Ian Wray

Do we need strategic planning?A view from the north west of EnglandIan WrayChief PlannerNorthwest Regional Development Agency18 th September 2009

History and experience• Metropolitan County Government - 1976• Unitary Local Government - 1979• Regional Planning Guidance MK1 – 1993• Regional Economic Strategy MK1 – 2000• Regional Planning Guidance MKII - 2003• Regional Spatial Strategy MK1 - 2008• Integrated Regional Strategy MK1 - 2009

Economic geographyPopn.: NW 6.9m, Scotland 5.1m, Wales2.9mNW manufacturing: £20 bn, largestregional totalCity of London financial services: £24.7 bnNW: larger economy than Denmark,Ireland, Finland, Hungary, BulgariaChange in GVA per capita,1995 -2003

Political geography

10 Reasons for Strategic PlanningIn a proper democratic context…Effective strategic planning reduces costs, promote efficiency andreduce conflict, whilst protecting the environment and promotingdevelopment in the right places, by…

Providing clarity, certainty and confidence for private sectorinvestment

Providing sharp priorities for public investment, which is likely tobe highly constrained

Providing clear directions for public and private investment, ensuring they arealigned, and bringing national and local spending plans together

Giving clear directions for local decision taking and avoidingunnecessary wrangles

Reining in unrealistic aspirations, and reducing the potential formassive over bidding, for land or resources

Acting as an intermediary between central and local governmentand reducing potential for conflicts which land on ministerial desks

Providing a context within which local government can agreee.g. housing

Counter balancing the tendency towards single issue lobbies andpolitics

Providing capabilities and capacity only available to a small numberof larger authorities – promoting economies of scale

Providing planning frameworks which can relate to functional areassuch as travel to work areas and housing market areas

At which level?a) Localb) Nationalc) Regionald) City Regional