3. What changes will the Welsh Government make to its housing and planning policies as a result of declaring a climate emergency? OAQ54251

The latest version of 'Planning Policy Wales' puts decarbonisation at the heart of our national planning policy. The forthcoming national development framework will have a similar focus. Our work on the energy efficiency of new homes through building regulations will also contribute to our response to the climate emergency.

Thank you, Minister. My question ties in, in a small way, with one of Leanne Wood's earlier spokesperson's questions. I raised this with Lesley Griffiths, with her hat on as the environment Minister, last month. I had a query from a constituent who was looking to build an eco-house, effectively a carbon-neutral house in the countryside, but in an area where there had been a previous house, and the application was turned down, but they were allowed to restore an older building that was there and less environmentally friendly. So, I was asked whether I'd pass on to the Welsh Government concerns, with the new climate change emergency having been declared, about whether there will be any review of the planning system so that, when local authorities are following planning guidelines and making planning decisions, they do take into account that, if people want to build carbon-neutral, eco-friendly homes, then those will be pushed a little bit higher up the planning process—appreciating, of course, that there are other mitigating planning aspects as well, but I think it would be helpful if the climate emergency was well and truly embedded within the planning system.

Yes, well, I don't disagree with the sentiment behind that. There are more complex reasons behind it, and I don't want to comment on an individual planning application about which I know nothing, but there can be other complex issues. It's not always entirely carbon-neutral to remove an old building that is made of completely unrecyclable or unsustainable materials. And that can often create a higher carbon footprint than the house itself that you're proposing to build. I'm not suggesting that that was the case in that case—I know nothing about it—but it's important to look at the entire life-cycle of such a thing when you're looking at a carbon-neutral approach to things. When we are responding to the decarbonisation working group and once we've had a chance to digest their report, which we'll be receiving tomorrow, I know, because I've had some preliminary conversations with them, that they are very concerned about that life-cycle issue as well, because replacing an older, less efficient home with a new one superficially sounds good, but what are you going to do with the material in the old home if it's unsustainable and unrecyclable, for example? So, there are bigger issues there.

What I would say is that that's not really the planning process, although each individual planning authority will take its own view. The policies are in place to allow eco-houses to be built right now. What we are doing is reviewing our building regulations, so that, in building your house, you have to do certain things. You'll know that we're doing that partly in response to the Grenfell tragedy, and so we're looking to make sure that our fire safety processes are up to scratch, but, in doing that, we are also looking at decarbonisation of the building process itself, so that when you are granted planning permission you do, of course, have to build whatever it is you have planning consent for in accordance with the building regulations. So, the building regulations are an important toolbox in that, and I will shortly, Llywydd, be bringing forward proposals to consult on proposals to change the building regulations, which we will then be taking through the Senedd, so you'll have an opportunity to scrutinise our plans in that regard as well.

Well, about time, too, because the last time this Government brought forward proposals to strengthen part L building regulations, Plaid Cymru, my colleagues and I, argued fervently that the Government should be much more ambitious. Despite consulting on a 40 per cent or a 25 per cent strengthening of energy efficiency, your Government plumped for a measly 9 per cent increase. Now, we argued against, you voted us down. Three years later, we have a number of houses that have been built in the meantime that are actually locking in that energy inefficiency that you supported and which we opposed. Do you regret that?

As I say, we are about to review part L of the building regulations. A lot of things have changed in the last several years around the materials that are available in order to achieve energy efficiency, and there are other issues around the climate emergency, actually, that are really interesting, because one of the biggest issues for Welsh houses now is not heating, it's cooling. So, actually, strengthening the building regulations at this point in time, we are able to take cognisance of technology that hasn't existed other than in the last few months around making sure that your home is both cool and hot. I'm sure, Llywydd, we all welcome the pleasant weather we've been having, recently, but a number of people will now be cooling their homes all night as well as heating them, and the energy inefficiency of that is something we very much need to take account of as well. The building regulations are now able to take that into account in their first iteration in 2020, but there will also be futureproofing in there so that, as technology changes, we'll be able to keep the building regulations up to date with the latest technology without having to redo the entire process.

Caroline Jones.

Diolch, Llywydd, but I think my question has just been answered, because it was on heating and cooling. So, thank you.

Excellent.

Question 4, Janet Finch-Saunders.