, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
First Minister, we know that our planning system in Wales is rather overwhelmed, but it is imperative that any greening initiative isn't held back, but all necessary precautions are put in place. Now, today there is around 4 GW of electricity storage…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes. Mine is a question that we missed earlier. We’ve heard that there’s a lack of reliable environmental data relating specifically to the marine area. The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales has suggested the Bill could require private developers to…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
No, I'm not mentioning—we haven't mentioned any.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
So, on the two you mentioned, Minister, was enforcement taken and were they, if you like, hit in the pocket or made to put right where they'd breached?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes. There was something on the tail of yours. Currently, planning authorities, when it comes to enforcement where conditions are breached—now, I'm talking on more minor developments—quite often, when conditions are breached that have been put on there at…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
They weren't included in—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
And how can we be confident about the weightings to the value of the protected species, as opposed to the need for the renewable energy? Also, we know that there are issues with resource and capacity within NRW. If there are a lot of projects coming along the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
But regarding the protected species licences, though, a small example is where we've got the windfarms off the north Wales coast—we had the Rhyl Flats, and then Gwynt y Môr—and there have been surveys since and some of the protected species have declined in…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay. And then the one-stop-shop infrastructure consent proposed in the Bill does not include environmental permits or protected species licences. Could you explain the rationale for not including these licences?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes. Thank you. Several stakeholders highlight the potential impact on developers with cross-border projects, on land and in the marine area, questioning how regimes on each side of the border will interact. RenewableUK Cymru specifically identify…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Okay. That's me done.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
It has been suggested to us that, similar to the nationally significant infrastructure projects process, should the Welsh Ministers wish to extend the deadline for determining an application, they should make a statement to the Senedd setting a new deadline…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you. So, we've received evidence saying that there’s too much flexibility in the Bill to change the time frames for deciding applications. Witnesses have said that deadlines should be fixed, as in the NSIP process, because it provides clarity and…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you. So, we've received evidence expressing concern about the specific provisions for infrastructure policy statements in the Bill. Now, these include the fact that they would take precedence over 'Future Wales' and the marine plan, but are not subject…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
We've also received—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
As you know, we’ve been calling for quite some time now for the marine plan to be based more on a spatial element. Others have raised this with us, specifically on the marine plan. The Marine Conservation Society is concerned about the designation of the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you. A number of witnesses have said that policy should clearly express national needs for infrastructure, as in the Planning Act 2008 system, and that Future Wales and the marine plan are inadequate in their current form to be the principal policy…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
No. No.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Right. Thanks for that, Minister.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
So, with the CJCs, it's the politicians rather than the officers that are blocking—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
The National Infrastructure Planning Association has suggested that a central specialist advice unit could be beneficial to public bodies and examining inspectors when specialist issues arise. Do you agree that such a unit would be beneficial, and would you…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Yes.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Infrastructure (Wales) Bill - Evidence session with the Minister for Climate Change
Thank you. Energy developers have told us they’re willing to pay higher fees in return for a guaranteed level of service from LPAs and others. How will you work with developers, LPAs and others to optimise the fee structure for the new process?
