Planning Aid Wales

We support communities and planning authorities to work better together in shaping places. We work with local planning authorities to support approaches for thoughtful community engagement as part of a proactive planning process. We work with community and town councils to see the world from their perspective and explain the planning process, their role in it and what they can achieve.

In the charity's own words, from the register.

In Wales

• Throughout Wales

Area of benefit in its governing document: Wales

The places the charity told the Commission it works in.

In the year ending 31 March 2026, it had income of £181,098 and spent £199,239.

Figures as the charity reported them to the Charity Commission. Staff and volunteer numbers are only asked of charities with income over £10,000. A year with no row was not reported.

Separate measures from the charity's own returns and accounts, each with its year. Read them together: no single measure says how well a charity is run.

Income over time

Down 5%, from £190,610 in the year to 31 March 2022 to £181,098 in the year to 31 March 2026.

Spending against income

It spent 110% of its income in the year to 31 March 2026. It spent more than its income in 3 of the 5 years shown.

Money from government

92% of its income in the year to 31 March 2025 came from government grants and contracts (£162,722).

From the annual returns the charity filed with the Charity Commission. The largest funder comes from its accounts, read by AI.

Government grants in the year ending 31 March 2026: £121,500 from 1 grant. Government contracts: Not reported.

From the charity's annual return to the Charity Commission, which asks every charity with income over £10,000 how much came from government grants and contracts. It does not say which part of government. These totals are separate from the named funders read from its accounts and the grants published on 360Giving, and are not added to them.

No grants to this charity appear in 360Giving data.

Only funders that publish their grants to 360Giving are included, and many do not. These are amounts funders awarded, which can differ from what the charity received in a given year, so they are shown apart from the accounts figures above.

Public bodies' published spending shows 28 payments to this charity worth £749,027 between 6 January 2021 and 30 March 2026.

Councils and Welsh Government publish what they pay suppliers and grant holders above a threshold, usually £500 for councils and £25,000 for Welsh Government, so smaller payments are missing. A payment is shown only when OpenEconomy matched it to this charity with certainty. These figures come from the payer's records. They are a separate measure from the charity's own accounts, 360Giving grants and its annual return, and are never added to them.

Council business that names this charity, from the records councils publish, gathered by OpenCouncil. Newest first.

• 2 October 2025, Newport

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Liaison Meeting with Community Councils

  Facilitated Discussion for Community Councils

  Read the meeting record

• 16 January 2025, Cardiff

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Joint Policy Review and Performance & Environmental Scrutiny Committee

  Replacement Local Development Plan 2021-2036: Deposit Plan

  Read the meeting record

• 13 September 2023, Newport

  Named in a document for a council meeting

  07i Appendix A - GSO Comments with NCC Response and Planning Aid Wales Consultation Report

  Read the meeting recordOpen the document

• 16 February 2023, Newport

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Liaison Meeting with Community Councils

  Date of the Next Meeting

  Read the meeting record

• 13 July 2022, Newport

  Named in an agenda item or minute of Cabinet

  RDLP - Vision, Issues and Objectives

  Read the meeting record

We count a mention only when the record gives the charity's full registered name or its charity number. A mention shows the charity was named in that record. Follow the link to read what the record says.

Senedd and Welsh Government records that name this charity, gathered by OpenSenedd. Newest first.

• 29 September 2026

  Named by Siân Gwenllian in the Senedd

  …round, in terms of what will happen before Christmas, and those events have been and are being promoted through third sector groups such as Planning Aid Wales to encourage as many people as possible to participate. As we move to the next phases of the process, I am very eager to look at facilitatin…

  Read the record

• 20 January 2026

  Named in a written question from Rhys ab Owen

  Addressed to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning.

  …ing guidance will inform developers on best practice relating to pre-application engagement practices. We have also increased the funding of Planning Aid Wales to provide additional support for communities to help them effectively engage in the process. Our wider package of support, including the in…

  Read the record

• 17 December 2025

  Named in a written question from Gareth Davies

  Addressed to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning.

  …o clear, accessible and free independent planning advice in Wales, and has the Welsh Government considered whether additional support beyond Planning Aid Wales is required? Clear understanding and engagement in the wider planning process is vital to how the public can meaningfully respond to develop…

  Read the record

• 16 September 2025

  Named by Julie James in the Senedd

  …ill also assist in making sure that we have a set of rules that are accessible and easy to get hold of. The Government will continue to fund Planning Aid Wales, and we will be making sure that the guidance is available, obviously, in both languages, but in an accessible format as well. I think this…

9 trustees run the charity.

• Francesca SartorioAppointed 16 September 2019
• Jack DangerfieldAppointed 24 January 2025
• Jonathan ParsonsAppointed 15 June 2020
• Marion DaviesAppointed 5 December 2023
• Martin BuckleAppointed 7 December 2015
• Raymond PearceAppointed 28 November 2024
• Robert ChichesterAppointed 15 June 2020
• Roderic Owen JonesAppointed 5 December 2023
• Shane WettonAppointed 16 September 2019

Trustees are responsible in law for the charity. Names are as they appear on the public register.

Of the last 5 annual returns that were due, 5 arrived by the deadline.

Charities with income over £10,000 send an annual return within 10 months of their year end, and those over £25,000 also send their accounts. Smaller charities only update their income and spending on the register. The dates are when the Commission received each document.

Charity number

1000115

Status

Registered

Registered with the Commission

23 August 1990

Governing document

MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES INCORPORATED 1ST AUGUST 1990 as amended on 13 Jul 2009 as amended on 17 Jun 2019

Company number

02526875This company on OpenEconomyThis company on Companies House

Website

www.planningaidwales.org.ukAs the charity gave it on the register.

Council area of its contact address

Cardiff

• Register details, income, spending, trustees and filing dates: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities. Loaded by OpenEconomy on 2 November 2026.
• Grants awarded: 360Giving open grants data, from funders that publish there, as loaded by OpenEconomy.
• Payments from public bodies: each body's own published spending data, matched to the charity by OpenEconomy. 5 public bodies' data is included so far.
• In council meetings: councils' published meeting records, gathered by OpenCouncil and matched to the charity by OpenEconomy on 4 November 2026.
• In the Senedd and Welsh Government: records gathered by OpenSenedd and matched to the charity by OpenEconomy on 5 November 2026.

• This charity on the Charity Commission register
• 360Giving open grants data
• This charity on OpenEconomy

• OpenCouncil: council records that name this charity
• OpenSenedd: Senedd records that name this charity
• OpenCouncil: Cardiff Council's meetings and decisions
• OpenEconomy: Cardiff's economy in figures
• OpenSenedd: the Members of the Senedd for Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf
• OpenSenedd: the Members of the Senedd for Caerdydd Penarth