Government Offices work with regional partners to develop, implement and monitor 'Regional Spatial Strategies' (RSS), which set out the Government's planning and transport policy for each region for a 15 to 20 year period. The strategies provide frameworks for determining planning applications, as well as for preparing both Local Development Documents and Local Transport plans.

Planning Policy Statement 11 "Regional Spatial Strategies" provides more information about RSS and how it is be prepared.

Government Office for Yorkshire and The Humber (GOYH) has an important role to play in regional planning.

The Current Regional Spatial Strategy for Yorkshire and The Humber

The current RSS was published by GOYH in December 2004, based upon the Selective Review of Regional Planning Guidnace (2001) For a copy of this document please see the Government Office for Yorkshire and Humber website.

The Draft Revised RSS - "The Yorkshire and Humber Plan"

The Yorkshire and Humber Assembly, who are the statutory Regional Planning Body, are responsible for monitoring RSS and keeping regional planning matters under review.

YHA prepared a draft revision to RSS during 2004 and 2005 and published it for consultation in January 2006. This documents have under gone an Examination in Public to test the draft RSS (September and October 2006), which was carried out by an in independent panel appointed by the Secretary of State. The panel then made recommendations to the Secretary of State about how the draft ought to be changed. These recommendations, along with all of the representations about the draft, were considered and published in a document called "Proposed Changes". This document then went out for another period of consultation, which finished on the 21st December 2007. Responses to the consultation will be considered and revised RSS published by Government Office for Yorkshire and Humber on behalf of the Secretary of State.

It is anticipated that the new RSS will be published in March 2008.

For more information on the Draft revised RSS please go to the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly website.

View York's Local Development Framework