National Assembly for Wales Senedd Research Draft National Development Framework Research Briefing October 2019 www.assembly.wales/research National Assembly for Wales The National Assembly for Wales is the Senedd Research democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales, agrees Welsh taxes and holds Draft National the Welsh Government to account. Development Framework Research Briefing October 2019 Author: Elfyn Henderson An electronic copy of this document can be found on the National Assembly website: www.assembly.wales/research Copies of this document can also be obtained in accessible formats including Braille, large print, audio or hard copy from: Senedd Research National Assembly for Wales Tŷ Hywel Cardiff Bay CF99 1NA Tel: 0300 200 6328 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @SeneddResearch Blog: SeneddResearch.blog LinkedIn: Senedd Research, National Assembly for Wales © National Assembly for Wales Commission Copyright 2019 The text of this document may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium providing that it is reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading or derogatory context. The material must be acknowledged as copyright of the National Assembly for Wales Commission and the title of the document www.assembly.wales/research specified. Draft National Development Framework: Research Briefing Draft National Development Framework: Research Briefing Contents Introduction The Welsh Government is consulting on its first draftNational Development Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Framework (NDF) for Wales. The NDF is a statutory requirement and will set out the Welsh Government’s strategy for addressing its national priorities through the planning system. The final NDF is due to be published in September 2020. Background ................................................................................................ 2 The process for developing the NDF began in 2016 and consists of a number of key Purpose of the NDF ......................................................................................................... 2 stages. This briefing aims to summarise events to date by providing an overview of: Developing the NDF ........................................................................................................ 3 the process for developing the NDF; the NDF preferred option, published in April 2018; NDF preferred option .............................................................................. 4 Assembly Committee scrutiny of the NDF preferred option; and the draft NDF, published in August 2019. Vision and objectives...................................................................................................... 4 Preferred option ............................................................................................................... 5 Committee scrutiny of the preferred option .................................. 8 Draft NDF ................................................................................................... 11 Draft NDF document ..................................................................................................... 11 Chapter 3 - NDF outcomes ......................................................................................................12 Chapter 4 - Spatial Strategy (Policies 1-15) .....................................................................13 Chapter 5 – The regions (policies 16-33) .........................................................................23 Integrated Sustainability Appraisal ......................................................................29 Habitats Regulations Assessment ........................................................................ 30 4 1 Draft National Development Framework: Research Briefing Draft National Development Framework: Research Briefing Background The latest version of PPW (Edition 10) was published in December 2018, having been revised to take account of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The Planning (Wales) Act 2015 (the Planning Act) introduced two new levels of development plan, which will sit above existing Local Development Plans (LDPs): Developing the NDF a NDF covering the whole of Wales; and Work to develop the NDF began in 2016 with the final version currently due to be published in September 2020. The Welsh Government has Strategic Development Plans (SDPs) covering distinct regions. published a timeline showing the various stages involved in developing the NDF. This includes: The NDF will set out the Welsh Government’s policies on development and land use in a spatial context. It will set out a 20 year land use framework and be gathering evidence and undertaking engagement to develop the vision, reviewed at least every five years. objectives and options for the NDF (October 2016 – March 2018); Unlike its predecessor, the Wales Spatial Plan, the NDF will have development plan publishing and consulting on issues, options and the NDF preferred option, status. This means that planning decisions must be made in accordance with it and supported by environmental reports and assessments (April 2018 – July 2018); all SDPs and LDPs must be in conformity with it. considering responses to the preferred option consultation and preparing the draft NDF (July 2018 – August 2019); SDPs are regional plans that will sit between the NDF and LDPs in certain parts of consulting on the draft NDF, considering responses and preparing a consultation Wales, and will deal with issues that cut across a number of local planning authority report (August 2019 – March 2020); (LPA) areas (but are not of national significance). There is currently no statutory duty to produce SDPs. However the draft NDF document, discussed later in this briefing, the National Assembly for Wales considering the draft NDF (April – June 2020); includes a policy that ‘requires SDPs to come forward’. and publishing the final NDF (September 2020). Purpose of the NDF The Planning Act requires the draft NDF to be considered by the Assembly before At the beginning of the process, the Welsh Government set out the purpose of the the final NDF is published. The Assembly will have 60 sitting days to consider it. As NDF as: set out in the timeline above, the Assembly is due to consider the draft NDF from April – June 2020. setting out where nationally important growth and infrastructure is needed and how the planning system can deliver it; The Welsh Ministers must take account of any resolution or recommendations made by the Assembly, or any of its committees, in deciding whether or not the providing direction for SDPs and LDPs; draft NDF should be amended. The Welsh Ministers must publish a statement supporting determination of applications under the Developments of National alongside the final NDF outlining how they have had regard to the Assembly’s Significance (DNS) regime; resolutions or recommendations. supporting national economic, transport, environmental, housing, energy and cultural strategies and ensuring they can be delivered through the planning The Assembly’s Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs (CCERA) system; and Committee scrutinised the NDF preferred option in June 2018. More information on this can be found later in this briefing. sitting alongside Planning Policy Wales (PPW), which sets out the Welsh Government’s national planning policies and will continue to provide the context for land use planning. 2 3 Draft National Development Framework: Research Briefing Draft National Development Framework: Research Briefing NDF preferred option Preferred option The Welsh Government’s preferred option outlined ‘the spatial framework for the The Welsh Government consulted on its preferred option for the NDF between development of the NDF’ and contained five themes, the first four of which mirror April and July 2018. the structure of the revised PPW: The preferred option consultation document (PDF, 4MB) did not present a draft placemaking; version of the NDF, rather it set out a vision, objectives and preferred option to distinctive and natural places; provide the basis for developing the draft NDF. productive and enterprising places; The details of the policies the NDF will set for each part of Wales were not outlined active and social places; and at this stage. However the preferred option did set out a series of nationally Wales’ regions. important spatial issues and the potential direction for a number of policy areas. Placemaking The Welsh Government has published a summary of responses (PDF, 438KB) to the consultation. The concept of ‘placemaking’ is at the heart of the Welsh Government’s new approach to planning policy and featured strongly in both the NDF preferred option Vision and objectives and also in the revised PPW. PPW describes placemaking as an inclusive process, involving all those with an interest in the built and natural environment. It considers The preferred option consultation document set out the Welsh Government’s vision issues at all levels, from the global scale, such as climate change, to the local scale, of ‘Sustainable Places’: such as amenity impact on neighbours. Sustainable Places are the goal of the land use planning system. The NDF will help deliver sustainable places across Wales by 2040, by The NDF preferred option stated that the placemaking theme ‘represents the first supporting positive placemaking