A plan-led system

Our system of planning is an important part of our democracy. It can help deal with the different views between groups over development and provide opportunities for people to have their say about the future of their neighbourhoods, communities and areas.

The planning system in England follows a plan-led system. This involves preparing plans that set out what can be built and where. The plan-led system was updated by an Act of Parliament (the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act) in December 2004.

Under the new law there are now two main levels of plan:

• Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) - each Regional Planning Body (such as the north-east of England) is preparing a Regional Spatial Strategy. This sets out things such as how many homes are needed to meet the future needs of people in the region, or whether the region needs a new major shopping centre or an airport.
• Local Development Frameworks (LDF) - Each local planning authority is preparing a Local Development Framework. This is a folder of documents that sets out how your local area may change over the next few years.