Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, has welcomed the news that Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is now committed to reviewing all planning applications for developments of 50 or more dwellings.
In order to further strengthen their approach the Planning Directorate, Public Health and Estates teams are finalising a standard operating procedure for processing applications, in particular where opportunities for Section 106 contributions exist, with a view to implementation in the coming months.
This change comes following a campaign by Mrs Finch-Saunders which highlighted that the Health Board had not been responding to pre-planning and planning applications for large housing developments, and as a consequence, missing countless opportunities to secure funding for local and regional health services.
Commenting on her successful campaign, Janet said:
“The days of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board ignoring planning applications and failing to stand up for over stretched hospitals, GP practices, and other medical facilities are over.
“I am grateful to Mr Dyfed Edwards, Chair, for listening to me. He could have seen the minimum threshold set at 500 houses, but it is now 50, for which I am most grateful.
“We should now see developers required to make financial contributions to local medical services so to mitigate the impact new dwellings have on already overstretched NHS provisions.”
ENDS
