The Return of Strategic Planning

Strategic planning is back. What do we know? We know that Policy PM1 of the revised draft NPPF anticipates the move towards national coverage of Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs), as promised by the end of the parliamentary term, and clarifies their role, content, and relationship to other tiers of the development plan. SDSs are intended to be high-level documents focused on genuinely strategic, cross-boundary issues, leaving detailed policy to other plans. We know that the Planning & Infrastructure Act, the second SDS building block, gained Royal Assent in December 2025 and sets out the process by which authorities, be they mayoral authorities, combined authorities or combined county authorities, should prepare SDSs. We know that the third SDS building block, the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill (which has reached the committee stage in the House of Lords), will confirm the structures and mechanisms of governance. For much of the country, SDS geography is already settled. More than half of the population is led by mayors, and across at least seven of the major cities, the preparation of SDSs is already underway. For much of the rest of the country though, including areas simultaneously undergoing local government re-organisation, the new strategic geographies are still to be resolved. We also do not know, beyond a commitment for it be standardised, what evidence bases SDSs will be examined against and how, for example, they will be expected to align with Local Growth Plans. With all of that going on and given what we know and what we do not know, what have authorities been able to do whilst awaiting the consolidation of all three building blocks? Strategic planning is back, but what shape is it in right now? These are the themes of this conversation between old friends of the podcast Catriona Riddell and Mike Best, and new friends of the podcast Shaun Andrews, Graham Thomas and Louise Sloan. Recorded online back in October 2024, their conversation takes in SDS preparatory work, what the first SDSs might look like and their interface with local plans; infrastructure planning; capacity and skills within the planning profession; and and how SDS identify strategic site priorities. Some accompanying reading. Planning Positively for the Future – the report of the Strategic Planning Group Top Tips for SDS Readiness Some accompanying viewing. Exploring the new NPPF draft Curb Your Enthusiasm - Canvassing Some accompanying listening. The Wheel – Bill Callahan Any other business. If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review. If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug. If you are a new listener do please check out the back catalogue where you will find episodes on myriad planning topics, as well as the Hitting The High Notes and All Around the World series, and remember that by subscribing new episodes will magically appear in your phone as soon as Sam has published them. 50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are very welcome to get in touch with Sam via [email protected]. Sam is grateful to Richborough, Town Legal and Tyler Grange for supporting the podcast; to Vistry for sponsoring the 50 Shades mugs; and to Rachael Cooper at ViralTribe for recording and editing this episode. Sam is on Bluesky and Instagram. His blog contains a link to his newsletter.