Inventing our future Collective action for a sustainable economy

Where are we now?
Policy context
1.2 Policy context
Regional strategies
The regional economic strategy (RES) is one of a suite of regional strategies
that aims to improve the quality of life for people who live and work in the
East of England. Its primary focus is to set an ambitious vision for the
economy to 2031 and priorities for action that contribute to that vision.
It is intended to ensure that ‘those responsible for economic decision-taking
are working effectively together, with common goals and accepted
priorities for regional development’. It is developed with regional partners
and goes through a formal consultation and appraisal process. It is an
important framework document for other regional and sub-regional
strategies and plans, including Local Area Agreements.
The RES complements the East of England Plan – the regional spatial
strategy (RSS). The RSS is a statutory document and guides local
development documents over the period 2001–2021. The Plan was
launched in May 2008 and a review of the regional spatial strategy is
under way, taking into account the Housing Green Paper and analysis by
the National Housing and Planning Advisory Unit. This regional economic
strategy has been informed by the East of England Plan and will, in turn,
inform subsequent spatial planning.
Government guidance for developing the regional economic and spatial
strategies requires that both are consistent and synergistic i . This is
achieved by ensuring that the economic aspirations for the region set out
in the RES underpin the planning framework of the region. Conversely, the
economic aspirations must be consistent with, and achievable within, the
statutory plans for physical development.
There is a strong and complementary relationship between the two
strategies:
• they share an understanding of the spatial priorities of the region,
particularly around the key centres of development and change.
The RES adds an economic analysis of the scale and roles of key
centres for development and change
• the East of England Plan includes policies to support economic diversity
and business development that support the priorities outlined in the RES
• the headline regional ambitions in the RES are consistent with the
housing supply targets in the East of England Plan
• there are shared objectives in the two strategies covering housing,
infrastructure and regeneration
• both the RES and East of England Plan have been prepared in
accordance with the region’s sustainable development priorities, and
the underlying principles in the RES are consistent with the emerging
Integrated Sustainability Framework (ISF)
• the RES and the associated evidence base provide material input to the
review of the East of England Plan in setting the context for the region’s
development needs to 2031.
9 i. Guidance to RDAs on Regional Strategies, DTI (2005).