National and Regional Planning

National Framework

The Government determines national policies on different aspects of planning, together with the rules that regulate the operation of the system. National planning policies are set out in Planning Policy Guidance (PPGs) and Policy Statements (PPSs), Minerals Policy Statements (MPSs) and Guidance Notes (MPGs), Circulars and Parliamentary Statements.

Table 1 gives a list of all the Planning Policy Guidance documents which are gradually being replaced by Planning Policy Statements. The table shows those which are already in effect and the status of the others. These statements (and the guidance before them) set out the Government's national policies on different aspects of planning and apply throughout England, except London.

The various statements and guides can also be found on the CLG's Planning section, which also contains various explanatory notes and advice.

Table 2 gives a list of the Mineral Policy Guidance notes for England which set out the Government's national planning policies for minerals on England. It also shows the new Minerals Policy Statements which it is envisaged will replace the 14 MPGs as follows.

Regional Level

Regional Planning Guidance documents were prepared by regional planning bodies in collaboration with the Government Offices for the nine regions of England. These set the framework for local transport plans, biodiversity plans and other strategies within the region.

The Regional Spatial Strategies for the UK are given in the following list, together with their URL links:

• The South East Plan (June 2009);
• The East Midlands Regional Plan (March 2009);
• The North West of England Plan (September 2008);
• The North East of England Plan (July 2008);
• The Yorkshire and Humber Plan (May 2008);
• The East of England Plan (May 2008);
• The West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (June 2004, but being revised);
• The South West Regional Spatial Strategy (currently undergoing review);
• The Wales Spatial Plan;

The scope and purpose of the RSS is laid out in the government's Planning Policy Statement 11: Regional Spatial Strategies³¹⁵. Public participation is a vital component of the planning system. PPS1³¹³ sets out the principles that the Government believe should underpin community involvement and the CLG's "Community Involvement in Planning: The Government's Objectives"³¹⁷ expands on these. The RPBs who are responsible for drawing up the RSSs must publish a statement of public participation that explains how and when the RPB intends to involve the public and identifies who the RPB's main partners will be.

In practice the RSS for each region will provide a broad development strategy for a 15-20 year period (or longer if necessary) and will take into account:

• identification of the scale and distribution of provision for new housing;
• priorities for the environment such as countryside and biodiversity protection;
• transport, infrastructure, economic development, agriculture, minerals extraction and waste treatment and disposal.

These will then inform the preparation of Local Development Documents, Local Transport Plans and other plans such as the Minerals and Waste Development Documents.

Regional Aggregates Working Parties (RAWPs)

The Regional Aggregate Working Parties (RAWPs) provide technical advice in relation to the supply of, and demand for construction aggregates (including for sand, gravel and crushed rock) to the Regional Assemblies/RPBs and to the First Secretary of State for the CLG. Two RAWPs provide advice to the Secretary of State for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government.

RAWPs are not policy-making bodies but are charged with data collection to facilitate planning by MPAs, national government agencies and the industry, and to inform the general reader. The membership of RAWPs comprises officers of each of the MPAs, representatives of the industry and officers of various Government departments and agencies. Further information on RAWPs can be found on the CLG Web site (here).

The RAWPs are based on the Regional Planning Bodies, but their brief can sometimes extend beyond these boundaries. For example, the East Midlands Aggregates Working Party covers the East Midlands Planning Region, ie Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire, but also includes the whole of the Peak District National Park (which incorporates those National park areas in Cheshire and Staffordshire and the former counties of Lancashire, South and West Yorkshire).

Reports from the different RAWPs can be found on the CLG Web site (here). Two diagrams showing the locations of the RAWPs, together with every MPA, can be downloaded from the links below.

MWP Boundaries England (240K)
MWP Boundaries Wales (856K)

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

EU Directive 2001/42/EC ("SEA" Directive) ³²⁰ requires strategic assessment of the environmental impacts of plans and programmes prepared by public authorities. Guidance has been given by the CLG as to how it should be applied by Planning Authorities³²¹. Further information and advice can be obtained from the Strategic Environmental Assessment Information Service.

The objective of SEA is;

• to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development.

Sustainability Appraisal (SA)

The purpose of SA is to promote sustainable development through better integration of sustainability considerations into the preparation and adoption of plans. It is an iterative process that identifies and reports on the likely significant effects of the plan and the extent to which implementation of the plan will achieve the social, environmental, economic and resource management objectives by which sustainable development can be defined.

The requirements to carry out a SA and a SEA are distinct, but it is possible to satisfy both through a single appraisal process. Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004²⁶³, SA is mandatory for RSSs as well as the more local documents. Guidance for SA is published by the CLG and available here.