1.  The Planning Officers Society represents the most senior professionals and managers of planning functions in the English Local Authorities. The Society sets out to:

—  Act as an advocate and promoter of Local Government planning

—  Assist and advise the Government and the Local Government Association on planning matters and any related issues

—  Act as a centre of excellence, undertake research and promote best practice in planning matters

—  Promote all aspects of the built and green environment by working closely with other organisations and professions

  2.  The Society's aim is to ensure that planning makes a major contribution to achieving sustainable developments, from national to local level, in ways which are fair and equitable and achieve the social, economic and environmental aspirations of all sectors of the community.

  3.  The Committee has resolved to undertake an inquiry into how the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is going to achieve its target to "reduce the persistent gap in growth rates between regions". The Society's response concentrates on the following particular "matters of concern":

—  whether a coherent national policy can be achieved; and

—  whether the introduction of the nine Regional Development Agencies has contributed towards a reduction in, or increased the disparities between, the regions;

  4.  It has been a long-standing view of the Society that there is a current policy vacuum at the national level that creates uncertainty for the regions. The case for more effective spatial planning at a national scale has been expressed many times since the 1947 Town and Country Planning legislation. The issue has acquired urgency as a result of the recent constitutional shifts within the UK as well as the need for mechanisms to cascade European policy to the local level. Recent levels of intense development pressure in some regions together with low economic growth in others, demonstrates the need for more co-ordination at a UK scale.

  5.  Thus the Society is of the opinion that there is a clear need for a national spatial strategy which would be an integral part of the hierarchy necessary for an effective planning service by creating rational and unambiguous roles for the regions in delivering national objectives. This view is shared by many other organisations including the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Town and Country Planning Association.

  6.  The European perspective in planning at a regional level seems to have been overlooked by the Committee of Inquiry. The European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP) embodies the principle of balanced development across regions. The Inquiry should reflect upon the spatial implications of regional disparities and the spatial solutions that might play a part in addressing those regional disparities.

  7.  The Planning Officers Society, part funded by the DETR, undertook a major research study in 2001 into the development of Regional Planning Guidance (RPG) and how effective it was in delivering the principles of the ESDP. A summary of the study findings can be found on the Society's website at:

  http://www.planningofficers.org.uk/shared/files/POS/ExecutiveSummary.pdf

  8.  The study, undertaken by Liverpool University, on behalf of the Society concluded:

    "In conclusion, therefore, it would appear that the European context and the ESDP are beginning to be accepted as an important frame of reference in the production of Regional Planning Guidance. Given the emerging policy context it would be naive to expect the RPGs across the country to have embraced the principles in similar ways. Regional distinctiveness, for example, means that the European context may need to be given greater or lesser emphasis. The checks and balances involved in the process of RPG preparation do appear to highlight where the European dimension has not adequately been taken into account. In embracing the European Agenda those involved in developing regional planning policy need to embrace a shift in outlook and culture which requires a much more explicit consideration of a region's links to other regions, both adjacent, but also in terms of cross border and transnational relationships. The findings of this study suggest that this is beginning to happen."

  9.  It seems that whilst inter-regional linkages are obviously of varying importance in different regions, in a number of regions there is a need to overcome a certain insularity in the approach adopted to preparing RPG.

  10.  The Society is of the distinct view, therefore, that in developing regional guidance there is considerable scope to develop further the consideration given to cross-border issues both in national and transnational space, and to the consideration of inter-regional and intra-regional cross-boundary issues. A number of existing RPGs include in their sections on implementation commitments to take forward cross-boundary working. This is clearly an approach, which other regions should adopt, particularly those where there are significant intra- and/or inter-regional issues, which may impact on the delivery of the RPG strategy. The study can be examined in full at:

  http://www.liv.ac.uk/civdes/POSReport.pdf