National Development Framework receives warm welcome from Welsh planners

Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Cymru welcomes the progress of the National Development Framework (NDF), being laid in the Senedd earlier this week. 

In particular we recognize the impact COVID19 has had on Government resources and the bringing forward of projects and plans. We congratulate Welsh Government on progressing this important Plan that can help to shape the future of Wales in these difficult times.

As part of our Plan the World We Need campaign, RTPI Cymru called for the NDF to come forward as a priority, to provide a much needed framework to strategically guide development in Wales. It will have an important role to play in identifying infrastructure projects at a time where there is uncertainty around the future of planned projects, infrastructure finance and as the UK leaves the European Union.

RTPI Cymru Director Roisin Willmott FRTPI said: “It is important to recognise the spatial distinctiveness of places in developing policy. At the national level, it will be the NDF which can facilitate an integrated approach with other areas of policy, linking decisions on economic development with those on housing, climate change, energy generation, transport, and other infrastructure, providing a spatial framework for investment.

“We welcome the recognition in the latest version of the Plan that climate change goes beyond decarbonisation and we support the inclusion of the reference to climate resilience in the Plan outcomes.

“We also support the attempts to improve signposting throughout the document to other plans and policies, creating a more joined-up policy framework in Wales.

“We very much look forward to going through the detail in the latest version of the Plan and responding to the Welsh Parliament’s Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee in due course.”