9. How is the Minister strengthening the planning process in rural areas? OAQ53447

Effective planning in rural areas is best achieved by having local development plans in place setting out the planning strategy for rural areas. 'Planning Policy Wales: Edition 10' has strengthened planning guidance on rural areas by requiring effective placemaking to ensure development promotes prosperity, health and well-being.

Thank you, Deputy Minister. And you've anticipated my question by mentioning the LDP process. I recently held a supermarket surgery in Morrisons in Abergavenny—always a popular model. I can see Lynne Neagle agrees and holds them as well. [Laughter.] One issue that keeps coming up in my surgeries at the moment is planning and, in particular, the number of planning applications that are coming forward outside of local authorities' local development plans. What guidance are you giving or has the Minister given to local authorities when it comes to dealing with these applications? I get the sense that my constituents accept that there must be more housing and there must be more building but they are concerned about the robustness of the process and, if you're going to have a local development plan process, would you agree with me that it's better that applications go through that process rather than being seen to be rushed and possibly inappropriate in the longer term?

The Member again raises important points in terms of public confidence in the processes going forward. I think there was a familiar smile all round when you mentioned a supermarket surgery—many an hour spent by many of us in this place at one of them. [Inaudible.]—many local authorities are currently in the process of reviewing their development plans. When the Welsh Government comes to consider and approve any review, it will consider whether the plan meets the needs of local communities and its own guidance. It's an objective of this Welsh Government and the Minister that the LDP of any local authority is developed in the context of a regional plan, and I'm pleased that progress has now been made in developing such a regional plan in south-east Wales. If a local authority is considering approving a very significant development that is outside its own LDP, the Welsh Government does have the power to call in such an application and has done so in the recent past. But the Member is aware that I am unable to comment on any individual applications.

Thank you, Deputy Minister.