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Regional Planning

The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 is the government’s response to deficiencies with the previous planning system. It places the new system of spatial planning on a statutory basis. It is too early to say whether the new system will be free of any of the difficulties of the old. At this stage obtaining planning permission for anything other than minor projects is as time consuming and as difficult as ever. The timetable applicable to appeals is particularly poor. Only when structure and local plans finally disappear and are replaced by Regional Spatial Strategies and Local Development Documents will a judgement be able to be made. Unfortunately at the present time local planning authorities do not envisage these documents being in the form that will guide the location of development until 2009 at the earliest.

Spatial Planning goes beyond traditional land use planning to bring together and integrate policies for development and the use of land with other policies and programmes that influence the nature of places and how they function. Much greater emphasis is placed on the importance of implementation and in particular, the importance of ensuring a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of investment in a timely and effective manner.

Regional Spatial Strategies embrace a wider geographical dimension than before for an area that might contain diverse economic and social characteristics that are not necessarily compatible with growth or indeed current levels of infrastructure.

The South East is the economic engine room of the UK and Graham Warren has been making representations on the draft plan on the basis that it is not the vehicle to ensure the region maintains rather than loses its competitive position on the global and European market. None of the current growth areas in the South East are performing as they should and the Draft Plan has opted for a very low level of development that could seriously jeopardise the Chancellor’s forecast level of economic growth in the UK over the next five years. This view is also shared by the South East of England Development Agency.

The Government Office for the East Midlands is shortly to begin the review of Regional Guidance for the East Midlands which will decide policy on the levels of employment and housing growth (demographic projections suggest a 20% increase in household formation for the region) as well as a radical review of the green belt.

Services available include ::

Examining draft regional spatial strategies with a view to;

  • Analysing the Economic and Social Trends and Characteristics of the Region;
  • Analysis of characteristics of a particular area/location within the Region.
  • Making representations on draft RSS embracing findings from the above;
  • Applying findings to other discrete areas of work.

Map of South East England

Summary

  • Representation of those participating in emerging Regional Spatial Strategies.
  • Analysis of economic and demographic considerations in the region as a whole. Current work includes South East and East Midlands regional plans.
  • Determination of the relevance of emerging RSS under the old development plan system ie. Structure and Local Plans

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