Commentary on Sections Statutory policies and other relevant matters Section 56 – Deciding applications: general considerations
149.Section 56 provides that applications for infrastructure consent must be decided by having regard to any infrastructure policy statement that has effect in relation to development of the description to which an application relates (“relevant policy statement”), the National Development Framework for Wales (first published in 2019 with the title Future Wales: the National Plan 2040), so far as relevant to development of the description to which an application relates and a marine plan prepared and adopted by the Welsh Ministers (first published in 2019 with the title Welsh National Marine Plan). It further provides that any decision on an application for infrastructure consent must be made in accordance with the statutory policies listed in this section, unless relevant considerations indicate otherwise.
150.Subsection (2) provides that if a statutory policy document listed in this section identifies a location as suitable, or potentially suitable, for a particular development, this does not prevent a different decision on an application being made if other relevant considerations indicate this should be the case.