Responding today to the National Assembly for Wales’ report into planning in Wales, Cllr Bob Wellington (Torfaen) WLGA spokesperson on Planning and Transport:
“Today’s report is a useful contribution to the ongoing debate about the role of the planning system in Wales. The report content is wide-ranging and addresses many key issues around planning which the WLGA has been raising for some time, such as how the planning system operates, its complexity and the service that the public can expect.
Local authorities will now need to carefully consider the Ministers response to the report’s 30 recommendations in full detail and their impact on planning and delivery.
One area in particular that WLGA planning Members will be considering is whether the planning system is too complicated for stakeholders and the wider public to engage properly.
We would argue that it is a complex system for the right reasons; the fact that planning exists for the wider public good to allow appropriate, beneficial and sustainable development. However changes which make the system more accessible would be very welcome.
We look forward to the Minister’s response to the report in the coming weeks.”
Today’s report has been published by the Sustainability Committee at the National Assembly for Wales.
