Planning (Wales) Act 2015

PART 5 E+W APPLICATIONS TO WELSH MINISTERS

Developments of national significance E+W

F1 19 Developments of national significance: applications for planning permission E+W

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Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 19-22 omitted (15.12.2025) by virtue of Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (asc 3), s. 147(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(3) (with s. 84(5)); S.I. 2025/698, art. 3(l)

F1 20 Developments of national significance: secondary consents E+W

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Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 19-22 omitted (15.12.2025) by virtue of Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (asc 3), s. 147(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(3) (with s. 84(5)); S.I. 2025/698, art. 3(l)

F1 21 Developments of national significance: local impact reports E+W

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Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 19-22 omitted (15.12.2025) by virtue of Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (asc 3), s. 147(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(3) (with s. 84(5)); S.I. 2025/698, art. 3(l)

F1 22 Timetable for determining applications E+W

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Textual Amendments

F1 Ss. 19-22 omitted (15.12.2025) by virtue of Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (asc 3), s. 147(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(3) (with s. 84(5)); S.I. 2025/698, art. 3(l)

Option to make application to Welsh Ministers E+W

23 Option to make application to Welsh Ministers E+W

In TCPA 1990, after section 62L (as inserted by section 22) insert—

“Wales: option to make application to Welsh Ministers E+W

62M Option to make application directly to Welsh Ministers

(1) If the following conditions are met, a qualifying application that would otherwise have to be made to the local planning authority may (if the applicant so chooses) instead be made to the Welsh Ministers.

(2) The first condition is that the local planning authority is designated by the Welsh Ministers for the purposes of this section.

(3) The second condition is that—

(a) the development to which the application relates, in the case of a qualifying application within subsection (4)(a), or

(b) the development for which the outline planning permission has been granted, in the case of a qualifying application within subsection (4)(b),

is development of a description prescribed by regulations made by the Welsh Ministers.

(4) A qualifying application, for the purposes of this section, is—

(a) an application for planning permission for the development of land in Wales, provided that the development to which it relates is not development of national significance for the purposes of section 62D;

(b) an application for approval of a matter that, for the purposes of section 92, is a reserved matter in the case of an outline planning permission for the development of land in Wales.

(5) But an application within subsection (6) that would otherwise be a qualifying application for the purposes of this section is not to be treated as such unless it is an application of a description prescribed in regulations made by the Welsh Ministers.

(6) An application is within this subsection if it is an application for planning permission for the development of land without complying with conditions subject to which a previous planning permission was granted.

62N Designation for the purposes of section 62M

(1) In deciding whether to designate a local planning authority for the purposes of section 62M, or whether to revoke a designation, the Welsh Ministers must apply only criteria that satisfy the following conditions.

(2) The first condition is that the Welsh Ministers have consulted each local planning authority in Wales about the criteria.

(3) The second condition is that the criteria are set out in a document that the Welsh Ministers have laid before the National Assembly for Wales.

(4) The third condition is that the 21-day period has ended without the National Assembly having during that period resolved not to approve the document.

(5) The fourth condition is that the Welsh Ministers have published the document (whether before, during or after the 21-day period) in whatever way they think fit.

(6) In this section, “the 21-day period” means the period of 21 days beginning with the day on which the document is laid before the National Assembly for Wales under subsection (3), disregarding any time when the National Assembly is dissolved or is in recess for more than four days.

(7) The power to designate a local planning authority for the purposes of section 62M, or to revoke a designation, is exercisable by notice in writing to the authority.

(8) The Welsh Ministers must publish (in whatever way they think fit) a copy of any notice given to an authority under subsection (7).

(9) An urban development corporation may not be designated for the purposes of section 62M.

62O Option to make application to Welsh Ministers: connected applications

(1) This section applies where an application (the “principal application”) is made to the Welsh Ministers under section 62M.

(2) A connected application that would otherwise have to be made to the local planning authority or hazardous substances authority may (if the applicant so chooses) instead be made to the Welsh Ministers, provided that it is made on the same day as the principal application.

(3) A connected application, for this purpose, is an application under the planning Acts that—

(a) relates to land in Wales,

(b) is an application of a description prescribed by regulations made by the Welsh Ministers, and

(c) is considered by the person making it to be connected to the principal application.

(4) Subsection (5) applies if an application is made to the Welsh Ministers under this section, on the basis that it is a connected application, instead of to a local planning authority or hazardous substances authority, but the Welsh Ministers consider—

(a) that the application is not connected to the principal application, or

(b) that, although the application is connected to the principal application, the decision on the application should not be made by the Welsh Ministers.

(5) The Welsh Ministers must refer the application to the local planning authority or hazardous substances authority.

