ABSTRACT
Since 2000, a new tier of governance has emerged in the UK with Active Partnerships (formerly County Sport Partnerships) being held up as a ‘sub-regional’ government examples of sport development strategic agencies. Typically, they are not delivery focused but strategic. For this reason, this chapter look specifically at the tension between England that does have such agencies and the other three home nations that have yet to evolve such a further tier of decision making. The chapter examines the Active Partnership in the context of the UK as it is a useful differential feature between nations and, also one where countries such as Wales have more recently debated the possible use and presence of regional sport agencies and even the reorganisation of the 22 local authorities.
