Planning (Wales) Bill RTPI Cymru oral evidence session
Initial consideration stage, 06 October
On Monday 06 October, RTPI Cymru's Mark Hand MRTPI CIHM and Rhian Brimble MRTPI gave evidence to the Senedd’s Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee regarding the Planning (Wales) Bill and the Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Bill.
We discussed:
- The accessibility of planning law in Wales
- What the Bills will mean for practitioners and our members
- The parameters of consolidation Bills
The RTPI Cymru's response to the Senedd's Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee
The RTPI supports the Bill’s aims of simplifying, consolidating, and codifying planning law in Wales, recognising the current system’s complexity and the confusion caused by overlapping UK legislation.
We welcome the logical structure of the proposed Code and stress the importance of maintaining clarity and accessibility as the law evolves. However, we raise concerns about the readiness of supporting regulations, the need for clearer definitions and language in several sections, and potential gaps that could hinder the planning system’s operation post-enactment.
The RTPI also suggests improvements to enforcement provisions, definitions, and the treatment of National Parks and major applications. We advocate for a comprehensive guide to Welsh planning law to support practitioners following the Bill’s enactment.
