National Plan 2040 for the development of Wales published

The Welsh Government has published a new National Plan 2040 which influences all levels of the planning system and aims to shape the future of Wales.

The new spatial strategy recognises four regional strategic development plans (SDPs):

• North Wales;
• Mid Wales;
• South-west Wales; and
• South-east Wales.

This detailed plan sets out policies made specifically for each area, including housing, employment, tourism, public transport and key services. It also addresses certain issues, such as the availability of affordable housing and growing existing urban areas and ensuring that homes, jobs, and services are located in the same area.

This plan contains 18 different policies covering issues such as transport, connectivity, heat networks, biodiversity - including improving the availability of green areas and increase tree planting.

The document also stresses the importance of strategic placemaking that must be applied by developers and local authorities when planning any development, which involves:

• creating a rich mix of uses;
• providing a variety of housing types and tenures;
• building places at a walkable scale, with homes, local facilities and public transport within walking distance of each other;
• increasing population density, with development built at urban densities that can support public transport and local facilities;
• establishing a permeable network of streets, with a hierarchy that informs the nature of development;
• promoting a plot‑based approach to development, which provides opportunities for the development of small plots, including for custom and self‑builders; and
• integrating green infrastructure, informed by the planning authority’s Green Infrastructure Assessment.

This plan identifies Wrexham and Deeside, Cardiff, Newport and the Valleys, as well as Swansea Bay and Llanelli as nationally significant areas for growth.

It also sets out 10 pre-assessment areas where onshore wind farms can be located, avoiding national parks and areas of outstanding beauty to minimise the negative impact.

For more information on this subject, see:

• Future Wales: The National Plan 2040.