Public invited to share views on plan for how places, communities, infrastructure and natural resources should be planned in future.
Today, the Welsh government has launched what it calls a ‘national conversation about the long-term future of Wales’ with a consultation on proposed changes to the planning system. Members of the public and relevant organisations are invited to respond to the draft statement on public participation, the draft national conversation engagement plan, and the role the revised national development framework should play in meeting the needs of the country.
The consultation closes on November 20, 2026. A series of in-person across Wales and remote events will be held to engage with the public in September and October.
Among the key themes to be explored are ‘Wales 2050’, or what the nation should be known for in a generation’s time and what future generations in Wales should inherit. Other themes include the housing and community infrastructure needed in the country, where jobs and investment should be focused, coordinated action on climate change, the future of transport and digital connectivity, the role of Welsh language and culture in shaping development, and how planning can support healthier lives and reduce inequalities.
As the consultation launches, the Welsh government has also announced work has begun on the country’s first climate and nature action plan, which aims to bring climate and nature into decision-making across government, helping to deliver on wider priorities such as healthier communities, resilient places, cleaner air and water, green jobs, warmer homes, sustainable food and farming, and better places to live.
Siân Gwenllian MS, Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, says: ‘This marks the start of a national conversation about the long-term future of Wales, going beyond planning policy to explore the role that places, communities, infrastructure, the environment and culture should play in shaping our nation’s future to 2050.
‘It is part of this government’s commitment to work with local authorities and regional partners to develop a new framework that meets Wales’s needs, empowers local government, and reduces costs, bureaucracy and duplication. I strongly encourage everyone with an interest in the future of their community, town, city, region and nation to take part.
‘Our aim is to move towards a community-centred approach to planning that gives communities a real say on how we secure the homes, workplaces and infrastructure we need, and the national development framework will play a key overarching role in how those decisions are made locally, regionally and nationally.’
Photo: Nick Fewings / Unsplash
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