Mick Antoniw MS, the Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, introduced the Historic Environment (Wales) Bill into the Senedd Cymru on 4 July 2022. At around 200 pages, this will be one of the most substantial pieces of legislation ever considered by the Senedd and it will transform the protection and management of Wales’ historic environment.

In an accompanying written statement, he explained that the Bill represents an important step in the Welsh Government’s plans to improve the accessibility of Welsh law set out in The future of Welsh law: A programme for 2021 to 2026. The Bill is the result of the first project in an ambitious programme of legislative consolidation. As it stands, Wales’ historic environment legislation is a bewildering jumble of repeatedly amended provisions that even lawyers find confusing — a perfect subject for consolidation. It is, moreover, largely based on two Westminster statutes — the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

For full links to the Historic Environment (Wales) Bill and supporting documentation and further information on the background to the consolidation, visit the Historic Environment (Wales) Bill pages on the Cadw website.