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Planning (Wales) Act 2026 receives Royal Assent

Published:
Aerial overhead view of houses in the Welsh Valley of Blaenau Gwent.

This page is available in Welsh.

The Planning (Wales) Act 2026 – which implements Law Commission recommendations – has completed its passage through the Senedd Cymru and received Royal Assent on the 27th April 2026. A full version of the Act is available on the Senedd website. The Planning (Consequential Provisions) Act 2026 will also be brought into force on the same date, introducing technical amendments and repeals that improve the operation of planning law.

The 2026 Act brings together the previously fragmented body of planning law in Wales and restates it in a clear, modern and bilingual Act of the Senedd. While the Act does not substantively reform the planning system in Wales, it improves the accessibility of the law by consolidating the relevant primary legislation into a single coherent code of Welsh law.

In doing so, the 2026 Act establishes the first code of planning law for Wales. Its enactment marks a significant milestone in the wider programme to improve the accessibility of Welsh law through the processes of consolidation and codification. This programme, led by the Welsh Government, implements earlier Law Commission recommendations on the form and accessibility of the law applicable in Wales. Furthermore, a list of English and Welsh terms from the Planning (Wales) Act 2026 and the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 has been compiled to assist with understanding and accessibility of this legislation.

The passage of the Planning (Wales) Act 2026 marks a significant milestone in improving the accessibility of planning law in Wales through the processes of codification and consolidation. For the first time, individuals and organisations will be able to refer to a single, coherent legal framework that is designed uniquely for Wales.
Professor Alison Young Commissioner for Public Law and the Law in Wales

The meticulous analysis underpinning the Law Commission’s report on Planning Law in Wales drew particular praise during the final vote on the Planning (Law) Act 2026. The Plenary debate further featured discussion on the strong working relationship between the Law Commission and the Welsh Government, and Law Commission’s role in rationalising and modernising the law in Wales.

The Law Commission continues to invest in its relationships across Wales with the appointment of Special Counsel for Wales, Dr Nerys Llewelyn Jones. Dr Llewelyn Jones brings extensive experience of influencing the development and reform of the law in Wales through numerous positions including as a member of the Commission on Justice in Wales, and her former roles as Chair of the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales and Interim Environmental Protection Assessor for Wales.

Further information about the Law Commission’s work in Wales can be found on the ‘Our work in Wales’ page.