News

Planning policy in Wales has evolved significantly over the past two decades since TAN 18 was published. Placemaking is now at the heart of the planning system with Planning Policy Wales and Future Wales setting out a clear ambition to create well-connected, walkable places where transport supports people, communities and quality of life.

Yet despite this strong policy framework, too many developments continue to be shaped by standardised layouts, highway-led design and approaches that make it difficult to realise our placemaking ambitions in practice.

To help inform the evidence base to inform a review of Technical Advice Note (TAN) 18: Transport, the Design Commission for Wales convened a workshop to share the expertise of our Design Review Panellists working in development, urban design, transport planning, town centres, landscape architecture and local government.

The workshop explored how an updated TAN 18 could better support well-designed, well-connected and sustainable places across Wales.

A consistent message emerging from the discussion was that many of the principles needed to create successful places already exist within policy and guidance. The challenge is more one of implementation rather than policy direction.

We identified five key themes where the updated guidance could provide stronger support:

• strengthen the role of transport in supporting placemaking and good design;
• reinforce design-led approaches to street design;
• address barriers to implementation, including standards, adoption processes and organisational culture;
• consider long-term stewardship from the outset of the design process; and
• recognise that some of the barriers to delivering better outcomes extend beyond TAN 18 itself.

One of the strongest messages from the workshop was that creating better places should not depend on exceptional effort from individuals. While examples of good practice exist across Wales, delivering more design-led approaches can still require significant negotiation, persistence and additional risk for those seeking to depart from established practice. A review of TAN 18 could provide an opportunity not only to update guidance, but also to consider how good outcomes can become easier to deliver consistently in practice.

The Design Commission has shared a series of recommendations with the Welsh Government and its Technical Advisory Group to help increase the evidence base for a review and looks forward to continuing to support a review as the work progresses. You can read the recommendations in the report below.

How can we make design-led approaches easier to deliver in practice? We’d welcome hearing from those working across planning, transport, development and design. If you have examples, experiences or reflections that could help inform this discussion, please get in touch at connect@dcfw.org.