Strategic Planning

We don’t know the details about SDSs yet. But what do we know?

• There will be a duty placed on strategic authorities (combined authorities etc) to prepare a SDS for their area.
• The government will have the ability to establish ‘strategic planning boards’ for governance of SDSs for groupings of county and unitary authorities.
• An SDS can be agreed by majority vote, Mayors will have the casting vote. 
• It is intended for SDSs to be concise, with a clear focus on strategic matters.
• Their primary purpose is to guide sustainable growth and address key cross-boundary spatial issues - including setting and distributing housing need figures, enabling the delivery of strategic infrastructure, supporting economic growth across functional geographies, and improving climate resilience.
• SDSs will also be expected to help deliver Local Growth Plans and Local Nature Recovery Strategies, aligning strategic planning with strategic economic and environmental priorities.
• SDSs will not include site allocations on an Ordnance Survey base – they can however identify broad locations for growth/development. 

• SDS will need to be supported by evidence. They will be subject to consultation and examination. 

Planning and Infrastructure Act will be followed by detailed regulations and guidance in summer/autumn 2026.

English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is expected to be enacted in early 2026.

Spatial Development Strategies – the government want to see full coverage of SDSs by the end of this Parliament (2029).

The SDS Network, launched in July 2025, and currently has over 140 members. It’s targeted specifically at senior planners and managers the various strategic authorities including the upper tier councils (counties and unitaries) in areas with an undecided strategic geography. 

The SDS Network is a safe space for authorities working on SDSs to share issues, challenges and solutions along with bit of good practice, intel and networking. We will hold a monthly Drop-in to have talks, Q&As and panels on topical subjects.

If you’re in a current of future strategic authority and interested in joining, please complete this form (it should only take 5 minutes) and we’ll add you to the group.

We have prepared an SDS Readiness guide and toolkit which we hope will help you be ready to prepare your SDS – whatever the stage of strategic planning authority you’re working in. 

It includes matters ranging from role assessment, resourcing, project management, governance, digital and innovation and evidence base. We have worked with strategic authority peers in preparing it.

Strategic Planning – Meetings to bring strategic authorities together in person to share information, share experience and learning. We hold workshops and we hope, develop networks. 

How SDSs and Local Plans will interact – targeted at Local Planning Authorities and Strategic Authorities (in focused groups) - We have met a number of strategic and local planning authorities to discuss governance and SDS/Local Plan interaction. We have shared learning and good practice.