APPENDIX 3A: SUMMARY OF SPATIAL PLANNING SYSTEMS: UK
Topic
Responsibilities for spatial
planning at the national,
regional and local level,
including the policy
themes covered at each
level
Response
National: Central Government plays an important role in spatial planning. It is responsible for the supervision and control
of the planning system and it issues national planning policy guidance and approves and issues regional planning guidance.
Although the control of spatial planning is generally uniform across the UK, there are some differences between England,
Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each country has its own Secretary of State (a senior minister) responsible for
planning. The remainder of this table focuses on the approach in England.
Regional: At present Regional Planning Bodies in England prepare Regional Planning Guidance which is approved and issued
by national government. Changes to spatial planning in England through the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill will
bring about some fundamental changes including a new emphasis on regional planning through Regional Spatial Strategies.
County: County Councils, along with District Councils, or where the two levels are combined (in Unitary Authorities),
have the main responsibility for land use planning. Between them they regulate development and formulate local policy
instruments. They have power to ensure that development and uses comply with regulations and policy and are
responsible for granting planning permission for proposed development in their area. County Councils are responsible for
preparing the structure plan, minerals plan and waste plans, and for some regulation. The responsibilities of County
Councils will change under the planning reforms, as discussed in relation to plan making below.
Local: District Councils are responsible for the local plan, listed building control and development regulation.
Unitary Councils (single areas that have responsibility for county and district functions) are responsible for all planning
functions including waste and minerals.
Spatial planning areas
Within England there are 33 London Boroughs, 34 County Councils, 238 District Councils, 46 Unitary Authorities, and 36
Unitary Metropolitan District Councils.
Topic
Key legislation in relation
to spatial planning, spatial
planning policy and policy
guidance at each level.
Response
National: There are no constitutional rights or duties in relation to spatial planning, only those that are defined by the law.
In England and Wales the main piece of spatial planning legislation is the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended
by the Planning and Compensation Act 1991. Planning (Listed buildings and conservation areas) Act 1990, and the Planning
(Hazardous Substances) Act 1990, are also main legislation instruments. However, the planning system is currently under
review through the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill. This will bring about some fundamental changes in the
planning system in England and Wales, including a new ‘spatial planning’ approach: as well as the physical aspects of
location and land use planning, planning will also address economic, social and environmental matters, and there will be a
new emphasis on regional planning.
In England national and regional planning policy guidance is also prepared at the national level (with the latter being
prepared at the regional level and approved and issued at the national level). Whilst this guidance is the primary
consideration for planning at lower levels, it is not legally binding. The Government's statements of planning policy may be
found in White Papers; Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs); Minerals Planning Guidance Notes (MPGs); Regional
Planning Guidance Notes (RPGs); Departmental Circulars; and Ministerial statements. PPGs, MPGs and RPGs are now the
principal source of policy guidance on planning matters and planning circulars will tend to focus on legislative and
procedural matters.
PPGs and MPGs will be replaced by Planning Policy Statements (PPS) under the reforms to the planning system (several
draft PPSs have been issued for consultation and there is a programme for review of the remaining PPGs).
Regional: In England regional guidance is prepared at the regional level and approved and issued at the national level.
Under the planning reforms, RPG will no longer be prepared. Regional Spatial Strategies with a stronger and
wider statutory remit will be prepared by Regional Planning Bodies at the regional level.
Spatial plans produced at
each level
County/Local: This level is important for plan making, but does not produce legislation, spatial planning policy or policy
guidance.
National: Spatial plans are not produced at the national level.
Regional: In England, Regional Planning Guidance has been issued for all regions. It is prepared at the regional level, but
issued by national government. RPG sets out broad strategic policies at the regional level where there are matters which,
though not of national scope, apply across regions or parts of regions and need to be considered on a scale wider than the
Topic
Response
area of a single strategic planning authority.
Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) will replace RPG on a statutory basis once the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill
comes into force. There are some significant changes to the purpose and context of new RSSs which will add more
weight to current RPG (as set out in PPS111), in particular:

Account will be taken of a wider range of activities likely to affect land use. Policies within the RSS will provide a
spatial direction for the region and will be more integrated with a range of other activities and programmes likely to
have a bearing on land use e.g. health, economic development, climate change.

A focus on implementation and delivery. The RSS will include an Implementation Plan to include detail on major
infrastructure proposals and their management and priorities for investment.
County/Local: County Councils and local authorities (or Unitary Authorities, where the responsibilities are joint) prepare
development plans (made up of the Structure Plan produced at county level and Local Plan produced at local authority
level or Unitary Development Plan produced by Unitary Authorities) which provide a firm basis for consistent decisions
regarding planning permission, and reflect national and regional policy.
Key documents/websites
used
1
Under the planning reforms the Development Plan (currently made up of county Structure Plans and Local Plans (or
UDPs)) will now be formed of the RSS and development plan documents contained within the local development
framework. Local authorities will be responsible for producing the Local Development Framework, whilst the role of the
county councils will change somewhat. County councils will feed into the production of RSSs and will be likely to play a
key role in sub-regional strategies contained within RSSs.
1. The EU compendium of spatial planning systems and policies – United Kingdom
2. In England the following Planning Policy Guidance is in operation:
PPG 1: General policy and principles
PPG 2: Green belts
PPG 3: Housing
PPG 4: Industrial, commercial development and small firms
PPG 5: Simplified planning zones
PPG 6: Town centres and retail development
Consultation Paper on Draft Planning Policy Statement 11 (PPS11) - Regional Planning (ODPM, October 2003)
Topic
Response
PPG 7: Countryside
PPG 8: Telecommunications
PPG 9: Nature conservation
PPG 10: Planning and waste management
PPG 11: Regional planning
PPG 12: Development plans
PPG 13: Transport
PPG 14: Development on unstable land
PPG 15: Planning and the historic environment
PPG 16: Archaeology and planning
PPG 17: Planning for open space, sport and recreation
PPG 18: Enforcing planning control
PPG 19: Outdoor advertisement control
PPG 20: Coastal planning
PPG 21: Tourism
PPG 22: Renewable energy
PPG 23: Planning and pollution control
PPG 24: Planning and noise
PPG 25: Development and flood risk
3. Draft Planning Policy Statements:
Planning policy statement 1 (pps1) - creating sustainable communities Draft Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning
for Town Centres
Draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 7 - Sustainable Development in Rural Areas
Draft Planning Policy Statement 11 (PPS11) - Regional Planning
Draft Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Development Frameworks
Draft Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS22): Renewable Energy