New Housing Developments

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:38 pm on 16 January 2018.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 2:38, 16 January 2018

Well, first of all, it's important that local authorities do have a five-year supply of land. Secondly, it's important to have an up-to-date LDP, because the alternative is a free-for-all and that's something that all local authorities will want to avoid. That said, I have to say it is hugely important that Caerphilly and other authorities are able to work together to bring forth strategic development plans, because it is an artificial divide to say, 'Well, you know, anybody who wants to live in Caerphilly has to work in Caerphilly' or that somehow people don't work in Cardiff from Rhondda Cynon Taf or vice versa. The reality is that housing demand is not determined by local authority boundaries. So, I do want to see—and I know it's something that is felt strongly by Members who represent constituencies where there's pressure on housing—local authorities working together and saying, 'Look, the reality is Cardiff, Caerphilly, Newport, RCT', just to give some examples, 'they're part of a similar urban area'. Housing demand will be the same in all local authorities, so it does make sense then to work together to deliver a strategic solution to housing demand rather than, as has historically been the case, simply looking at demand in one local authority area. That doesn't represent economic reality and it's hugely important that local authorities, as they have been given in the planning Act, are given the flexibility to work together to deliver housing solutions outside of their own boundaries.