7. What guidance does the Welsh Government issue regarding planning applications for housing developments? OAQ51343

Thank you. The Welsh Government’s planning policy for housing is set out in 'Planning Policy Wales'. Further guidance is provided in technical advice notes. 'Technical Advice Note 1: Joint Housing Land Availability Studies' provides advice on calculating housing land supply. 'Technical Advice Note 2: Planning and Affordable Housing' provides advice on the delivery of affordable housing.

Thank you. Well, commenting in June in our mutual local paper, after the First Minister had approved a planning application in Llay on the basis of a recommendation by an independent inspector, you said that controversial issues such as this will continue until a council adopts a local development plan. I recently, at the request of residents, attended a public inquiry in Penyffordd, Flintshire. I know you can't comment on that, but the concern was expressed to me that, because their local development plan had not been concluded, quote, developers were taking advantage of the situation by citing five years' supply and loopholes in TAN 1 to get the planning through.

In October the leader of Conwy County Borough Council wrote to you saying that the calculation methodology of five-year land supply within TAN 1, revised by the Welsh Government in January 2015, is undermining local development plans across Wales. And in your response, which was actually quite helpful, you said that the lack of a five-year housing land supply may be one of the considerations—one of the considerations—determining a planning application; however, applications that do not meet the relevant policy requirements may be refused by the authority and planning inspector. Could you expand on that? How should a local authority, an applicant, and particularly a planning inspector, interpret that statement in this context?

Thank you. Presiding Officer, if I could just take the opportunity—the first example Mark Isherwood gave was in my constituency, but obviously this decision was taken by the First Minister, not by me. 

In relation to the general point you raise about TAN 1, it is a very difficult situation if the five-year land supply isn't demonstrated, and certainly it's happening not just in north-east Wales, and north Wales, as you referred to, it's happening in other local authorities too. Unfortunately, if a local planning authority hasn't got a five-year housing land supply, they are open to speculative planning applications for housing development. However, all such applications should be assessed against all relevant policy considerations, including the need to increase housing land supply, and the principle of sustainable development. That was the point I was trying to make.

Cabinet Secretary, there have been quite a number of significant housing developments, or proposed developments, in the Taff Ely and Pontypridd area. One of the issues, of course, that arises during that process is the capacity in respect of local public services. In particular, I have in mind general practitioner services. Will they be able to cope with the actual additional housing in that particular capacity? 

Now, it seems to me that one of the concerns we've had—and I've heard it expressed by a number of GP practices now—is that they are not statutory consultees in those planning processes. It seems to me, with the scale of housing developments we have, that it's very important that we actually have a review as to who actually are statutory consultees, and that serious consideration should now be given to including bodies like local general practitioner practices to participate within that. It's a directly relevant part of the process and very necessary information to have, but which isn't included as a matter of course at the moment. 

Thank you. Yes, I agree—the capacity of primary care facilities is an important material consideration when considering the planning merits of a proposed development. Obviously, the local health board is responsible for providing primary care services for its local population, so I would expect them to engage in the preparation of any development plans. They know what capacity they've got. It's important that a GP surgery feeds that information through to the local health board. 

We are having discussions at the current time as to whether health boards should be statutory consultees for major planning applications.