Our role in planning
Our role in the planning system is to provide advice about the likely impact of proposed development on the historic environment. The decision maker will take into account our advice alongside all other relevant issues when making their decision.
We advise:
- local planning authorities
- Natural Resources Wales
- The Planning Inspectorate
- developers
- any others involved in the planning process.
Our assessments are made in light of Welsh Government’s land use planning policy and guidance contained in:
- Planning Policy Wales
- Technical Advice Note 24: The Historic Environment
- Conservation Principles for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment in Wales
- Setting of Historic Assets in Wales.
We provide advice about the likely impact of development proposals on:
- scheduled monuments and their settings
- registered historic parks and gardens and their settings
- registered Historic Landscapes
- World Heritage Sites.
We do not provide assessments of the likely impact of planning applications on listed buildings or conservation areas because these are considered by the local planning authorities.
Planning Appeals
If a planning application is refused consent by the local planning authority, the applicant can appeal to The Planning Inspectorate. Under these circumstances, we provide planning inspectors with assessments of the likely impact of the development on all the historic assets listed above, and listed buildings and their settings.
Local Development Plans
We are consulted by local planning authorities on the preparation of local development plans and supplementary planning guidance. We provide advice on all aspects of the historic environment to ensure that it is considered in a positive way in the local planning process.
