First Minister’s Questions
Janet Finch-Saunders
First Minister, following the Welsh Government consultation earlier this year on the local development plan process review and publication of the new LDP regulations, will you outline the timetable for the publication of the revised LDP manual that is now overdue?
Carwyn Jones
That’s something that we are working on, of course, but we expect local authorities to produce their LDPs in good time. There are some local authorities that have not done that. That adds to huge confusion for developers and the general public. It also means that it becomes very difficult for people to understand what land is going to be used for over a 10-year period.
The irony of the legislation for many years was that, when it came to development plans, there was a requirement for local authorities to produce such plans, whether it was structure plans for counties, local plans for the borough authorities—subsequently of course, unitary development plans and LDPs—but no sanction if plans were not produced. Ceredigion, if I remember, didn’t have a plan—if it ever had a plan; but, certainly, it didn’t have a plan for many, many years. The upshot was that developers didn’t know whether they’d get planning permission; the planning system was capricious, because there were no established guidelines, and we expect local authorities to follow the established guidelines as we look to see whether there is a need to review those that already exist.
Question to the Minister for Natural Resources
Janet Finch-Saunders
5. Will the Minister make a statement on coastal protection works undertaken at Llandudno’s north shore beach? OAQ(4)0355(NR)
Carl Sargeant
I thank the Member for her question. All coastal protections work at Llandudno North Shore in response to last year’s storms was completed last year. Conwy County Borough Council is now working with relevant stakeholders, including the Restore Our Beach campaign group, to look at the long-term beach management strategy for Llandudno.
Janet Finch-Saunders
Thank you, Minister. Completed they were, but completed well—they’re two different things. Whilst Llandudno is Wales’s third most popular tourism destination on TripAdvisor, this is actually due to the many hoteliers and private businesses trading therein. However, a decision taken by your Government and our local authority to dump 50,000 tonnes of quarry rock at North Shore has caused much anger, upset and frustration, particularly as there are now many ongoing problems associated that have to be dealt with daily, and extra revenue costs. According to the council’s internal audit committee’s report, it is evident that sample test loading, a condition of the marine permit licence, was not carried out. Minister, I have referred this matter to you directly, yet you dismissed it out of hand. Why have you failed to enforce the relevant marine permit licences that were granted in this regard? It is your duty to do so.
Carl Sargeant
Well, I’ve corresponded with the Member on many occasions on this. I’ve been very clear about the works undertaken on that coastal strip. I’d be interested to understand what extra daily revenue costs are involved in this process. The Member may wish to write to me about that, but I seem to recall the Member jumping up and down on the beach the day before this activity took place, wishing and hoping for something to be done. When we take action, the Member complains. I’m very surprised, actually. We have donkeys on the beach, but there are some Members who still appear to be one-trick ponies.
Question to the Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty
Janet Finch-Saunders
7. Will the Minister make a statement on the Communities First programme? OAQ(4)0375(CTP)
Lesley Griffiths
Thank you. Communities First supports people to improve their life outcomes. Last year, over 3,000 people entered employment and over 11,050 children and young people improved their academic performance. The recent independent evaluation was positive about the model of working to deliver outcomes. Communities First continues to build on these strengths and deliver positive outcomes.
Janet Finch-Saunders
Thank you, Minister. As you’ll be well aware, some local authorities are actually facilitators for this grant funding. However, the scrutiny process is just not transparent at all. How are you working with the Minister for local government to ensure that this really important funding, where it’s going through a local authority stream, is actually well scrutinised?
Lesley Griffiths
I absolutely disagree that it’s not transparent; it is very transparent. It is very, very closely monitored. Quarterly reports are submitted. So, I absolutely disagree with the Member.