Guidance

Plan for Neighbourhoods: List of powers - Wales

Updated 27 May 2025

The Plan for Neighbourhoods brings together residents, business leaders, and community leaders to begin to fix the foundations and take back control of their futures. To do this, places need to make the most of all the powers and tools they have available.

As part of designing a Regeneration Plan, we expect all Neighbourhood Boards, in partnership with their local authority, to demonstrate how they are using powers, where they apply.

The list of powers covers Wales. Welsh Boards may also wish to reference the list of powers for England, as much of that legislation and tools also apply to Wales. It does not extend to Scotland or Northern Ireland. Lists of powers for each nation have been published separately.

Regeneration, high streets and heritage

Business Improvement Districts

A Business Improvement District (BID) is an area in which local businesses have voted to invest together to improve their environment. In BIDs, eligible business rate payers are charged a levy on top of the business rates bill, to deliver projects and services to their collective benefit. They are set out in the Business Improvement Districts (Wales) Regulations 2005.

There is no limit on what projects or services can be provided through a BID, but it must be additional to services provided by local authorities. Improvements may include extra safety and security, cleansing and environmental measures. There are reported to be over 300 BIDS operating across the UK, including 14 in Wales. Read the Welsh Government’s guidance on BIDs.

Pavement licenses

Found in section 115 of the Highways Act 1980, local authorities can encourage businesses to apply for pavement licences. These allow furniture to be placed outside the premises, creating outdoor dining spaces. 

Local Development Orders

Through the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, Local Development Orders (LDO) are locally focused planning tools that local planning authorities can use to grant planning permission for specific types of development within a defined geographical area. LDOs can play a role in incentivising development by simplifying the planning process and making investment more attractive. Local planning authorities could use LDOs for many reasons, including to regenerate high streets, incentivise development on stalled sites, deliver housing. Read the Welsh Government’s guidance on LDOs.

Permitted Development Rights

Also in the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, Permitted Development Rights (PDRs) are a national grant of planning permission that allow certain building works and changes of use to take place, without having to submit a planning application. Welsh Government has published guidance on PDR (PDF, 163KB).

Compulsory Purchase Orders

Section 226 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is a compulsory purchase power which enables Local Authorities to assemble land or acquire properties to deliver regeneration schemes, providing there is a compelling case in the public interest for use of the power. It can be used to acquire vacant or derelict land and properties in a high street (which are an eyesore and attract anti-social behaviour), to improve the well-being of the area and encourage greater economic activity.

Welsh Government Planning Circular 003/2019 advises that this general power should not be used in place of other enabling powers and should only be used where there is no specific land acquisition power. An additional resource is The Planning Series: 15 – Compulsory Purchase Orders.

The Welsh Government has also published a Compulsory Purchase Order Manual, which covers detailed guidance and best practice for those responsible for the preparation of a compulsory purchase order and its application.

Maintenance of Land Notices

Through the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, a local planning authority can serve a Section 215 Notice to require an owner to take steps to clean up land or buildings, when their condition adversely affects the amenity of an area. This notice must detail the steps to be taken and the associated timescales. Local planning authorities should consider how proactive use of this power could support local regeneration aims, identifying opportunities with their Town Board.

Positive examples can be found in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Section 215: best practice guidance. The Welsh Government has also published guidance, which can be found Welsh Government’s Development Management Manual.

Force of Sale

The Law of Property Act 1925 allows a Local Authority with a debt on a vacant property to register the debt as a charge, registered in Part 2 of the Local Land Charges Register. The Local Authority has all the powers and remedies available to a mortgagee under the Law of Property Act 1925, which would include a power to force the sale of the property to recover the debt.

Conservation Area Management

Through the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, local planning authorities are required to identify ‘areas of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’ and designate them as conservation areas. They must also formulate and publish proposals for the preservation and enhancement of these conservation areas from time to time. The Act also requires local planning authorities to give special attention to the desirability of preserving or enhancing conservation areas in local development plan policies and when taking planning decision.

Listed Buildings

The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conversation Areas) Act 1990 allows local planning authorities to prepare local lists to give locally important heritage assets some protection under the planning system. Where an asset is locally listed, it should be afforded weight within planning decisions. Local planning authorities should think about the role listing assets could play in protecting heritage.

Read the Welsh Government’s technical advice note on the historic environment.

