Written question WQ97888
- Asked by
- Heledd FychanPlaid
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 6 days
Question
What guidance does the Welsh Government provide to local planning authorities on applying the Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015 in relation to planning applications under MTAN-1, especially the healthier Wales and globally responsible Wales wellbeing goals?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
The percentage and volume of production from primary aggregates, mineral waste and recycled or secondary aggregates as defined by MTAN-1 in each local authority is published online and available in the Regional Aggregate Working Parties’ Annual Reports.
In terms of Pennant Sandstone, this data is not available as it is not collected at this level. Data on Sandstone is available in the Regional Aggregate Working Parties’ annual reports and through the Aggregate Minerals Survey 2023: swrawp-wales.gov.uk, www.nwrawp-wales.org.uk and Aggregate minerals survey for Great Britain, 2023 - GOV.UK
Welsh Government is a member of the Regional Aggregate Working Parties (RAWPs) alongside officers from all Local Planning Authorities, representatives of the Mineral Products Association Wales (MPAW), the British Aggregates Association (BAA), representatives of the construction and demolition industry, The Crown Estate and Natural Resources Wales. Welsh Government provides funding on a yearly basis to enable the Local Authority RAWP secretaries to co-ordinate the aggregate sales information received from all mineral operators via the local planning authorities which make up the South Wales and North Wales regions.
The information in the RAWP Annual Reports, alongside other information such as the Aggregate Minerals Survey 2023 and the Regional Technical Statements for Aggregates 2nd Review is used to monitor national planning policy for minerals to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
Welsh Government’s latest assessment, either independently or via the Regional Aggregates Working Parties, of the demand for aggregates, as defined under MTAN-1 and potential areas where there could be a surplus or shortfall of supply is available in the 2nd review of the Regional Technical Statements for Aggregates (RTS), which provides specific recommendations to the constituent LPAs regarding the quantities of aggregate which need to be supplied from each area (apportionments) and the nature and size of any allocations which may need to be made in their Local Development Plan (LDP) to ensure that adequate provision is maintained throughout the relevant Plan Period.
The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (“WFG”) places a duty on public bodies to carry out sustainable development. Future Wales and our national planning policy document, Planning Policy Wales (PPW), sets out the framework within which the WFG Act should be implemented by LPAs (who are also under a duty to comply with the Act) in both their approach to the planning policies they develop and the processes through which they go to formulate those policies and take decisions as a result of them.