Welsh Government launches consultation on National Development Framework

The Welsh Government has launched a public consultation as part of a major revision of the National Development Framework, which sets out how places, communities, infrastructure and natural resources should be planned and managed through the planning system in Wales. The consultation, running from 19 August to 20 November 2026, invites people and organisations across Wales to have their say on the Statement of Public Participation, the National Conversation Engagement Plan, and an accompanying Call for Evidence.

What the National Development Framework consultation covers. The national conversation will explore seven themes: Wales in 2050, what the nation should be known for and what future generations should inherit; homes and communities, the housing and community infrastructure Wales needs; economy and prosperity, where jobs and investment should be focused; climate and nature, treating both as one connected emergency; movement and connectivity, the future of transport and digital connectivity; culture, language and nationhood, how the Welsh language and cultural identity should shape development; and health and wellbeing, how planning can support healthier lives and reduce inequalities.

Ministerial statement. Siân Gwenllian, Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, 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.

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.

Engagement programme. A series of in-person and remote events will be held around Wales during September and October. The consultation launches alongside separately announced work on Wales’s first Climate and Nature Action Plan, intended to bring climate and nature into decision-making across government.

The consultation documents and details of how to respond are available from the Welsh Government.