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Regional Spatial Strategy




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.


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 Assessment s

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.


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 if England's RSS was the first RSS proper to have been submitted and has been marred by political ranglings over housing numbers and transport infrastructure {Link without Title} .

The South West of England's RSS is currently being prepared and is expected to deliver the first real 'regional' and 'spatial' strategy having had the benefit of other region's experience, a longer period of time for the gathering of evidence and lenghty discussions.


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