New Welsh law could put rural needs first

Farmers, rural businesses and communities could gain greater influence over public policy under plans for a new Welsh law requiring ministers and public bodies to assess rural needs from the outset.

A consultation opened on Wednesday (22 July) on proposals designed to ensure rural communities are considered when policies are developed and services delivered.

Around one in three people in Wales lives in a rural area, while as much as 80% of the country is classed as rural.

Residents often face higher living costs, lower incomes, weaker transport links, patchy internet access and unequal access to healthcare and education.

For farming communities, the proposed duty could influence decisions on rural transport, digital connectivity, planning, healthcare and the delivery of public services in sparsely populated areas.

The duty would apply to ministers, local authorities, health boards and other public bodies across Wales.

It would require them to assess the impact of decisions on rural communities before policies and services are introduced.

The approach is often known as rural proofing and is intended to ensure rural needs are built into decision-making rather than considered afterwards.

Ministers said the duty could improve access to services by identifying problems affecting rural areas at an earlier stage.

The proposals form part of a wider White Paper covering environmental protections, the sustainable use of natural resources and Wales’s developing Climate and Nature Action Plan.

They are also included in the new Government’s legislative programme and form part of its first 100-day commitments.

Llyr Gruffydd, Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, discussed the plans with Northern Ireland’s agriculture and environment minister Andrew Muir at the Royal Welsh Show.

Northern Ireland has had a Rural Needs Act in force since 2017, and the Welsh Government is examining what lessons can be drawn from its experience.

Gruffydd said the proposed law would give rural communities a stronger voice in public decision-making.

“This new law would ensure that when important decisions are made, the needs of rural communities are considered, not as an afterthought, but at the forefront of decision-making,” he said.

He added that Wales would not need to develop its approach from scratch, pointing to Northern Ireland’s experience of rural proofing.

Muir said discussions between administrations could help strengthen rural policy.

“I welcome the opportunity to discuss rural proofing with Ministers from other parts of the UK and to share learning from Northern Ireland’s experience of the Rural Needs Act,” he said.

The consultation will seek views on how the proposed duty should operate and how public authorities should take account of rural needs.

The White Paper does not yet set out how compliance would be monitored or what consequences public bodies could face if they failed to meet the duty.

The consultation opened on 22 July and covers the wider package of rural, environmental and sustainability measures.