Regional spatial strategies

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 introduced a new planning system. One element of this system was to remove strategic planning powers from the principal local authorities to regional assemblies. The CSS is monitoring the effectiveness of the new system, to determine whether it is delivering the promised improvements. Findings to date suggest that it is not.

Where does CSS stand?

While the new system appears to have led to better coordination of spatial planning at the regional level, the new system has many shortcomings. Production timetables are unrealistic, stakeholder and public engagement is minimal, best use is not being made of the principal authorities’ expertise, and many long-standing planning dichotomies remain unresolved.

The CSS would like to see short-term and long-term actions being taken.

In the short-term, this would include:

• CLG to review timetables for the production of RSS;
• Advice from the principal authorities - more clarity and consistency on the part of regional assemblies as to the advice required, and then a willingness to receive that advice
• Better use to be made of the strategic planning resources available in county councils
• A better balance between the issue of economic growth and other significant issues in the development of RSSs
• Co-ordination of RSS proposals nationally to avoid competition and ensure complementarity
• A meaningful national debate on what constitutes sustainable patterns of development, avoiding a polarization of attitudes between major urban areas and other areas
• An urgent review of the funding needed to deliver RSS proposals.

In the long-term:

• a system of sub-regional strategic planning undertaken by new sub-regional authorities would address many of the shortcomings.