ABSTRACT
The commitment to regional planning activities within the UK has, as pointed out elsewhere in this book, waxed and waned over time, with a mixture of political will, professional commitment, legislative backing and organisational structure, highlighting what has essentially been a frustrating story. The 1980s in particular was marked by a downgrading of government concern for strategic planning in the face of a commitment to market-led development and to project realisation; “the capacity of the strategic planning system seemed to be weaker than at any time since 1945, with the range of strategic issues to be confronted being greater than ever” (Breheny 1991: 235).
