Kirsty Fox Hay is Public Affairs Officer at the RTPI

With less than 100 days to go until the Senedd election in May, we are looking at what RTPI Cymru are calling for the next Welsh Government to prioritise and what we have achieved with our Planifesto since its launch in November.

This upcoming Senedd election is one which comes with significant changes. In May’s election, there will be a new voting system, an increased number of Senedd Members, and brand-new constituencies. The 16 new constituencies will elect a total of 96 Members, and six Members will be elected in each constituency using a closed list proportional representation system. Alongside this, some key figures in the Senedd are not standing for election again, such as Rebecca Evans, the current Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, and Julie James, Counsel General and Minister for Delivery (who is overseeing the Planning Bills). Since the Senedd was formed in 1999, Labour have been in power, but current polling no longer shows them in the top spot, with many predicted Plaid Cymru or Reform UK to get the largest vote share. So, it is all change for the incoming seventh Senedd.

But what does this mean for planning? Planners are drivers of positive change, so a properly resourced and effective planning system is vital to deliver Wales’s priorities. As the most recent RTPI State of the Profession report found, 60.1% of planners reported that their team lacked capacity frequently or all the time. RTPI Cymru has also been commissioned by the Welsh Government to undertake evidence-based research into public sector planning resources in Wales, which is due to be published at the end of February.  Our findings only boost our overarching call on the next Welsh Government to commit to investing in planning and planners in order to create a thriving and resilient planning system.

Planning legislation in Wales is current going through consolidation and modernisation via the Planning (Wales) Bill and the Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Bill. It is on the current Welsh Government’s agenda, and it would be great to see this strengthened and continued into the priorities of the next one as the Planning Bills will make any future changes to planning legislation easier. Wales faces a climate emergency, a housing crisis, and a skills shortage, therefore, planning needs to be at the forefront of priorities for the next Welsh Government.

Last November, RTPI Cymru published our Planifesto, containing our key asks of the next Welsh Government. Our Planifesto called for a thriving and resilient Welsh planning system that delivers through:

• An ambitious and agile plan-led system that provides certainty for all stakeholders
• Thriving communities in well-designed places with access to quality homes and infrastructure, and
• Joined up action to address the climate and nature emergencies

Since publication, we have been busy disseminating it across multiple channels, sharing it across to parties, members and other built environment stakeholders. To make sure our calls are heard, we have been engaging with politicians and are attending the upcoming Plaid Cymru conference at the end of February. As we get closer to the election, RTPI Cymru will continue attending relevant events where the Planifesto can be discussed with stakeholders. To maximise the impact of our calls to the next Welsh Government, we are also working with our sister built environment organisations on areas where our manifesto asks align.

As the election approaches, RTPI Cymru will be keeping a close eye on any developments that emerge. We also look forward to reading the highly anticipated party manifestos to see how they will support Wales’s planning system. Of course seeing our Planifesto asks reflected in the party manifestos is a core aim of our current public affairs work, but it is also important to note how having a fully resourced and effective planning system will be essential to deliver the other objectives that are bound to be front and centre in the party manifestos, such as energy, transport, biodiversity, flooding and public health.

Our work doesn’t end on polling day! We will continue to use our Planifesto beyond the election to ensure planners are listened to, influence emerging priorities, and continue strengthening the profession in Wales. RTPI Cymru are committed to working with the seventh Senedd and the next Welsh Government in order to deliver shared objectives.