Welsh Government presents Future Wales

Publication is expected in early 2021 when it is due to become part of the statutory development plan for decision-making in Wales.

Compared with the draft version of the National Development Framework (NDF), consultation for which take place between August and November 2019, the changes are substantial with many of the policies from the draft NDF either removed, replaced, or re-written. This makes the latest version look and feel very different. The addition of a large amount of new information also makes it longer, Future Wales is 180 pages long when compared to 72 pages in the draft NDF.

A headline review of Future Wales, highlights the following:

• Previously  documented, a four region approach is to be taken in Future Wales. Splitting the south and mid-Wales region, in accordance with the draft NDF, into separate south west Wales and mid Wales regions.

• The requirement for the planning system to be “plan-led” is reiterated as is the need to prepare Strategic Development Plans (SDPs) which continue to be integral to this.

• The focus of housing policy remains on delivering new affordable homes, although it is made much clearer that it is for local authorities to set overall housing requirements; a key function of the new SDPs.

• Additional growth areas have been identified and some that were previously designated have been extended. Alongside this, Future Wales is also far more proactive in naming those settlements within the identified growth areas. This means that growth areas are generally easier to define and larger.

• There remains limited consideration of economic development throughout Future Wales and the two policies that specifically address economic growth either relate to the rural economy or apply only to the mid-Wales region.

• The requirement to prepare Green Belts in the south east Wales and north Wales regions remains but Future Wales is less prescriptive about their coverage. Stating that in the case of the south east Wales region Green Belts should cover an area to the north of Cardiff and Newport and the eastern part of the region.

• A far less prescriptive approach is taken in Future Wales with regards to renewable energy generation. The maps used in the draft NDF, which identified fairly specific search areas for solar and wind energy, have been replaced with a criteria based policy which makes reference to a small number of broadly identified pre-assessed areas for wind energy.