ABSTRACT
This Chapter discusses the issues of governance and institutional capacity as they apply to the planning system in the UK. It draws on research carried out in the South West region of England and the Bristol area in particular. The chapter outlines some of the main challenges facing planning, especially those which revolve around the issue of planning for growth in the most economically dynamic parts of the country. It also discusses a number of operational features of planning that seem to characterise current practice. These issues are of significance because they tend to undermine the development of strategic responses to the kinds of challenges faced in regions with high growth pressures. The issues include: selective restraint, between areas and development sectors; fragmented institutions and inappropriate local government boundaries; short-termism/opportunism; and limited powers and resources to intervene positively in the development process. Inappropriate geographical boundaries of administrative jurisdictions have also tended to militate against strategic sub-regional planning.
