ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to examine the way in which sustainability is operationalised in English planning policy at the national, regional and local levels. It identifies the strength and breadth of sustainability coverage in planning policy, and charts the development of this coverage over time. The term sustainability is one of the most flexibly used words in the English language, interpreted and defined in many ways, and often used by interest groups to support their own points of view. Using the method, planning policy documents at the national, regional and local levels were evaluated, providing a snapshot of the sustainability content of English planning policy in early 2001. The most important body of government planning policy is found in planning policy guidance notes; while policy on sustainable development is set out in the national strategy “A Better Quality of Life”.
