Update to Chapter 6 of Planning Policy Wales

Welsh Government recently made changes to Planning Policy Wales Edition 11 to address the nature emergency by publishing a revised Chapter 6 ‘Distinctive and Natural Placemaking and Well-Being’.

The policy changes came into immediate affect and impacts on all planning applications.

There is a great deal to consider in the revised Chapter 6, however the main policy changes relate to:

• Green Infrastructure
• Net Benefit for Biodiversity and the Step Wise Approach
• Protection for Sites of Special Scientific Interest
• Trees and Woodlands

View the New Chapter 6 on the Welsh Governments website (external website)

One key change is the requirement for all planning applications to be submitted with a ‘Green Infrastructure Statement’ (para 6.2.5). A ‘Green Infrastructure Statement’ is now required with all new applications and should describe how green infrastructure has been incorporated into the proposal.

The statement should be proportionate to the scale and nature of the proposed development, for example on householder and minor developments this would normally be a short description.

The Green Infrastructure statement will be an effective way of demonstrating positive multi-functional outcomes which are appropriate to the site in question and must be used for demonstrating how the ‘Step-wise Approach’ (Paragraph 6.4.21) has been applied.