The key policy document for delivering planning at this level is Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 1. It sets out the context for a positive and proactive process according to the principles of sustainable development. This aims to ensure a better quality of life for everyone, now and for future generations.

There is no one policy statement on planning for the culture and sports sector. But planning policy statements address how planning can contribute to and benefit from the contribution of other activities for culture and sport including:

• Planning for housing growth (PPS 3),
  The Government’s key housing policy goal is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity of living in a decent home, which they can afford, in a community where they want to live. To achieve this, the Government is seeking:
  – To create sustainable, inclusive, mixed communities in all areas, both urban and rural. (para. 9)

• Planning for sustainable economic growth (new PPS 4),
  To help achieve sustainable economic growth, the Government’s objectives for planning are to:
  – build prosperous communities by improving the economic performance of cities, towns, regions, sub-regions and local areas, both urban and rural
  – promote the vitality and viability of town and other centres as important places for communities.
  
  To do this, the Government wants:
  – new economic growth and development of main town centre uses to be focused in existing centres, with the aim of offering a wide range of services to communities in an attractive and safe environment and remedying deficiencies in provision in areas with poor access to facilities;
  – the historic, archaeological and architectural heritage of centres to be conserved and, where appropriate, enhanced to provide a sense of place and a focus for the community and for civic activity. (para. 10)
  
  The main uses to which the town centre policies in this PPS apply are:
  2. leisure, entertainment facilities, and the more intensive sport and recreation uses (including cinemas, restaurants, drive-through restaurants, bars and pubs, night-clubs, casinos, health and fitness centres, indoor bowling centres, and bingo halls)
  4. arts, culture and tourism development (including theatres, museums, galleries and concert halls, hotels and conference facilities). (para. 7)

• Planning for the historic environment (new PPS 5)
  The Government’s objectives for planning for the historic environment are:
  – to conserve England’s heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance by ensuring that:
  – decisions are based on the nature, extent and level of that significance, investigated to a degree proportionate to the importance of the heritage asset
  – wherever possible, heritage assets are put to an appropriate and viable use that is consistent with their conservation
  – the positive contribution of such heritage assets to local character and sense of place is recognised and valued; and
  – consideration of the historic environment is integrated into planning policies, promoting place-shaping. (para. 7)

• Planning for sport and recreation (PPG 17),
  Open spaces, sport and recreation all underpin people’s quality of life. Well designed and implemented planning policies for open space, sport and recreation are therefore fundamental to delivering broader Government objectives. These include:
  – supporting an urban renaissance
  – supporting a rural renewal
  – promotion of social inclusion and community cohesion
  – health and well being
  – promoting more sustainable development

• Planning for a healthy natural environment (draft new PPS),
  It is the Government’s policy that planning should:
  – deliver safe and attractive places to live, which respect the character of the area, promote health and wellbeing, and reduce social inequalities by ensuring that people have access to high quality open spaces, green infrastructure and sports, recreational and play spaces and facilities which are safely and easily accessible by walking, cycling or public transport
  – provide access and appropriate recreational opportunities in rural and coastal areas to enable urban and rural dwellers to enjoy the wider countryside. (page 15)

• Planning for improved accessibility (PPG 13)
  A key planning objective is to ensure that jobs, shopping, leisure facilities and services are accessible by public transport, walking, and cycling. This is important for all, but especially for those who do not have regular use of a car, and to promote social inclusion (para. 19)

• Eco-towns (PPS 1 Supplement)
  ET 13 Local services
  Building sustainable communities is about providing facilities which contribute to the well-being, enjoyment and health of people. Planning applications should include a good level of provision of services within the eco-town that is proportionate to the size of the development. This should include leisure, health and social care, education, retail, arts and culture, library services, sport and play facilities and community and voluntary sector facilities (ET 13.1).

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Communities and Local Government, along with Arts Council England, Museum. Libraries and Archives, English Heritage, Sport England, CABE, and the Homes and Communities Agency made a joint agreement in July 2006. This was a milestone in aligning spatial planning with culture and sport planning. The joint agreement supports the housing and sustainable communities agenda. You can find further information on the joint agreement web page of living places.

Delivering better outcomes for culture and sport should also be aligned with the work of other government departments, including Department of Health, Department for Children, Schools and Families, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and other agencies, including Play England.