Listed Building disrepair orders

A local authority can serve a repairs notice which specifies works that it considers reasonably necessary to bring a listed building into the state of repair needed for its proper preservation. There is no provision for works to be carried out in default. However, the authority may begin compulsory purchase proceedings if there has been no material change in the condition of the building after at least 2 months. The power can be found in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, as amended by the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

Listed Building emergency repairs

Through the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, as amended by the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016, a Local Authority, or the Welsh Ministers, may undertake works that are urgently necessary to preserve a listed building. The owner must be given at least seven days’ written notice of the intention to carry out the works, which must be specified in the notice. The works are generally limited to what is urgently necessary to keep a building windproof, weatherproof and safe from collapse. If the building is in residential use in whole or in part, the works may not interfere unreasonably. Local Authorities may recover costs by imposing a land charge, which can be followed by enforced sale procedures. Interest can also be charged on outstanding costs. The owner has a right of appeal against the costs.

Community Asset Transfer

Found in the General Disposal Consent (Wales) December 200031 provisions issued under the Local Government Act 1972, Community Asset Transfer allows local authorities to sell land and buildings at lower than market value when a disposal will benefit the community through the “promotion or improvement” of the economic, social or environmental well-being of the area or when the value of the asset disposed is less than £2 million. Read the Welsh Government’s guidance on Community Asset Transfer.

Housing

Local Development Order

Through the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, Local Development Orders (LDO) are locally focused planning tools that local planning authorities can use to grant planning permission for specific types of development within a defined geographical area. LDOs can play a role in incentivising development by simplifying the planning process and making investment more attractive. Local planning authorities could use LDOs for many reasons, including to regenerate high streets, incentivise development on stalled sites, deliver housing. Read the Welsh Government’s guidance on LDOs.

Compulsory Purchase Powers for Housing

Section 17 of the Housing Act 1985 provides a compulsory purchase power that empowers local housing authorities (in England and Wales) to acquire land, houses or other properties for the provision of housing accommodation (providing there is compelling case in the public interest for use of the power). The acquisition must achieve a quantitative or qualitative housing gain.

Maintenance of Land Notices

Through the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, a local planning authority can serve a Section 215 Notice to require an owner to take steps to clean up land or buildings, when their condition adversely affects the amenity of an area. This notice must detail the steps to be taken and the associated timescales. Local planning authorities should consider how proactive use of this power could support local regeneration aims, identifying opportunities with their Town Board.

Positive examples can be found in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 Section 215: best practice guidance. The Welsh Government has also published guidance, which can be found in the Welsh Government’s Development Management Manual.

Empty Dwelling Management Orders

The Housing Act 2004 introduced a power for local housing authorities to take over management control of a qualifying residential property, known as Empty Dwelling Management Orders.

Force of Sale

The Law of Property Act 1925 allows a local authority with a debt on a vacant property to register the debt as a charge, registered in Part 2 of the Local Land Charges Register. The local authority has all the powers and remedies available to a mortgagee under the Law of Property Act 1925, which would include a power to force the sale of the property to recover the debt.

Supporting people that are homeless or threatened by homelessness

Chapter 2 Part 2 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 confers duties on local housing authorities to help people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness and makes connected provision.

Securing the provision of a new service

Section 60 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 requires local housing authorities to secure the provision of a service providing people with information and advice connected with homelessness and assistance in accessing help under this Chapter.

Community Land Trusts

Welsh Government guidance sets out that Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are nonprofit organisations created to provide affordable housing and promote community led development. CLTs allow communities to take control of land and housing to address local need. Boards may consider how these organisations can increase the supply of affordable homes or to maintain land for purposes including conservation.

Work, productivity and skills

Improving economic, social or environmental wellbeing

Through Statutory Guidance to Welsh Local Authorities on the Power to promote or improve Economic, Social or Environmental Well-Being under the Local Government Act 2000, Section 2(1) of the Act gives a local authority a wide-ranging discretionary power to take actions that it considers is likely to promote or improve the environmental, economic and social well-being of their area and persons within that area, or either of those. This discretionary power is designed to be flexible, allowing local authorities to address various needs and challenges within their communities. It is for the local authority to decide whether any particular action would be likely to achieve this.

Alcohol and entertainment licensing

Part 3 of the Licensing Act 2003 sets out that establishments wishing to serve alcohol, provide entertainment such as music, drama, film, an indoor sporting event, dancing or provide hot food between 23:00 and 05:00, must have a valid licence to do so. The licence should be obtained through the local authority. The council will consider your application and, if necessary, will place restrictions on it to ensure that it complies with the four objectives outlined in the Licensing Act 2003. These are:

• prevention of crime and disorder
• ensuring public safety
• prevention of public nuisance
• protection of children from harm

Temporary event licensing

Part 5 of the Licensing Act 2003 sets out that when organising a temporary event and intending to serve or sell alcohol, provide late night refreshment, or put on regulated entertainment, the organiser will need to complete a temporary event notice (TEN). For the purpose of a TEN, a temporary event is a relatively small-scale event attracting fewer than 500 people and lasting no more than 168 hours.

