Regional Spatial Strategy

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Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) provide a regional level planning framework for the regions of England. They are not prepared in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland as planning is a devolved power. Wales has a Wales Spatial Plan which is arguably an equivalent.

RSS emerged from the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 which abolished Structure Plans, and replaced Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) with RSS which is now the strategic level plan charged with informing Local Development Frameworks.

Unlike RPG, LDFs must be in ‘general conformity’ with an RSS and the RSS is now a statutory, legal document. They are produced by the nine English Regional Assemblies.

Planning Policy Statement 11: Regional Spatial Strategies commonly abbreviated as PPS 11, is a document produced by the British Government and sets out the procedural policy on the nature of RSSs and focuses on what should happen in preparing revisions to them and explains how this relates to the Act and associated regulations. The current version was introduced in September 2004.

1 Objectives of RSS
2 Current Practice
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Objectives of RSS

An RSS is expected to:

establish a ‘spatial’ strategy for a region (in which settlements should development be emphasised, where regeneration is important as examples)
outline housing figures for district and unitary authorities to take forward in their LDFs
establish regionally specific policies which are expected to add to rather than replicate national ones
define the ‘general extent' of the Green Belt
produce a regional Transport Strategy as part of the wider spatial strategy, which should outline key priorities for investment in order to support spatial growth.

They are subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessments

RSS are prepared by the relevant Regional Planning Body, in England this is the relevant Regional Assembly and are then submitted to the Secretary of State. After an Examination in Public it is the Secretary of State who publishes the final version with changes.

[edit] Current Practice

By the end of 2006 there will have been 5 revised RSS' submitted to the Secretary of State although most of these are in effect updates to RPGs than 'true' RSSs. The East of England's RSS was the first RSS proper to have been submitted and has been marred by political wranglings over housing numbers and transport infrastructure [1].

The South West of England Regional Assembly have recently submitted their draft RSS to the Secretary of State. The South West RSS is expected to deliver the first real 'regional' and 'spatial' strategy having had the benefit of other region's experience and a longer period of time for the gathering of evidence and lengthy discussions.