ABSTRACT
A good deal of political and social logic is considered in a plan-led system which cascades policy from central government downwards to local communities in meeting the important, emotive and never-ending challenge of balancing the perceived good of development to a local community against the wider good of others. It is important as a lesson in how badly things can go in the planning world even for a small project, and as a start-point in the University's re-assessment of how to conduct local relationships for capital development. During the period until 2011, the plan-led system was based on a linear succession of policies, starting with national guidance at government level on what is required for the national building stock, and what are the acceptable limits on how that may be achieved. Then there is regional guidance on environmental issues and the outline allocations of land for such purposes as housing, employment, public sector social and physical infrastructure.
