Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:35 pm on 24 May 2022.
I thank the Member for South Wales Central for raising the issue, and, as the Member has just said, it is important that local authorities do all they can to move forward with the adoption of housing estates. But I take the point that the First Minister made, that there is a responsibility on the developers to complete the work in an appropriate fashion. It's also important that developers play their role too, and there are many examples of responsible companies contributing to new housing estates, as expected—through play parks, community facilities, et cetera. However, Llywydd, there are too many examples of local authorities not receiving the full amount that they are due via section 106 contributions. I'm sure many Members, across the Chamber, can recall examples of this in their own constituencies. There are also instances where developers do not deliver the amount of social housing promised during the planning application stage, instead re-evaluating the number of dwellings to be built on the land during the building process itself, often quoting necessity to do so on the grounds of viability. And this leads to ever-increasing social housing waiting lists. First Minister, will the Welsh Government explore ways to boost the powers available to local authorities to ensure that all housing developers fully play their role in unlocking the potential of our communities? And how is the Government working with developers to encourage the building of important social infrastructure, as well as the new housing? Thank you.