Climate Emergency

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Housing and Local Government – in the Senedd at 2:44 pm on 17 July 2019.

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Photo of Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay Conservative 2:44, 17 July 2019

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.