Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016
The Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (‘the Act’) makes various provisions intended to enhance the protection of Wales’s historic environment, including:
- amending the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Act 1979, primarily in relation to ancient monuments in Wales,
- requiring the Welsh Ministers to compile and maintain a register of parks and gardens of special historic interest,
- amending the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 in relation to listed buildings,
- requiring the Welsh Ministers to compile and maintain a list of historic place names in Wales,
- requiring the Welsh Ministers to compile and keep up to date a historic environment record for each local authority area in Wales,
- establishing the Advisory Panel for the Welsh Historic Environment.
The Explanatory Notes to the Act provide detailed commentary on the various provisions.
Coming into force
Section 41 of the Act sets out the provisions that come into force on the date of Royal Assent; those that come into force two months after Royal Assent; and those
that are brought into force by an order made by the Welsh Ministers.
The following orders have been made:
- The Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2017
- The Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2021
Subordinate legislation made under the Act:
No subordinate legislation has yet been made under the Act.
Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd.
The Bill was introduced on 1 May 2015 by Ken Skates MS, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism at the time.
More information about the Bill is available on the Senedd website including a record of the passage of the Bill through Senedd (known then as the National Assembly for Wales) and the Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government (as revised at Stage 2).
The Act received Royal Assent on 21 March 2016.