ABSTRACT
This chapter assesses the impact the European Union has had so far on British national and regional planning policy guidance. It generally reviews how and to what extent the initiatives of the European Union have been transposed into the British land use planning system. The chapter examines whether this transposition has occurred differently in the three countries of England, Scotland and Wales. European Commission directives affecting the land use planning system need to be transposed into domestic legislation and policy guidance for implementation and action at the local level. The case study national and regional planning documents illustrate the policy-driven focus of the guidance for local planning authorities while highlighting those EC directives that impose statutory obligations. The six case study policy topics and the related documentation analysed were nature conservation, transport, coastal planning, planning and pollution control, business and industry, and regional planning guidance for the northern region.