(6) An application referred to an authority under subsection (5)—

(a) is to be treated as from the date of its referral as being an application made to the authority concerned (instead of an application made to the Welsh Ministers), and

(b) is to be determined by the authority accordingly.

(7) A development order may make provision about the referral of applications under subsection (5) (including provision about what constitutes the referral of an application for the purposes of subsection (6)).”

Commencement Information

I1 S. 23 partly in force; s. 23 in force for specified purposes at 6.9.2015, see s. 58(2)(b)(4)(b)

General E+W

24 Further provision about applications made to Welsh Ministers E+W

In TCPA 1990, after section 62O (as inserted by section 23) insert—

“Applications made to Welsh Ministers: general E+W

62P Applications to the Welsh Ministers: supplementary

(1) A decision of the Welsh Ministers on an application made to them under section 62D, 62M or 62O is final.

(2) The Welsh Ministers may give directions requiring a local planning authority to do things in relation to an application made to the Welsh Ministers under section 62D or 62M that would otherwise have been made to the authority.

(3) The Welsh Ministers may give directions requiring a local planning authority or hazardous substances authority to do things in relation to an application made to the Welsh Ministers under section 62O that would otherwise have been made to the authority.

(4) Directions given under this section—

(a) may relate to a particular application or description of application, or to applications generally;

(b) may be given to a particular authority or description of authority, or to authorities generally.

(5) The power to give directions under this section includes power to vary or revoke the directions.

62Q Notifying community councils of applications made to Welsh Ministers

(1) This section applies if—

(a) an application is made to the Welsh Ministers under section 62D, 62F, 62M or 62O, and

(b) a community council would be entitled under paragraph 2 of Schedule 1A to be notified of the application (requirement to notify community council of certain planning applications).

(2) The Welsh Ministers (instead of the local planning authority) must notify the community council of the application, as specified in paragraph 2(4) of Schedule 1A.

(3) The relevant local planning authority must comply with any request made by the Welsh Ministers for the purposes of this section to supply information to them about requests received by the authority under paragraph 2(1) of Schedule 1A.

(4) The “relevant local planning authority”, for this purpose, is—

(a) in the case of an application under section 62D or section 62M, the local planning authority to which (but for the section in question) the application would have been made;

(b) in the case of an application under section 62F or 62O which (but for the section in question) would have been made to a local planning authority, that authority.”

Commencement Information

I2 S. 24 partly in force; s. 24 in force for specified purposes at 6.9.2015, see s. 58(2)(b)(4)(b)

I3 S. 24 in force at 1.3.2016 for specified purposes by S.I. 2016/52, art. 3(a)

25 Power to make provision by development order in respect of applications to Welsh Ministers E+W

In TCPA 1990, after section 62Q (as inserted by section 24) insert—

“62R Power to make provision by development order in respect of applications to Welsh Ministers

(1) A development order may make provision for regulating the manner in which an application for planning permission made to the Welsh Ministers under section 62D, 62F, 62M or 62O, or an application for approval made to the Welsh Ministers under section 62F, 62M or 62O, is to be dealt with by the Welsh Ministers.

(2) That provision may include provision about—

(a) consultation to be carried out by the Welsh Ministers;

(b) the variation of an application.”

Commencement Information

I4 S. 25 partly in force; s. 25 in force for specified purposes at 6.9.2015, see s. 58(2)(b)(4)(b)

I5 S. 25 in force at 1.3.2016 for specified purposes by S.I. 2016/52, art. 3(a)

26 Developments of national significance and applications made to Welsh Ministers: exercise of functions by appointed person E+W

(1) In TCPA 1990, after section 62R (as inserted by section 25) insert—

“62S Exercise of functions by appointed person

Schedule 4D has effect with respect to the exercise of functions by appointed persons in connection with developments of national significance and applications made to the Welsh Ministers.”

(2) For provision about the exercise of functions by appointed persons in connection with developments of national significance and applications made to the Welsh Ministers, see Schedule 3.

Commencement Information

I6 S. 26 partly in force; s. 26 in force for specified purposes at 6.9.2015, see s. 58(2)(b)(4)(b)

I7 S. 26 in force at 1.3.2016 for specified purposes by S.I. 2016/52, art. 3(a)

27 Applications to Welsh Ministers: further amendments E+W

For further amendments relating to applications to the Welsh Ministers, see Schedule 4.

Commencement Information

I8 S. 27 partly in force; s. 27 in force for specified purposes at 6.9.2015, see s. 58(2)(b)(4)(b)

I9 S. 27 in force at 1.3.2016 for specified purposes by S.I. 2016/52, art. 3(a)