ABSTRACT
This chapter examines planning for sustainable development in policy and practice in the UK. The first part considers the policy, legislative and fiscal context, arguing that the National Planning Policy Frameworks in the UK nations do not provide a clear framework for the delivery of sustainable development; that Neighbourhood Planning in England can be challenging for the delivery of sustainable development in practice; and that austerity measures have hindered the ability of local planning to deliver sustainable development. The second section illustrates some of these claims in the case of North West Bicester, the first eco-town in England. Conclusions reflect on planning for sustainable development in the context of emerging institutional innovation in an austerity climate at the local level, and the challenges posed by community-led planning.
