Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:59 pm on 20 November 2019.
Thank you very much for that detailed question. I will certainly undertake to observe the castle in context and in landscape, or townscape, because historic buildings do not exist on their own. They always exist in relation to the natural environment or the built environment that surrounds them and therefore there is a responsibility on Cadw and we do always comment, 'We are statutory.' I shouldn't say 'we', really, because I'm the Minister for Cadw, but it is one of my favourite organisations in all the world and was before I had this job. [Laughter.] So, Cadw does respond to any statutory consultation, and will set out the protection for the heritage monument if it is affected by adverse exterior development.
I cannot comment on the broader planning issues, which, of course, are for the planning Minister, but in considering planning issues we have to take and we do take within Government very much an integrated approach, so that all the factors that arise from a proposed development, and how they impact the existing structures, are something that would be considered. Of course, I would expect that any major development in an area of that kind would probably be subject to a planning process that might require a public inquiry and, possibly, a report from an inspector, but I can't speculate on that, and that would give an opportunity for the public and you, of course, as their representative, to make full-hearted comments about the development.