'living places is a valuable project that will ensure that culture plays a central role in the Government's plans for creating successful and characterful communities through housing growth and renewal.' Simon Thurley, Chief Executive, English Heritage
Tuesday February 07, 2012

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Strategic and local development plan policies

Regional spatial strategies


Please note: Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government wrote to council leaders on the 27th may 2010 highlighting the coalition government's commitment to abolish regional strategies. The Localism Bill will formalise this abolition. However these policies may still be relevant as examples of strategic planning policies for culture and sport planning for future strategic arrangements and spatial documents.

These changes wil not apply to the London Plan which will continue to function as the strategic planning document in London.


Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. An RSS provides a long-term development strategy for a region. The RSS also informs the preparation of Local Development Documents (LDDs), Local Transport Plans (LTPs) and regional and sub-regional strategies and programmes in relation to land use activities. As of the 6th July 2010, RSSs have been revoked.

The following are policy examples of adopted and emerging regional spatial strategies. They illustrate how regions have embedded culture and sport within the strategic planning process either through:

  • cross-cutting cultural references, or
  • a separate culture chapter.

In some cases, these examples are supported by non-statutory regional implementation plans. These define regional and sub-regional needs for relevant cultural and sporting infrastructure and the agencies responsible for assessment and delivery. You can get to these by following the links below:

Local development framework core strategies

Local planning authorities must prepare a Local Development Framework consisting of a portfolio of Local Development Documents (LDDs) for delivery of the spatial strategy for the area.

The Local Development Framework also includes a Statement of Community Involvement, the Local Development Scheme (which sets out the programme for the production of LDDs) and the Annual Monitoring Report.

Section 20 of the 2004 Act requires that the Local Planning Authority’s Local Development Framework, Development Plan Documents (DPD) and Statements of Community Involvement must be ‘sound’, both in terms of their content and the process by which they are produced. They must also be founded on a robust and credible evidence base. DPDs are also subject to a Sustainability Appraisal to ensure economic, environmental and social effects of the plan are in line with sustainable development targets.

The following are examples of adopted local authority core strategies that embed culture and sport policies into local development frameworks.

Their selection has been based on good geographical coverage across the English regions and a showcase of the different approaches taken by authorities. You can get to these by following the links below:

You can find guidance on developing policies for strategic and local spatial planning in the Local Planning for Culture and Sport section of the toolkit.

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