A3. Future Role of the RAWPs

Joint Voluntary Arrangements of Local Authorities

• The technical Secretariat of the RAWPs will administer the arrangements for establishing joint voluntary arrangements of local authoritiesto assess the draft Regional Technical Statement for Aggregates to provide a context for proper consideration of land use issues relating to aggregates provision in unitary development plans. All local authorities in the region should be represented with a view to reaching a consensus about the recommendations for the region in the Regional Technical Statement for Aggregates. This will then need to be agreed by each constituent local authority.
  
• Each local authority in the region should then include in its own unitary or local development plan elements of the agreed Regional Technical Statement that are germane to its area at the earliest opportunity.
  
• If the local authorities reach no agreement or if individual local authorities do not accept the Regional Technical Statement, the Welsh Assembly Government will consider its default powers to intervene in the planning process as a last resort.