Julie James MS, Counsel General and Minister for Delivery
I am pleased to announce the introduction of the Planning (Wales) Bill and the Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Bill to the Senedd.
The Planning (Wales) Bill marks a historic legislative separation of Wales from England in terms of planning law. By consolidating and codifying planning legislation specifically for Wales, the Bill establishes a distinct legal framework that reflects the planning system in Wales.
This is a technical consolidation exercise, bringing together existing provisions into a coherent and accessible form. It modernises the structure and language of planning law, making it clearer and more consistent, while preserving its legal effect. The Bill does not reform the planning system but improves legal clarity and usability. It provides the most comprehensive and accessible statement of the legislation governing town planning anywhere in the UK.
The Bill delivers many of the recommendations of the Law Commission’s report, Planning Law in Wales, and represents another significant milestone in our programme to improve the accessibility of Welsh law, delivering a key priority of ‘The future of Welsh law: A programme for 2021 to 2026’.
The accompanying Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Wales) Bill makes the necessary amendments and repeals to existing legislation and includes transitional and savings provisions to support the implementation of the main Bill.
The introduction of these Bills is a vital step towards a more accessible, understandable, and user-friendly planning system for Wales. They will also make any future changes to planning legislation much easier to achieve. I will be making a legislative statement in Plenary on 16 September, and I look forward to working with Members of the Senedd during their consideration of the Bills over the coming months.