In this episode, David and Mike talk to Catriona Riddell, one of the UK’s leading experts on spatial strategic planning, about its imminent return to the centre stage of local economic development in England. What do government proposals for universal coverage of spatial investment frameworks across the country by 2029 mean for LED policy, professional culture, and practice? As three veterans of the regional spatial and economic strategies of the noughties, they surface some of the lessons and threads we can pick up from that period. But the late 2020s will also require new skills and approaches if universal strategic planning is to be delivered well and achieve its purposes...
What do we know so far about the UK Government’s strategic planning ambitions?
The UK Government is seeking universal coverage across England of what will essentially be strategic investment frameworks for meeting their housing numbers’ ambitions and to build investor confidence in key infrastructure investments like transport, energy, and major employment sites. The plans will capture climate change goals and approaches to grand societal challenges as well as setting out the key growth drivers and agendas.
Government has so far not decided to develop a National Spatial Strategy, nor is its National Industrial Strategy available. The strategic geographies have not yet been firmed up beyond Combined Authorities (CAs). Nor is how an English model will work alongside the approaches currently being implemented elsewhere in Great Britain where land-use planning is reserved to the devolved administrations. To meet the 2029 deadline or even deliver them earlier, these matters must be resolved briskly.
Strategic plans have an opportunity to shape national strategy. But, to add up to a coherent whole, cross-boundary working, shared consistent evidence bases and streamlined processes will be critical.
What will be needed to deliver this model of strategic planning?
Catriona Riddell described key features of the new system as being:
Based around relatively small inter-disciplinary teams, including planners, but also deep understanding of, among others, economics, transport, environment, public health, and social change
Agile, pragmatic and boundary-spanning in dealing with complex geographies and politics
Making full use of and building economies of scale in digital planning and new technologies
Delivery planning to happen alongside strategy development encompassing growth, transport, Net Zero, public health, resilience and other plans and policies
National involvement on a whole-government basis – well beyond MHCLG – with a willingness to embrace some form of regional and multi-tier coordination functions.
Key elements of the system to be mandated rather than awaiting a consensual agreement of willing partners
Learning from the past and others…
All three of us mentioned our pre-2010 experiences, parts of which remain relevant for the current period. Instruments like Multi-Area Agreements are worth revisiting, as are the roles of stakeholders that were members of Regional Assemblies of the early 2000s.
More currently, Catriona reflected on countries like the Netherlands and their involvement of the private sector who are critical for financing and delivering strategic change. Parts of Scotland and Wales National Strategies’ structures and processes provide possible templates for adapting.
Special and repeated mention of Liverpool City Region’s current strategic planning exercise is a relevant example of work-in progress. Catriona provided links to commentary on this and to other contemporary work in Strategic planning in England – Current practice and future directions (worktribe.com) and to RTPI | Championing the power of planning.
Perhaps the main challenge to overcome will be achieving the cross-party support that eluded Regional Spatial Strategies in the noughties and undermined their development. If, as then, the modern wave of strategic plans are not accepted by opposition parties in parliament, this will be reflected in local politicking, with implications for how ambitious they are, how quickly they can be agreed, and the confidence placed in them by private investors.
Catriona is optimistic that, after the post-2010 experience without strategic plans, there is a growing recognition of the benefits of a statutory strategic spatial planning system. If it is delivered effectively over the next 5 years it can become an enduring part of the UK’s development landscape.
LED at the top-table?
Ultimately, the UK Government is championing strategic planning because they consider it as critical to delivering the economic growth, social and environmental change, the country needs. This agenda is at the centre of LED orthodoxy. Local Growth Plans which LED practitioners are enabling, will be a key building block of the new generation of strategic investment frameworks and their delivery.
Whilst LED practitioners have never fully divorced from planners, the post-2010 approach to deals, competitive funding, and frequent changes of direction tended to separate LED from the planning mainstream. Meanwhile the local planning system tended to a myopia on housing numbers.
All three of us broadly welcome the opportunity that the relaunch of strategic planning can bring. Now we need to sit down together and bring the new approach to fruition.
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