Planning is a devolved matter in Wales – meaning that Wales has its own primary planning legislation (the Planning (Wales) Act 2015), and that local planning authorities in Wales must comply with the plans and policies set by the Welsh Government.

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A Local Development Plan (LDP) is a strategic document written by the Local Planning Authority, setting out how much development should take place in the area, what kinds of development are needed, and where new development should be built.

Larger and more complex developments are usually decided by the planning committee. Each local planning authority will have its own rules as to which applications will be decided by the planning committee (called the scheme of delegation). You can find out if an application is going to be decided by committee by looking at the application information or by asking the case officer.

Strategic Development Plans (SDPs) will be produced to guide strategic development at a regional level. Four SDPs wil be written, covering North Wales, Mid Wales, South West Wales and South East Wales. They will be developed by Corporate Joint Committees, made up of the Leaders from each of the councils in the region.

You can help wildlife and nature recovery by actively participating in the planning system. Rather than only reacting to potentially damaging planning applications, it’s more effective to change the policies that govern planning decisions.

Most local authorities will provide plans and other documents for a planning application online. If not, you can ask the local planning authority to send you copies. Read everything thoroughly. If you don’t understand something, you can ask the case officer or look at Planning Aid Wales.