The English Devolution White Paper set out the Government’s proposals to reshape England’s governance through mayoral devolution and streamlined council structures, all with the aim of contributing towards the delivery of 1.5 million new homes by 2029. Local Government Reorganisation (“LGR”) would see the replacement of the current two-tier system with simpler unitary councils, while Devolution would introduce decision-making at larger than local geographical areas by “Strategic Authorities”, either mayoral or unitary.
Under this radically altered new system the role of spatial planning and local plans is set to change drastically, so what does the development industry need to know as this new era approaches?
The context here is that the Government’s goal is to see full devolution across England by 2030, supported by LGR. Six frontrunner areas, including Norfolk & Suffolk and Greater Essex, are on the Devolution Priority Programme. These areas will elect Mayors for the first time in May 2026 and will bring a new spatial planning framework covering their areas – “Spatial Development Strategies” – into force by 2028. The rest of England is set to follow by 2030. Meanwhile, new unitary authorities that submitted proposals this year will go live in 2028, with the remaining areas following by 2030.
The legislative framework guiding devolution and LGR is laid out within two key Bills, both of which are passing through Parliament this year, and both of which are intended to work together. The Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill sets up the governance structures and powers, while the Planning and Infrastructure Bill provides the responsibilities.
With the basics covered, let’s delve into some of the key details.
The return of Strategic Planning
The proposals contained within the devolution programme will pack the biggest punch because growth will once again be planned for at a larger-than-local scale, something that hasn’t on the whole been seen across the country for 15 years. Strategic Authorities, of which Mayoral Strategic Authorities would have the most far reaching and flexible powers, would be required to develop “Spatial Development Strategies” (or “SDSs” for those who love acronyms), as a more effective mechanism for strategic planning across local authority boundaries. The concept of the SDS already exists in English planning and is defined in the NPPF as a “plan containing strategic policies prepared by a Mayor or a combined authority”. The London Plan is an SDS, for instance. But universal coverage of Strategic Authorities, commonly being formulated at a county-scale geography, will change the game.
Whilst not mandatory, SDSs would typically be expected to specify key infrastructure requirements, strategic locations for development and an indication of the scale of development required, and apportionment of housing need to appropriate locations (as informed by the Standard Method set out in national policy). It will be for the SDS to specify the period for which it would have effect. Groupings of Strategic Authorities would also be enabled to establish “Strategic Planning Boards”, where it would, for instance, be effective to work across boundaries.
Based on these parameters the Government would have us imagine something that resembles a Core Strategy (we dare not mention Regional Spatial Strategies, which were ultimately deemed too remote from communities); the key difference is that it would cover the wider geography of the Strategic Authority, not just the districts or boroughs as we have become accustomed to.
