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Port Talbot; strategic domestic manufacturing
This is a guest post by Dr Jen Baxter, Deputy Chair of NICW Tata’s closure The news that Tata Steel will close both blast furnaces at its Port Talbot steelworks within the next 18 months and replace them with an electric arc furnace (around 2027) will significantly reduce the UK’s ability to be self-sufficient in…
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Biodiversity in planning policy
Welsh Government recently consulted on draft policy changes to Planning Policy Wales that strengthen the requirement to incorporated nature-positive elements within the policy. Dr Jen Baxter, Deputy Chair of NICW, drafted the Commission’s response to the proposed changes. 25 May 2023 Dear Sir / Madam Targeted policy changes to Planning Policy Wales on Net benefit…
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How are we doing?
Although the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales has been in existence since 2018, this iteration of it is relatively young; the current set of Commissioners took up their posts a year ago. A year is a good period to have started to make real progress; that’s why we think it’s the right time to ask…
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Our values
The NICW values Values are important to us as individuals, and to organisations. They help us define the things that are important to us. They guide our activities, shape prioritisation of limited personal and institutional resources, and can help people understand why we do the things we do. This iteration of the National Infrastructure Commission…
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Response to TAN 15 consultation
Ein cyf/Our ref: NICW/23/TAN15 TAN 15 Consultation,Planning Policy Branch,Welsh Government,Cathays Park,Cardiff CF10 3NQ E-mail: planconsultations-j@gov.wales 17 April 2023 Dear Sir / Madam Technical Advice Note (TAN)15: Development, flooding and coastal erosion – further amendments consultation Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the latest TAN15 consultation. NICW’s role is to provide advice to the Welsh…
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Reviewing the Roads Review
NICW Roads Review response This document is our response to the publication of the Roads Review (1). We also note the accompanying National Transport Delivery Plan (2). Planning and Finance The National Infrastructure Commission for Wales considers the needs and role of infrastructure in Wales from approximately 2030-2100. The roads considered within the Roads Review…
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Cars and roads in Wales
Introduction This blog post is a precursor to a NICW opinion piece on the Roads Review, and on the Welsh Government’s response to the Roads Review. The Roads Review was undertaken under a very tight remit and timeline. There is an inevitable tradeoff between the terms of reference for the review, and the ability to…
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Who’s breaking down the digital barriers in Wales?
The first report produced by the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales (NICW) was published in December 2020. It examined Digital Communications Infrastructure in Wales and made 14 recommendations to the Welsh Government. Welsh Government has since responded to the report and has recently published the results of actions on one of our recommendations; namely, to…
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Biodiversity; the missing urban link
Introduction The ‘deep dive’ programme instigated by Julie James MS, Minister for Climate Change in Wales has generated considerable energy and enthusiasm for a range of environment-related topics since being kicked off last year. The renewable energy deep dive was followed by one on timber and trees. The idea of intense, topic-related areas of focus…