In the UK, the framework for the spatial planning system was established by the Town and Country Planning Act of 1947. Although the current system generally dates back to the Town and Country Planning Act of 1990 and related laws, material amendments were made in 2004 and 2011 with respect to England and Wales.

Regional policies heavily oriented towards employment measures were implemented after the Great Depression. Although various support measures geared towards specific regions were implemented since the 1960s, regional policies were not necessarily been high on the priority list since the days of the Thatcher Administration. In the 1990s, measures directed at enhancing competitiveness that were not region specific and also took the EU's regional policies into consideration were implemented. Furthermore, eight Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) were established in England in 1999. Later on RDAs were abolished along with the change of administration in May 2010 and now Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) based on the partnership within local governments and private enterprises are being encouraged.

Spatial Planning in England

Traditional Town and Country Planning Act

<Presentation of Spatial Planning Guidance by Central Government>

The central government has been presenting the Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPG) setting forth the administrative policy for spatial planning by theme, in addition to the Regional Policy Guidance Notes (RPG) setting forth the overall regional development policy for each of the nine regions of England.

<Development Plans of Local Governments>

Meanwhile, local autonomous bodies have been formulating various development plans and have been authorizing individual development projects, etc. According to the Town and Country Planning Act of 1990, there are structure plans by counties, as well as local plans by basic autonomous bodies (the latter two are integrated into unitary development plans in unitary counties and districts) and the like.

Situation Following Modification of Law in 2004 - Region-Oriented Spatial Planning

<Comprehensive Spatial Plans - RSS - of Regional Planning Bodies>

Since 2000, the central government has replaced PPGs (Planning Policy Guidance Notes) with PPSs (Planning Policy Statements), whilst the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 was significantly modified by the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

As a result, nine Regional Planning Bodies composed of relevant counties, local offices of central organizations and other local actors now prepare RSSs (Regional Spatial Strategies) that serves as a comprehensive spatial plan that also covers matters beyond land use. In December 2009, Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act was enacted which consolidated existing RSS and Regional Economic Strategy into Regional Strategy and introduced a system of strategy formulation by RDA and Local Authority Leaders' Board as regional planning bodies.

<Local Development Framework (LDF) of Basic Autonomous Bodies>

In the way of development plans, basic autonomous bodies formulate LDFs (Local Development Frameworks), which replace the former local plans, in order to materialize the RSS (structure plan by county was abolished).

There traditionally have been no higher level plans that are binding on development plans, with the significant discretion afforded the basic autonomous bodies resulting in frequent disruption in the development of infrastructure and other activities from a national perspective. It is believed amending the laws to give the RSS a legal positioning and require that LDFs be consistent with the RSS facilitated the realization of the central government's intent from a regional perspective. The Planning Act was enacted in 2008 to provide for the organization of Infrastructure Planning Commission to make decision on the development of infrastructures of importance from a national perspective.

Outline of Modification of Law in 2011 - Abolishment of Regions and Community-Oriented Spatial Planning

The new Conservative-Liberal Democrats coalition government from May 2010 advocates Localism, and reflecting the fact that former planning system including Regional Spatial Strategy took a top-down and bureaucratic approach and could not play a sufficient role in housing provision, the government set out a policy to abolish wide-area plan and to reform the planning system into a system more focused on communities, which lead to the enactment of Localism　Act in November 2011. Major changes by a series of reforms are as follows;

・Abolish Regional Strategy;

・Abolish PPS and publish after parliament decision a simple and single National Planning Framework (the rough draft of National Planning Policy Framework was published in June 2011);

・Newly empower the communities (Parish or Town Council, or neighbourhood forum if there is none of those) to establish Neighbourhood Development Plan and Neighbourhood Development Order that enables them to independently determine about location and types of new housing, shops and offices;

・Abolish Infrastructure Planning Commission; and,

・Abolish Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and introduce Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in its place.

Metropolitan Spatial Planning: London

Source: Mayor of London (2011) "THE LONDON PLAN: Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London".

The Greater London Authority Act requires the City Mayor to formulate a spatial development strategy for London, based on which the London Plan that replaces the traditional strategic guidance was devised in February 2004. The Local Development Framework for each borough is generally expected to be in alignment and other strategies formulated by the City Mayor are required to be consistent with the London Plan.

Under the new mayor Johnson elected in 2008, the new London Plan was formulated in July 2011.

Spatial Planning in Countries Other than England

Unlike England, each of the other three countries formulates its spatial plans based on systems specific to the country. There is a trend in some countries to position spatial plans as regional strategies that reach beyond land use plans.