North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood is concerned that recommendations for the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales to be an independent body have been rejected by the Welsh Government.
In a Debate on the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee Report on the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, Mr Isherwood said it is regrettable that the proposals put forward by the Committee for the Commission to become “a statutory, independent body” have been rebuffed.
Speaking in the Chamber he said:
“The Cabinet Secretary states in his response to the report ‘we have committed towards establishing a National Infrastructure Commission for Wales to provide independent and expert advice on strategic infrastructure needs and priorities’.
“It is therefore regrettable that the Cabinet Secretary has chosen to reject the Committee’s recommendation that ‘The Commission should be established as a non-statutory body, but with the clear presumption that legislation will follow to move the Commission to become a statutory, independent body’.
“The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) told Committee: “If it is part of Government, I really don’t think that we’ll get what we need from this. I mean that not as an industry, but as a nation.”
“Although the Cabinet Secretary has already committed to a review of the status of the Commission ahead of the next Assembly election, the Committee concluded that to have clout and credibility, and to overcome the perceived lack of permanence of a non-statutory Commission, it must be, and be seen to be, an independent body.”
Mr Isherwood added: “The Cabinet Secretary should be aware that local campaigns against proposed housing developments generally focus on the inappropriateness of the site proposed and the inadequacy of local infrastructure, such as schools, GP surgeries and transport links, to support an increased population.
“It is therefore also regrettable that he has only accepted in principle the Committee recommendation that “The remit of the Commission should be extended to include the supply of land for strategically significant housing developments and related supporting infrastructure alongside the economic and environmental infrastructure”.
“His statement that this issue will not be considered until the review of the Commission before the end of this Assembly term leaves the Welsh Government following, rather than leading, the agenda.
“In contrast, good practice is exhibited in the North Wales Economic Board’s ‘A Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales’, which identifies the need to address key barriers to housing delivery, to ensure supply of adequate land for residential development is available to meet projected demand and need, especially reuse of brown field sites, and to assist with costs associated with site remediation and the delivery of enabling infrastructure.”