Planning and Development in Wales

Development is important to give people homes and a good quality of life. But development in the wrong place can be devastating for wildlife – causing irreplaceable loss of habitats and species, pollution, loss of ecological connectivity and contributing to climate change. The Wildlife Trusts believe that development should not come at the expense of our natural environment. All development, be it housing, commercial or infrastructure must be designed and delivered in a way that contributes to nature’s recovery, not its decline.

Sustainable development - development that improves the lives of people today without preventing future generations from meeting their needs – is central to the planning system in Wales. All development must now contribute to social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being, including delivering a net benefit for biodiversity. This means new development should avoid biodiversity loss, create new places for wildlife and allow people to enjoy access to nature.

How you can help

Unfortunately, the Welsh Wildlife Trusts have limited resources and cannot respond to every planning application in Wales. Our priorities are major planning cases and national planning policy work . But everyone can make a difference and stand up for wildlife by getting involved with local planning in your area. This is not just reacting to harmful development, but also looking for opportunities for positive outcomes for wildlife. There are several ways you can help: