ABSTRACT
The case examined in this chapter is the making of a new structure plan for the county of Lancashire, in the northwest region of England (Fig. 9.1). This illustrates both the new impetus for strategic planning in England and the significance of economic and environmental considerations in this. It also shows how British centralism and the functional organization of government still constrain the possibilities of building new and more local forms of policy articulation and coordination, although vigorous efforts are being made in this direction. The plan-making effort was centred in the planning department of Lancashire County Council, but drew upon contributions from the county districts, informal regional policy arenas involving business groups and local environmental forums. This represents an important shift from early planning practices, where plan-making was largely contained within the professional-administrative arena.