Community Banks

There is no specific legislation for community banks in the UK, but the Welsh Government is working to develop one. Legislation related to community banks in England & Wales includes the Financial Services Act 2021, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (FSMA 2023), and the Banking Act 2009.

The Bank of England provide guidance which sets out the authorisation process for new banks and principles of engagement with regulators.

NEET prevention

The Youth Engagement and Progression Framework is a systematic mechanism to identify and respond to young people at risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training), who are NEET and/or who are at risk of being homeless. Under the Framework there are processes in place to identify young people who require tailored support that meets their needs and to monitor their progression, this is led by local authorities, working with their delivery partners.

Support for disabled people in the workplace

The Equality Act 2010 protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace in Wales. This includes protection from discrimination in recruitment, terms of employment, and promotion. Employers must make reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs. Boards may consider leveraging the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 as part of their broader strategy to support disabled individuals in returning to work, ensuring equal opportunities and reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Cohesion

Well-being power

The well-being power is a legislative tool that was introduced through the Local Government Act 2000. It grants local authorities a general power to do anything that they consider likely to promote or improve the economic, social, or environmental well-being of their communities. This power is broad and flexible, enabling councils to take a wide range of actions beyond their traditional duties.

Co-operative placemaking

Placemaking is not just about physical assets and spaces, it is also about people and relationships, and the collective action that they take to improve the place they live. Boards can work with their local authorities to promote co-operative placemaking - suggested actions from the Co-operative Councils Innovation Network include:

• develop a cooperative development strategy
• establish a cooperative development network
• commit to community engagement in local decision making including participatory budgeting
• have an asset transfer policy to manage land and assets to support community ownership, management and development (including community-led housing)

More examples and further information can be found on Cooperative Councils’ Innovation Network website.

Village Green status

Town and village greens developed under customary law are areas of land where local people engaged in lawful sports and pastimes. These might include organised or ad-hoc games, picnics, fetes, and similar activities. Most greens were registered in the late 1960s under the Commons Registration Act 1965. Provided the right to apply has not been excluded, anyone can apply under section 15(1) of the Commons Act 2006 to register land as a green if it has been used by local people for lawful sports and pastimes ‘as of right’ (i.e. without permission, force or secrecy) for at least 20 years.

Health and wellbeing

Improving the quality of health and social care services

The Health and Social Care (Quality and Engagement) (Wales) Act 2006 focuses on enhancing the engagement of service users and the public in the planning and delivery of health and social care in Wales. Key objectives and features of the Act include:

• ensure that services meet high standards of quality and safety;
• emphasises the importance of involving individuals and communities in decision making processes;
• encourages collaboration between different health and social care organisations and professionals;
• ensures that information regarding service performance and quality is accessible to the public;
• strengthens oversight and mechanisms for monitoring service quality.

Healthy lifestyles measures

The Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 emphasises the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing health issues. It encourages Local Authorities, Health Boards and communities to work collaboratively to improve health and well-being through consultations, public meetings, and awareness campaigns. The Act sets out several specific measures for Local Authorities to implement including Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) to evaluate the potential effects of policies, plans, and programmes on public health; assess the current provision of public toilets and plan for future needs to ensure adequate access to public toilets; assess pharmaceutical services in the area to ensure communities have access to necessary medications and health services.

Framework for social partnership

The Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023 establishes a framework for social partnership, which involves collaboration between local authorities, public bodies, and trade unions with the goal of ensuring that social and economic benefits are maximised. It emphasises sustainable practices in procurement, encouraging public bodies to consider factors like environmental impact, community benefits, and fair work when awarding contracts.

Transport

Community infrastructure Levy (CIL)

The Planning Act 2008 provides for the CIL, which is a charge that can be levied by Local Authorities on new development in their area. It can be used to fund a wide range of infrastructure to support the development on an area. This could include transport, schools, hospitals and green spaces.

Encouraging active travel

The Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 places a duty on Local Authorities to produce Active Travel Network Maps of walking and cycling networks, and to deliver year on year active travel improvements along the mapped routes and their related facilities (toilets, cycle parking etc.). These routes should be coherent, direct, safe, comfortable and attractive.

