In July 2025 Natural Resources Wales issued new interim advice that triggered an effective moratorium on determination of almost all new housing development in significant areas of south Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and West Swansea. This followed assessments of the quality of three marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) which highlighted them to be in an unfavourable […]
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Famed political strategist James Carville helped Bill Clinton win the 1992 US presidential election with three key mantras, the most famous of which was “it’s the economy, stupid”. It is said that every Presidential election since has been won or lost based on the performance of the incumbent. This mantra has evidently been heard in […]
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It does seem at times that Welsh Government is on a mission to use the planning system to make repurposing of existing commercial space in Wales more difficult. We only need to look at a few recent changes to give credence to this view. Biodiversity Net Benefit was embraced by Welsh Government some years ago […]
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While the new requirement to demonstrate a net gain in biodiversity continues to make the planning headlines in England, the concept of securing biodiversity benefits through the planning system been part of the planning framework in Wales for quite some time. Section 6 of the Environment (Wales) Act as long ago as 2016 set out […]
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The September 2020 changes to the Use Classes Order (“UCO”) as it applies to England took a scythe through the relatively settled system of managing uses. It created a stripped-back system that, on its face at least, was intended to reduce the bureaucracy of changing the use of property or buildings, especially those in commercial […]
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If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? I had always thought this an esoteric concept, until I spent many hours trying to discover information about an area designated as a Conservation Area last week and undertaking a similar exercise this week trying […]
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Everyone loves a garden shed. A plain, low cost multi-purpose space that that can meet pretty much whatever needs you throw at it. Storage? Bring it on. A workshop? Of course. A refuge from screaming kids during lockdown, equipped with a bar and pinball machine? Quite possibly. Thanks to the unlikely triumvirate of Brexit, Covid […]
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It has been apparent for some time that while the Government in England has been attempting to support the development industry and encourage new housing by making the planning system less onerous, the Welsh Government has taken an entirely different approach in the arena of planning. Adopting the strategy of Nero, they appear to have […]
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At a time when conspiracy theories abound, let me start another one: Local planning authorities are actively hiding their development plans and guidance documents in the deepest recesses of their websites to induce madness amongst the development sector. It’s true. Everyone is saying it. Well I am, anyway, after my week so far. On Monday […]
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Sir Humphrey has been busy! Dominic Cummings’ fingerprints are all over the latest change to the Use Classes Order (UCO) in England. In one stroke, all uses previously considered “town centre” uses, so those within Use Classes A1, A2, A3 and B1 but also indoor sport, recreation and fitness, health facilities and creche facilities now […]
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