5. Will the First Minister make a statement on permitted development rights in Wales? OQ60592

Permitted development rights enable development with limited planning impacts to proceed without needing a planning application. These are kept under review in consultation with planning authorities, businesses and other organisations with an interest in the planning system.

Diolch. In response to a similar question on 9 January, Dawn Bowden MS, Deputy Minister for tourism, told this Parliament

'The Welsh Government is committed to supporting a vibrant visitor economy all year round throughout Wales'.

Now, the facts paint a different picture. There's now a growing perception that, in Wales, this Welsh Government supported by Plaid are on an anti-tourism agenda. And you’ve got to realise this is a £6.2 billion industry, so let’s look at what’s been introduced as a result of this co-operation agreement: a 182-day rule for self-catering accommodation, registration scheme for holiday lets, licensing scheme for hospitality accommodation, tourism tax, slashing the 75 per cent—[Interruption.] I’m well within my time.

Yes, you're within your time. [Interruption.] You're within your time, Janet Finch-Saunders; I'm not sure whether you're within your topic at the moment.

I am.

This question is about permitted development rights.

Sorry, I don't understand what you're saying.

Which part of that didn't you understand, of what I was saying?

This is about permitted development rights and the points I'm making.

Okay. Get to the point, then, please, Janet Finch-Saunders.

Right. So, further to the consultation on extending development rights for temporary campsites, and in order to help the sector, will you now increase the number of days from 28 to 60 for these businesses? Diolch.

Well, Llywydd, I did eventually understand the point the Member was making. The Minister has a range of topics that she will consider in the coming 12 months in relation to permitted development rights. That will include air-source heat pumps, electric charging, the bottle-return scheme—of which the Member was such a strong supporter—and caravan parks, so it is on the list for the Minister to consider this year. When she does, she will inevitably be weighing up the balance of rights here. I understand the points that the Member has made and the sector has made about if it had more days in which it was able to open caravan parks without planning permission, that would be of advantage to some people in the industry. But we also know that there have been complaints in the past of those pop-up caravan sites creating traffic that is unregulated, that there is smoke that affects people who live nearby, there is noise from people—who are, after all, coming on holiday to enjoy themselves, and they’re very close sometimes to where people live their lives. So, what the Minister will be doing will be to be weighing up those different considerations. If it is possible to extend the number of days that caravan parks can pop up without planning permission, then there will have to be safeguards for people who live nearby as well.