The 2013 Act also requires highways authorities, in Wales, to make enhancements to routes and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists in all new road schemes and to have regard to the needs of active users in a range of other highway authority functions, such as maintenance.

The Welsh Government has published guidance on the 2013 Act which, in addition to explaining its provisions, also provides guidance on the design of active travel routes for walking and cycling.

Safety and security

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs)

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides for Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs), which are used to address persistent anti-social behaviour incidents, such as a group being drunk and disorderly or dogs fouling in a public park, by imposing conditions on the use of a certain area, which apply to everyone. Local authorities are responsible for issuing PSPOs, on any public space within their area, but they must do so in consultation with the Police and appropriate community representatives.

PSPOs can be issued by the local authority if they are satisfied on reasonable grounds that the activity or behaviour concerned, carried out, or likely to be carried out, in a public space has:

• had, or is likely to have, a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality;
• is, or is likely to be, persistent or continuing in nature;
• is, or is likely to be, unreasonable and justifies the restrictions imposed.

PSPOs can last for a duration of up to 3 years. Local authorities could use Town Boards to agree PSPOs and involve them in public consultation. Alongside the required consultation set out in the legislation and the relevant bodies.

Civil injunctions

Also through the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, civil injunctions are a tool that can stop individuals engaging in anti-social behaviour quickly. A civil injunction can also include positive requirements, such as requiring an individual to attend a drug rehabilitation course.

They are issued by a civil court following an application from agencies including - but not limited to:

• the Police
• local authorities
• housing providers

The court must be satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the respondent engaged or threatened to engage in anti-social behaviour and that it is just and convenient to grant the injunction for the purpose of preventing the respondent from engaging in anti-social behaviour.

Community Protection Notices

Closure powers can prohibit access to licensed and non-licensed premises for a specified period. They are used to temporarily close premises where there is, or is likely to be, incidents of anti-social behaviour. The power is used in two stages; the first stage is the Closure Notice and the second is the Closure Order. 

The Closure Notice can be used by the Local Authority or the Police out of court. They can be issued, in the first instance, for 48 hours or extended from 24 hours up to a maximum of 48 hours by the local authority’s chief executive officer (head of paid service) or designate thereof, or by a Police Superintendent. Following the issuing of a Closure Notice, an application must be made to the magistrates’ court for a Closure Order, unless the closure notice has been cancelled. The Closure Order, if granted by the Court, can last up to 6 months.

Criminal Behaviour Orders

Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOs) are orders made in the criminal court. They are aimed at preventing a person who has been convicted of another criminal offence, from committing anti-social behaviour (including threatening others in the community, persistently being drunk and aggressive in public). CBO prosecutions can occur following a request from the Police or Local Authority.

To issue a CBO, the court must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the offender has engaged in behaviour that has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person. The court must also consider that making the order will help prevent the offender from engaging in such behaviour. 

The terms of the CBO must include the duration of the order. For adults this is a minimum of two years, up to an indefinite period. For under 18s, the order must be between one and three years.

ASB Case Review

The Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review is an important statutory safety net for victims of anti-social behaviour, who believe they have not had a satisfactory response to their complaints about anti-social behaviour. Victims have the right to request an anti-social behaviour case review, where a local threshold is met. The review must involve all relevant parties including local authorities, Police, integrated care boards, and registered providers to review a victim’s case. The purpose is to bring agencies together to take a joined up, problem-solving approach to find a solution for the victim. Town Boards could be involved in representing victims of their communities.

Community Remedy

A Community Remedy gives victims a say in the out-of-court punishment of perpetrators of anti-social behaviour when a community resolution, conditional caution or youth conditional caution is chosen as the most appropriate response. A “Community Remedy Document”, produced by the Police and Crime Commissioner (in agreement with the local chief constable and after consultation with members of the public and community groups), includes a list of actions which may be chosen by the victim for the perpetrator to undertake.

Fixed Penalty Notice

Through Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities can issue Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) to take appropriate enforcement action against fly-tipping, illegal dumping and illegal waste. FPNs can range from £150 to £1,000, if settled out of court or an unlimited amount if taken to court. 

Education and opportunity

Framework for social service provision

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 focuses on well-being, prevention and collaboration to create a more effective, person-centred system. It provides the legal framework for social service provision in Wales by:

• putting the individual and their needs at the centre of their care;
• encouraging individuals to become more involved in the design and delivery of services;
• supporting people to achieve their own well-being.