Each region of England has regional planning guidance, prepared jointly by the regional planning body and the relevant government office. In the south-west, the appropriate bodies are South-West Regional Assembly and the Government Office for the South-West. Swindon Borough Council and the other unitary authorities, and county and district councils in the south west are members of the Regional Assembly.

The main purpose of regional planning guidance is to provide a regional framework for the preparation of local authority development plans.  It sets out a broad development framework for the region over a twenty-year period.  It identifies the scale and distribution, by county, of new housing; and it sets policies for the environment, transport, infrastructure, economic development, agriculture, minerals, and waste treatment and disposal. The RPG provides guidance for the Northern Sub-Region and Swindon as a principal urban area. It also informs other spatial strategies, such as transport and the economy, through the South-West Regional Development Agency.

The Regional Planning Guidance for the South-West 2016 (RPG10) was published in September 2001.

Contact

South West Regional Assembly
Dennett House
Middle Street
Taunton
TA1 1SH

Tel: 01823 27010
E-mail: sue.watts@southwest-ra.gov.uk

Useful Links

Government Office for the South West (GOSW): www.gosw.gov.uk

South West Regional Assembly: www.southwest-ra.gov.uk

South West Regional Development Agency: www.southwestrda.org.uk