My Lords, this group of amendments concerns strategic planning and spatial development strategies. As these are to date a very rare form of plan, it might be useful to set out some background. The Government recognise that it is often desirable to plan over areas, as we have just heard, wider than a single planning authority in order to properly address the strategic and cross-boundary issues that have been brought up in this debate so far. However, it is important to stress that a spatial development strategy cannot allocate sites; instead, it can set broad indications of how much and what type of development should go where.
Once a spatial development strategy is adopted, local plans within its area must be in general conformity with it; that is, they must generally follow that strategy and its policies. Most of us will not actually have dealt with a spatial development strategy, because only one exists at the moment, and that is in London, which the mayor refers to as the London Plan. Other combined authorities are able to request the equivalent spatial development strategy powers as part of their devolution agreement. Three areas have done so already—Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, and the West of England, as noble Lords have heard—but for various reasons, none has produced a strategy as yet. Moreover, the Government have agreed to give a spatial development strategy power to the West Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
Through the Bill, we are extending the powers to produce a spatial development strategy, on a voluntary basis, to other local planning authorities, as we are aware that in other parts of the country—such as Hertfordshire, Essex, Leicestershire and around Nottingham—some of them have already sought to progress strategic plans over recent years. The Government would like to support and enable these efforts at more strategic planning.
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Having set out that background, I will turn to the amendments, beginning with Amendment 196A, tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Stevenage. This would state that it is for the Mayor of London alone to consider what constitutes a matter that is of strategic
importance to Greater London. During the preparation of the London Plan, the mayor’s opinion on what does or does not constitute a strategic matter will of course be essential. However, other people and organisations, including the boroughs, will have a legitimate view on this issue. Through the independent examination that takes place in public on the London Plan, those examining it will also give an opinion on whether a matter contained in the draft plan is of strategic importance.
The clause to which the noble Baroness’s Amendment 197 relates reaffirms the vital role of the London Plan in setting strategic policy for the capital. The text that is proposed to be removed underlines that such policies should relate to the particular characteristics or circumstances of London. Nothing here would prevent the Mayor of London considering matters during the preparation of the London Plan that affect London but relate to areas outside Greater London, if necessary. However, it must be right that the policies themselves relate to the area for which the mayor has jurisdiction.
The noble Baroness’s Amendment 197A concerns the London Plan’s ability to repeat the content of national development management policies. Noble Lords will recall that we discussed these matters extensively earlier in Committee, and I therefore do not intend to reiterate our thinking on this matter, in order to save some time, if the noble Baroness does not mind.
Amendments 198A and 198B, in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Jones of Moulsecoomb, seek to enable county councils to be participating authorities in a joint spatial development strategy. I strongly agree with her that county councils should play an important role in plan-making—I expect them to have significant influence over the development of joint spatial development strategies, and I envisage them being closely involved in their day-to-day production. To make sure that this happens, we are giving them the formal status of statutory consultees, so that they can bring their expertise on a range of issues, particularly transport, as we heard, to the development of a joint spatial development strategy.
I thank my noble friend Lord Deben for supporting this. I reassure him that, through the Bill, the rural county areas will now have the opportunity to have powers similar to those of Manchester and the West Midlands, as they can go forward to a county combined authority—CCA.