Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:50 pm on 11 February 2020.
Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for Housing and Local Government about the oversight and implementation of the planning Act in Wales? I have been contacted by a number of constituents with concerns about the increase in planning consents for housing developments being granted in my region. Although these developments are within the local government plan, my constituents are concerned that the local infrastructure is inadequate to cope with the population increase. In particular, roads are inadequate to cope with the increased volume of traffic and local facilities such as GP surgeries, dentists and schools find difficulty in coping with the increased demand for their services. Smaller villages have taken the brunt of the problem associated with the new developments, with seemingly little thought given to the local population. Can we have a statement on how the planning system ensures that the infrastructure is brought up to an acceptable standard to cope with localised population increases in the future in Wales, please?