Planning (Wales) Act 2015

14 Welsh Ministers’ power to direct preparation of joint local development plan

(1) Section 72 of PCPA 2004 (joint local development plans) is amended as follows.

(2) Before subsection (1) insert—

“(A1) The Welsh Ministers may direct two or more local planning authorities to prepare a joint local development plan.

(A2) But a direction under subsection (A1) may not be given to a National Park authority.”

(3) In subsection (1), after “may” insert “, in the absence of a direction to any of them under subsection (A1),”.

(4) After subsection (1) insert—

“(1A) If the Welsh Ministers give a direction under subsection (A1), they must state their reasons for doing so.

(1B) The authorities to which a direction is given must, subject to any withdrawal or variation of the direction, act jointly in exercising their functions under this Part relating to local development plans.”

(5) In subsection (3), after “mentioned in subsection” insert “(A1) or”.

(6) In subsection (4), after “if” insert “—

(a) the Welsh Ministers withdraw a direction under subsection (A1) or vary such a direction so that it ceases to apply to a local planning authority, or

(b)”.

(7) In subsection (5)—

(a) in paragraph (a), after “authority” insert “to which the direction was given or”;

(b) in paragraph (b), for “who” substitute “to which the direction was given or which”.

(8) In subsection (6), after “to which the” insert “direction or”.

(9) In subsection (7), after “authority” insert “to which the direction was given or”.

(10) After subsection (7) insert—

“(7A) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations—

(a) specify circumstances in which subsections (5) and (7) are not to apply in relation to an authority;

(b) make provision as to what is a corresponding plan or corresponding joint local development plan.”