Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:43 pm on 6 June 2018.
Well, it needs to be at the heart of that vision, and I certainly think that the greater scope it offers for planning and regional development is very, very important. But our vision is, as you say, set out in that paper, and we think it’s fully compatible with the co-operation we’re seeing between the UK and the Welsh Government.
But we have seen, perhaps to highlight the concern reflected in Simon’s comments, that in many cities around the world a lack of innovation and sustainable planning has too often left the blight of deprivation, overcrowding and urban sprawl. So, we do need more effective planning policies, and I know that that’s a subject of policy development at the moment, which we are going to play an active part in developing.
So, as I said, our cities need to belong to all the people of Wales, which includes those in the rural areas, and there need to be these engines of growth, creativity and learning, and above all, they must be putting people first. Our White Paper puts forward our policy proposals to transform our communities by enhancing the great urban inheritance that we have had passed to us, but, to add to that, a new sense of ambition for the future, and I use this concept of liveability as being at the heart of an effective urban strategy, and our document is titled 'Liveable Cities: a strategy for Welsh urban renewal'. It introduces 25 policy proposals to transform our urban environments.