First Minister of Wales seals first act in office

First Minister of Wales, Vaughan Gething, has sealed his first Act in office with measures to improve the process of developing infrastructure projects.

Plans to modernise and simplify the process behind developing significant infrastructure projects in Wales have today become law – as the Infrastructure (Wales) Act gained Royal Assent.

The new legislation, which was passed by the Senedd in April, introduces major changes to the legislative framework and plans to speed up the consenting process on both land and in the territorial sea.

The Welsh government hopes this will create more consistency and certainty in the country's ability to deliver, develop and attract further infrastructure investment.

Gething said: "There is no greater challenge than the climate emergency so I’m delighted this new law will play a key role in delivering the Welsh Government’s renewable energy targets.

"As we move towards ‘net zero’ emissions by 2050, we need to transform our economy to power green prosperity. This new legislation will allow us to consent to such infrastructure projects in a robust, but timely manner."

To ensure the smooth implementation of the new legislation, two consultation papers have been issued.

The first consultation paper focuses on the pre-application consultation procedure seeking ideas and suggestions from local communities and other interested parties on how pre-application consultation should be conducted.

The second consultation paper focuses on fees for the consenting process.

Local communities and other key stakeholders are encouraged to engage with the consultations to help shape developments which affect them.