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• What We Do
• Future North West (formerly Regional Strategy (RS2010))
• Regional Planning
  • North West of England Plan - Regional Spatial Strategy to 2021
    • Preparing 'The North West of England Plan'
    • Key Spatial Principles
    • Regional Spatial Framework
    • Working in the North West - Achieving a Sustainable Economy
    • Living in the North West - Ensuring a Strong, Healthy and Just Society
    • Transport in the North West - Connecting people and places
    • Planning for the Environment, Minerals, Waste and Energy
  • Implementation of the Regional Spatial Strategy
    • RSS Implementation Framework - Context
    • RSS Implementation Framework - Key Principles
    • RSS Implementation Framework - Vision, Strategic Actions and Key Agencies
    • RSS Implementation Framework - Key Area Summaries and Implementation Guidance Notes
  • Sustainability Appraisal of the North West of England Plan - Regional Spatial Strategy to 2021
  • Monitoring and Review of the Regional Spatial Strategy
  • Coastal
    • Coastal Communities research
  • Partial Review of Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) 2008-2010 [NOT PROGRESSED TO COMPLETION]
• Regional Housing
• Regional Transport
• Economic Development
• How We Do It
• Equality & Diversity
• Sustainability
• Europe
• Scrutiny

Regional Planning

Until 2010 4NW was the Regional Planning Body for the North West. Planning is essential to make space available for new developments or infrastructure.  Prior to July 2010, the region had been working together to preapre a new Single Regional Strategy  bringing together planning guidance with the economic strategy for our region, meaning that we could have decided not just what to invest but also where.

However following the coalition Government's announcement in July 2010, abolishing the statutory basis for Regional Strategies, work has been undertaken to refocus the Regional Strategy and develop it as a succinct and streamlined non-statutory, high level framework.  "Future North West" was published in August 2010.

Meanwhile, planning is extremely important for a host of other issues, such as ensuring new housing is built near where people want to work, new sites are identified for the region's waste, and the best possible appropriate locations are decided for new facilities to produce our energy, such as wind farms or power stations.

All these issues require clear decision-making and sensitivity to the needs of people in the region. Until Spring 2010 the Regional Leaders Board brought together 4NW's planning expertise and key leaders of the region to make decisions about issues as they arose and lead consultation and lobbying for our future needs.

Between the mid 1990s and July 2010, regional planning policy was set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West (North West of England Plan), adopted on 30th September 2008.  A Partial Review of the North West Regional Spatial Strategy was undertaken between summer 2008 and July 2010. With the abolition of RSS in July 2010, this Partial Review was not completed. A summary of the Partial Review process can be found here. Alternatively for more detailed information click here to visit the dedicated website.

The menu pages on the left provide information on the processes involved in producing the Regional Spatial Strategy for the North West. The pages set out an overview of the process undertaken in preparing the Regional Spatial Strategy and the work involved in implementing and monitoring the strategy. It is hoped that these pages will provide you with all the information you need, including access to relevant supporting links and documents.