The Welsh Government has launched a national conversation on how Wales should develop towards 2050, including where new homes, jobs and investment should be located and how future infrastructure, transport and communities should be planned.
A public consultation opened last week as part of a major revision of the National Development Framework, the overarching framework used to guide planning and development decisions across Wales.
Running until November 20, the consultation represents an early opportunity for businesses, local authorities, communities and other organisations to influence the long-term direction of development in Wales.
The review will look beyond traditional planning policy and consider how economic prosperity, housing, infrastructure, climate and nature, transport, digital connectivity, health, the Welsh language and cultural identity should shape the country over the coming decades.
Among the central questions will be where jobs and investment should be focused, what homes and community infrastructure Wales will require, and how transport and digital connectivity will need to evolve.
The Welsh Government says it wants the revised framework to support a more community-centred approach to planning while reducing costs, bureaucracy and duplication between different levels of government.
Planning for Wales in 2050
The consultation, which runs from August 19 to November 20, seeks views on the Statement of Public Participation, the National Conversation Engagement Plan and an accompanying Call for Evidence.
A programme of in-person and online events will also take place across Wales during September and October.
Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Siân Gwenllian said the process would help shape decisions with implications for Wales for decades.
She said:
“This marks the start of a national conversation about the long-term future of Wales, going beyond planning policy to explore the role that places, communities, infrastructure, the environment and culture should play in shaping our nation's future to 2050.
“It is part of this Government's commitment to work with local authorities and regional partners to develop a new Framework that meets Wales's needs, empowers local government, and reduces costs, bureaucracy and duplication.
“I strongly encourage everyone with an interest in the future of their community, town, city, region and nation to take part.”
She added that the ambition was to give communities a greater role in determining how Wales provides the homes, workplaces and infrastructure it needs.
“Our aim is to move towards a community-centred approach to planning that gives communities a real say on how we secure the homes, workplaces and infrastructure we need, and the National Development Framework will play a key overarching role in how those decisions are made locally, regionally and nationally.”
Seven broad themes will form the basis of the national conversation.
These include what Wales should be known for by 2050 and the legacy left to future generations; the homes and community infrastructure the country requires; and where employment and investment should be concentrated.
The review will also examine the future of transport and digital connectivity and how the planning system can support healthier communities and reduce inequalities.
Climate and nature will be considered as a connected challenge, while participants will also be asked how the Welsh language, culture and national identity should influence future development.
The consultation comes as the Welsh Government begins work on Wales' first Climate and Nature Action Plan.
That plan is intended to bring climate and nature considerations more directly into decision-making across government, including areas such as green jobs, housing, food and farming, air and water quality and community resilience.
The National Development Framework consultation is open until November 20, 2026, with businesses, organisations and members of the public invited to submit evidence and views through the Welsh Government website.
The consultation documents and details of how to respond are available at: https://www.gov.wales/national-development-framework.
