ABSTRACT
This and the subsequent chapter discuss the two principal components of the formal system of town and country planning: the framework of plans (or policy instruments) and the development control process (or system of development regulation). In discussing the framework of plans, we are mostly concerned with the form and scope of policy instruments and the procedures by which they are created rather than their policy content, which is explained in later chapters (though these topics are not unrelated). The framework of plans is established by a huge library of statutes, rules, regulations, directions, policy statements, circulars, guidance and other official documents. However, it is important to appreciate at the outset that the formal system is one thing; the way in which matters work in practice may be very different. The informal planning system operates within the formal structure. It may continue with little modification even when major legislative changes are made; alternatively, there
may be significant changes in practice within a stable formal system. Political forces, professional attitudes and management styles will all affect the ways in which the system operates in practice.
