B

Baroness Pinnock (LD)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 9 September 2025

Debate

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Contribution

My Lords, we on these Benches welcome spatial development strategies. Strategic authorities should be encouraged to produce them because they provide coherence over a wider area in terms of some of the big issues that planners have to tackle, such as transport development across an area that is wider than a council area. That is to be encouraged. One of the challenges that we have heard about is the devolution Bill; that will make it difficult for potential strategic authorities as they will have much to do, whenever these decisions are made, in getting organised to create a spatial development strategy. Another is the expertise to do this. It is not any old planner who can undertake strategic planning; it requires special expertise to create a coherent and effective spatial development strategy. It would be good to hear from the Minister how these challenges will be met.

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