Planning (Wales) Act 2015

The Planning (Wales) Act 2015 (‘the Act’) includes provision to:

Strengthen the plan-led approach to planning by introducing a new legal framework for the Welsh Ministers to prepare a national land use plan, known as the National Development Framework for Wales. The Framework sets out national land use priorities and infrastructure requirements for Wales.
Produce strategic development plans on an area basis, to tackle larger-than-local cross-boundary issues, such as housing supply and areas for economic growth and regeneration.
Carry out pre-application consultation, and to require local planning authorities to provide pre-application services.
Require planning applications for nationally significant projects to be made to the Welsh Ministers. Applicants for planning permission will also be able to apply to the Welsh Ministers for planning permission where a local planning authority is deemed to be poorly performing.
Reform the development management system to streamline procedures, to ensure that applications are dealt with promptly, providing certainty for developers and communities.
Improve enforcement and appeal procedures. Changes are also made in relation to the recovery of costs for parties involved in planning cases.
Make changes in relation to applications to register town and village greens.

The Explanatory Notes to the Act provide detailed commentary on the various provisions.

Coming into force

Part 1 and sections 56 to 59 come into force on 6 July 2015, which is the day the Act received Royal Assent, in accordance with section 58(1).

Section 55 and Parts 3 to 8 of the Act came into force at the end of the two-month period beginning on the day the Act received Royal Assent, in accordance with section 58(2).

The remaining provisions of the Act come into force on a day appointed by the Welsh Ministers by order, subject to the conditions in section 58(4) .

The following orders have been made:

Subordinate legislation made under the Act:

No subordinate legislation has been made under this Act.

Consideration of the legislation by the Senedd:

The Bill was introduced on 6 October 2014 by Carl Sargeant AM, who was the Minister for Natural Resources at the time. The Bill was passed by the Senedd (known then as the National Assembly for Wales) on 19 May 2015.

More information about the Bill is available on the Senedd’s website, including a record of the passage of the Bill through the Senedd and the Explanatory Memorandum that was prepared by the Welsh Government (as revised after Stage 2).

The Act received Royal Assent on 6 July 2015.