Julie James: We had a full discussion about the way that the formula works and any issues that anyone in the room had with them, and I invited suggestions from the local government leaders in the room and, indeed, from the wider local government community as to any suggested changes to the formula that might be something that we could all support. So, I'm very open to that. I have to say, nothing has come...
Julie James: Well, indeed, the finance Minister and I both met with local government at this morning’s finance sub-group meeting to discuss finance matters, the main topic of which was the sustainability of the local government funding formula. So, we're both fresh from that very meeting.
Julie James: I don't have a picture of Wales in my head around the different population projections, so I can't talk in specifics, but I'm very keen to make sure that we have the right projections in place, and that we actually respond to the need in the right places. I'm also actually very keen to ensure that developments are the right size and fitted for the area they serve. So, what we want to do is...
Julie James: I want to make it plain immediately that I'm not going to comment on any specifics, and my remarks are not directed to the particular development that the Member has raised—so, in general terms. We have provisions in the Planning (Wales) Act 2015 to enable local planning authorities to bring forward strategic development plans and therefore to work more regionally. We are looking to have...
Julie James: Yes. A good local development plan should plan not only for its housing need, but for the infrastructure needs associated with the housing need. Clearly, that is a range of services, you know, from prosaic highway infrastructure, to digital connectivity, to access to GPs and schools, local bus services, sustainable transport, and so on. It’s a very complex picture. Each place should be...
Julie James: Yes, indeed. Up-to-date local development plans provide the local context to assess the cumulative impact of multiple residential development applications in the same locality. LDPs should ensure sufficient land is available in appropriate and sustainable locations to meet the projected housing need identified by the local planning authority.
Julie James: No, I don’t, and I think I said very clearly that I didn’t. I think no one size fits all at all. What we need to do is work closely with local government to agree a shared vision for the future in which we make sure that the expertise available to it is deployed to the best effect for the people of Wales. Sometimes, that expertise will sit in one authority and it needs to be shared with...
Julie James: I just don't think that one size fits all at all. There are very good examples across Britain and across the world of both large and small local authorities that work very effectively. It's about harnessing local resources for local people and harnessing the power of local democratic decisions in order to do so. So, my own view is that if two local authorities thought they would work better...
Julie James: As I said, I've already had a very good meeting this morning with the finance sub-committee, talking about the funding formula. I'm meeting with the WLGA on Friday. We have a working group, which is being chaired by Derek Vaughan, looking at the way that we do regional working together, and I'm looking forward to having a good and productive relationship with local authorities across the piece.
Julie James: Yes, I'm not in the habit of relying on alternative facts, so I can assure the Member that I won't be taking up the practice any time soon. I'm a long-term fan of local government. Members in the Chamber will know that I spent a very large part of my career in local government. I think they do a good job in constrained circumstances. They require help and assistance, and, sometimes, they...
Julie James: I think that the issue with the LDPs sometimes is the speed and the capacity with which local authorities are able to put them together. We have been working very closely with local authorities across Wales to ensure that they have the expertise to put the local development plans in place. It's something we are always keeping under review around the capacity to do that and the way that we...
Julie James: Yes. The First Minister has made it clear we will retain the 22 local authorities we have in Wales. Where voluntary merger proposals come forward, we will act to support them.
Julie James: So, the planning system is extremely complex, and the quasi-judicial nature of it makes it very difficult to comment on particular cases. The Member will be very well aware that at local authority level the local authority sets the local development plan, and they are enabled, through that plan, to take full account of the democratic wishes of the people they represent in setting out the...
Julie James: So, the reason that we've combined planning into this portfolio is that we can bring together as many of the levers that we have here in the Welsh Government to solve some of the endemic problems that we have with, for example, building sufficient housing or some infrastructure issues. I'm looking forward to being able to use all of those levers together in the process. We did just reissue...
Julie James: I'm afraid I don't know the date on which they're planning to come down. If it's possible for me to meet them, I certainly will. However, I've just come from the finance sub-group of the partnership council for Wales this morning where the leader of Flintshire council was a participant. I think we had a very amicable and useful conversation there about the way that the formula works. I...
Julie James: I take the point the Member makes, but there are capacity issues there, and how you get that—
Julie James: I beg your pardon.
Julie James: I'm overcome by enthusiasm.
Julie James: Well, I certainly haven't reached that conclusion. As I said to you, I haven't fully considered the recent WAO report. I have had slightly more time to consider the findings of the review. I think it's a good basis on which to move forward, and it certainly will inform our policy approach moving forward. There are a number of issues with town and community councils—around size and capacity...
Julie James: It's a very interesting report. As you know, I've only been in post six weeks, so I haven't had the time, in any way, to fully—. I've skim-read it—that's the best I could do in the time I had available. I do, however, plan to read it thoroughly and to take it into account. I have a number of views of my own around town and community councils, which I'm happy to share with the Member, and...
