ABSTRACT
The emphasis of this book is to document and explore the changing nature of planning policy within the British planning system. Many of the preceding chapters emphasize the rapidity with which the framework that guides the formulation of policy has changed. But, a much more fundamental change is taking place that will have a direct bearing on planning policy-the very “institutional framework” through which planning policy is both formulated and implemented is being radically changed through a process of the review of local government. It can be argued that the proposals for the reorganization of local government are more radical than recent changes in the planning policy framework itself, as defined by central government legislation, policy statements and guidance. The relationship between the “institutional framework” and the “policy framework” is an intimate and interdependent one. Both impose constraints upon and open up possibilities for one other. This chapter is therefore central to all of the other issues addressed in the book, as it considers changes in the planning system “hardware”, on which the effectiveness of all “software” depends. Because of the fact that the implications of reorganizing local government extend to each and every aspect of local planning policy, no single study could hope to address all of the relevant issues. Consequently, we focus on those issues that we consider most relevant to both the formulation and implementation of policy at the local level. It is inevitable that certain issues will be omitted, but such is the nature of the topic.
