Statement on ‘Planning: Delivering for Wales’

The Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside (Carwyn Jones): It is about a year since Sue Essex, then the Minister with responsibility for planning, launched a comprehensive programme for change to implement the proposals contained within ‘Planning: Delivering for Wales’. This statement provides an ideal opportunity to look back and review achievements as well as to look forward and restate the need for pushing ahead with the change programme. At the outset we laid down the following five key objectives for our planning system: to ensure that it is open, fair and transparent, that it inspires public and business confidence, that it delivers improved quality and speed, that it integrates with other plans, processes and actions, and that it meets our Assembly Government’s overall objectives.

Those objectives mirror the vision set for planning within ‘Wales: A Better Country’, which states that:

‘Planning: Delivering for Wales’ is a major change programme based upon partnership working with key stakeholders, to ensure we make significant improvements in the quality of the planning service, and that communities including business are involved in plan-making and decision-making.’

To deliver this vision, we have set out over 140 individual tasks, with an exacting timescale. Some will require more detailed work before we can put proposals out to public consultation. Some are already making good progress, and I will outline examples in a moment.

First, I will refer to three particular achievements. The first tangible sign of progress was the acclaim given to the Welsh clauses in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill at the House of Commons Committee stage. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Conservative MP for Cotswold, summed up the situation nicely:

‘in many ways, we like the system proposed for Wales better than that proposed for England. It is simpler and it delivers more closely to the ground, with greater clarity.’

I am sure that the Conservatives in this Chamber support that, and I am sure that everybody will agree that it is good to receive such third-party endorsement. Secondly, experience tells us that collaboration is essential for us to work well in Wales. To that end, the signing of an agreement on planning principles between the Assembly Government, the Welsh Local Government Association, and local planning authorities earlier this year, was a landmark achievement. Recognition was also given to Wales this year for hosting the Royal Town Planning Institute’s national planning convention in Cardiff, and the town and country planning summer school in Bangor. To coincide with the convention, I issued a brochure on planning achievements within Wales, and I urge you to take time to read through that document, so that you are aware of the excellent planning work that is being undertaken in Wales.

I will now outline some examples of progress in a number of other areas. I am committed to expanding communication about ‘Planning: Delivering for Wales’, and I have implemented a communication strategy to inform and engage stakeholders. As well as improving the website, and encouraging further presentations across Wales, I have commissioned the publication of a dedicated newsletter, the first edition of which was issued on 1 November. On funding, I have provided £1 million to local planning authorities this year to support them in bringing about improvements in their planning services. That also includes a programme of improvements that are best delivered through all-Wales projects such as member training. An additional £2 million will be provided in the next financial year to continue this work, and to bed-in improvements in the planning service. A consultation period on new circulars to improve compulsory purchase orders closed at the end of October. The draft circular forms an important element in delivering on the Assembly Government’s intention to make the compulsory purchase system simpler, quicker, and fairer, therefore supporting more active regeneration.

The new local development plans will be at the heart of the development control system. In addition, we are committed to introducing a wide range of policy and legislative changes, which are aimed at improving decision-making, offering greater certainty and consistency, and ensuring clarity and speed. Much work is underway, and changes will begin to be introduced over the next few months. The vision for local development plans is for a more responsive, focused document, which benefits from early community and business inputs, but is produced by a slicker process. A pilot project has shown that it is possible to reduce the content of a development plan by some 80 per cent, while retaining, and indeed enhancing, its soundness and fitness for purpose. The review and aggregation of ‘Planning Policy Wales’ and ‘Minerals Planning Policy Wales’ into one document will be undertaken towards the end of the change process. In the meantime, work is concentrated on technical advice notes and mineral technical advice notes, along with relevant research programmes. Stakeholder groups have been initiated to support and assist the project management teams with detailed policy development and implementation. In the summer of 2003, two stakeholder groups for compulsory purchase orders and local development plans were set up. A further two groups for planning policy, with development control and resources, will hold their first meetings before Christmas.

I am certain that this ambitious programme will lead to an inclusive, transparent and proactive service. I want to build consensus, using the excellent relationships that exist in Wales. I look forward to continuing to work with the WLGA and the Wales planning forum over forthcoming months to develop the tools to implement the programme. Finally, I reiterate that the objectives I stated at the beginning of this statement are as relevant now as they were a year ago, if not more so. Rest assured, I will take every opportunity to engage with you as we take this initiative forward.