ABSTRACT
In England the paradigm for restructuring the defence estate is based on the comprehensive 1998 Strategic Defence Review', which postulates a focus of military activities on fewer, larger sites so called Core Sites'. Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) often had an indirect role in regenerating brownfield sites by means of supporting major projects and infrastructure provision in the past. Regional development agencies were set to be of growing importance in the conversion process as they were to replace regional planning bodies and take the lead in developing and reviewing the Regional Strategy jointly with local authority leaders' boards. In spite of the improved communication and organisational structures of the Ministry of Defence which makes clear reference to the spatial planning system and sets out clear lines of communication it is still difficult to synchronise conversion and statutory planning processes.
