Will the Minister detail any considerations she has given to reforming the planning system to enable more home building on brownfield sites?
Planning Policy Wales (PPW) states previously developed (or brownfield) land should, wherever possible, be used in preference to greenfield sites. This preference is also specifically highlighted in respect of residential development. When Local Planning Authorities allocate sites for housing in their Local Development Plans, they should follow a search sequence starting with the re-use of previously developed land and buildings within settlements.
Planning Policy Wales does acknowledge not all previously developed land is suitable for development. This may, for example, be due to its location, the presence of protected species or valuable habitats or industrial heritage, or because it is highly contaminated.
Based on data provided by Local Planning Authorities from the Joint Housing Land Availability Study (JHLAS) process, in 2013/14 60% of all housing completions were on brownfield land.
Planning policies are kept under constant review and updated where necessary.