information

You can find details about how we will use your information at www.assemblywales.org/help/privacy/help-inquiry-privacy.htm. Please ensure that you have considered these details carefully before submitting information to the Committee.