Planning jobs in Wales

About the area

Planning in Wales

Wales has its own planning system, set by the Welsh Government. Future Wales: the National Plan 2040 is the national development plan, Planning Policy Wales and the Technical Advice Notes set out policy, and each authority prepares a Local Development Plan. The 22 county and county borough councils are the local planning authorities, alongside three National Park Authorities for Eryri, Bannau Brycheiniog and the Pembrokeshire Coast. The largest energy and infrastructure schemes are Developments of National Significance, decided by Welsh Ministers, and appeals are handled by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales.

The country divides into distinct regions. In the south-east, Cardiff, Newport and the valleys form the Cardiff Capital Region, where city growth and valley regeneration sit side by side. Swansea Bay and the south-west combine urban renewal with the ports and energy industries of Port Talbot and Milford Haven. Mid Wales is rural and sparsely populated, while North Wales mixes the industrial Deeside corridor with coast, tourism and some of the strongest Welsh-speaking communities.

Several themes run across Wales: the Well-being of Future Generations Act, placemaking, the Welsh language, flood risk and climate resilience, renewable energy, and phosphate limits in protected rivers that affect new housing in many catchments. Second homes and holiday lets are a pressing issue in coastal and rural areas. Planners work for councils, National Park Authorities, Natural Resources Wales, the Welsh Government and consultancies based mainly in Cardiff, Swansea and North Wales.