Welsh Government updates Future Wales national development framework
The Welsh Government has updated Future Wales: The National Plan 2040, its statutory national development framework, which sets the national spatial and planning direction for development in Wales to 2040 and must be applied alongside Planning Policy Wales. The framework guides regional and local development planning and infrastructure investment, with the objective of supporting sustainable economic growth, addressing housing need, enabling decarbonisation, and enhancing biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and green infrastructure. It was prepared through a multi‑year process supported by a comprehensive evidence base, extensive public engagement and consultation, and Senedd scrutiny, and was informed by statutory impact assessments, including an Integrated Sustainability Appraisal and a Habitats Regulations Assessment, to embed sustainable development principles and environmental protections throughout.