Morning, Wednesday, 14th January 2026
Online
This conference will assess next steps for regional spatial planning in England.
Planned areas of focus for discussion include priorities for developing Spatial Development Strategies, coordination of housing and infrastructure delivery, and alignment with sustainability, growth and environmental stewardship.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss proposals in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. Delegates will consider implications for governance, accountability, delivery confidence, and where responsibilities move between strategic authorities and local councils.
Discussion will also examine the coordination of regional spatial planning with wider national objectives on housing, infrastructure and industrial growth. Areas for discussion include the Industrial Strategy and the Ten-Year Infrastructure Strategy, and the evolving role of national agencies and tools such as NISTA in supporting delivery and coordination.
Attendees will consider what can be learned from existing frameworks and their development, including the London Plan and Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone, looking at how approaches taken in these regions might be adapted elsewhere. They will assess the influence on adoption of political dynamics and community pressures, and how regional strategies align with Local Plans and neighbourhood planning.
Further planned sessions focus on delivery capacity and oversight, including the capacity of planning teams to meet new statutory duties, the timetable for a national Land Use Framework, and strategic and practical considerations for sustaining democratic engagement. Areas for discussion include how transparency, data and community involvement can be maintained while meeting national policy requirements and addressing cross-boundary challenges.
With the agenda currently in the drafting stage, overall areas for discussion include:
- implementation of proposed legislation:
- statutory Spatial Development Strategies beyond London - changes to planning committee functions
- reforms to NSIP consultation - implications for governance, accountability and delivery confidence
- scope of strategic authority:
- definition of geographic areas - alignment of Local Plans with new Spatial Development Strategies - risks of overlapping mandates or policy gaps
- considerations for cross-boundary working - concerns around democratic oversight from changes to committees and NSIP consultation
- alignment with national objectives:
- interaction with the Industrial Strategy - the Ten-Year Infrastructure Strategy and the national infrastructure spatial planning tools
- refresh of infrastructure National Policy Statements - coordination of regional planning with projects designated or opting in as NSIPs
- funding and delivery:
- measures cited in the Spending Review including the Affordable Homes Programme and Local Authority Housing Fund - proposals for a new Local Growth Fund
- responsibilities of reformed Homes England in regeneration, infrastructure coordination and housing delivery
- experience from existing frameworks:
- approaches taken in the London Plan and Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone - what can be adapted for regions
- how political dynamics affect adoption - interaction of strategic plans with neighbourhood and Local Plans
- delivery capacity and skills:
- pressures on local planning teams - meeting new planning statutory duties and timelines - adoption of NISTA digital tools
- timetable for a national Land Use Framework - options for technical support where local teams face workload pressures
- oversight and democratic engagement:
- possible removal of statutory NSIP consultation - risks to community involvement - implications for local democratic bodies
- transparency and engagement, community trust and meeting National Planning Policy Framework objectives
- political and community tensions:
- attempts by councils to withdraw from regional plans - opposition to green belt development
- politicisation at local and regional levels - challenges in balancing cross-boundary cooperation and accountability where strategic and local priorities diverge
