The Readiness Guide and Toolkit has been prepared to help emerging Strategic Planning Authorities (SPAs) progress early work on their SDS by putting in some of the foundational building blocks ahead of new provisions in the Planning and Infrastructure Act (to be slotted into the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004) coming into force and the final version of the NPPF and national guidance being published. It is designed to support all SPAs but acknowledges that there will be differences in where SPAs are in preparing for the new powers in terms of resources and governance arrangements etc. The Guide and Toolkit should be read in full initially given the inter-relationships between each of the themes and stepping-stones to delivery. This will ensure an overall understanding of how these fit together and what is likely to be needed in terms of skills and resources, as well as any sequencing of activities. The Guide will be kept under review to reflect new legislation, policy and guidance.
Strategic Planning Authorities (SPAs) across England will have responsibility for preparing Spatial Development Strategies (SDS). SDS will form part of the statutory Development Plan alongside Local, Supplementary and Neighbourhood Plans. They will cover sub-regional areas (defined by government) and are expected to provide a vision-led, long-term spatial framework for investment, development and growth.
The Government has set out a clear ambition for universal coverage of SDS by the end of 2029 which means work on preparing these new frameworks should start as soon as possible. However, this is a new part of the planning system and requires new governance arrangements to be put in place, alongside new resources (except for London where there is already a strategic plan in place).
The Toolkit follows on from the publication of an interim stage ‘Top Tips’ guide. It has been prepared on behalf of PAS by a small team who have significant strategic planning experience and are working directly with some of the emerging SPAs. This has been supplemented with information provided through several PAS events, some ‘deep dive’ workshops covering strategic planning skills and with infrastructure stakeholders, and ongoing liaison with MHCLG and key government agencies, including Homes England and the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA). See also the PAS SDS Good Practice Tips for effective working between Strategic and Local Planning Authorities | Local Government Association.
The Readiness Guide Themes
This Readiness Guide includes some headline actionable tips for getting started. These are intended to support the early work needed before further information is provided by government to take forward more detailed work to support development of the SDS. The key themes covered in the Readiness Guide are:
For almost all areas in England, the preparation of a SDS is a new challenge, reflecting the absence of a mandatory strategic level of planning for the past fifteen years. Considering the role and scope of an SDS is an important and essential first step which will frame the work on the other readiness themes. Exploring how the SDS will, in your area, bridge national and local planning policy and work with Local Plans, as part of the development plan, needs thinking and working through. The role and purpose of the SDS shapes the scope and content of the SDS ensuring evidence and policies are focused on key spatial issues of strategic importance to the area. This assessment will also help to establish and explain the benefits and value of the SDS. Key tools and tasks for completing the Role Assessment include:
1. Map out the strategic planning ecosystem – analysing and demonstrating how the SDS will relate to other national, regional, sub-regional and local plans, strategies and investment programmes.
2. Identify key (internal and external) stakeholders – especially infrastructure providers, national agencies, developers and local planning authorities. Initiate early engagement to explore strategic issues and also working arrangements, which may relate to all or certain aspects of the SDS from evidence to delivery. (Use the SDS Initiation Pack and stakeholder mapping templates, infrastructure provider protocol).
3. Take account of nationally prescribed content – reflect the fixed and discretionary legislative requirements, the National Planning Policy Framework (particularly the plan making policies) and national planning practice guidance.
4. Track emerging national guidance and regulations – ensure emerging requirements are understood and addressed (use legislation tracker tool)
5. Explore the SDS/Local Plan Relationship - discuss how this critical interdependency as two parts of the Development Plan could work, explore what cross boundary matters could genuinely be best addressed at the strategic/sub regional level, audit Local Plan timelines and consider critical dependencies and coordination for phasing and transitional arrangements.
6. Establish the added value of the SDS – draw on the strategic planning ecosystem map to work through and consider how the SDS relates and adds value to other plans, strategies and programmes (such as the Local Growth Plan, Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Local Transport/Infrastructure Plans in all plans/approaches). This will help inform narrative for early engagement with stakeholders (internal and external) and the communications plan.
7. Identify cross SDS boundary issues – initiate discussions with neighbouring Strategic Planning Authorities on issues and functional relationships to help scope the SDS - and as a starting point for further collaboration on potential joint evidence generation/alignment and shared policy approaches.
8. Examine what a vision led and outcome focused SDS looks like - map out and review existing visions and other factors that are likely to influence a specific place based SDS vision (e.g. mayoral priorities, local plan visions & local growth plans), looking for alignment and divergence, and identifying key drivers for change. (This task could also be undertaken as a first step in starting work on the SDS preparation – see Theme B. Evidence and Data Audit).
9. Use networks to share and develop thinking – don’t operate in isolation, share and test thinking with others preparing SDSs, drawing on their experiences and insights.
10. Scope the content of the SDS – this could take the form of an Initial Proposition as a ‘starter for ten’ on SDS content and/or a provisional contents page to frame and test next steps, particularly for evidence and data audit. Keep the scope as tight as possible reflecting that the fundamental purpose of the SDS is to determine the broad location of development growth, identify infrastructure requirements and provide a long-term spatial investment framework for the area.
Suggested toolkit components
The evidence base developed to support the SDS should be proportionate to a strategic framework and driven by the Role Assessment (see Theme A) which should reflect the Planning and Infrastructure Act and the NPPF. The Government are considering what guidance on this may be needed to support this objective e.g. nationally devised templates to support standardisation. In the meantime, there are a number of things that can be done to ensure readiness in relation to the technical evidence base (see Part A) and Data (see Part B).
Part A – Evidence Base Audit
1. Undertake an early audit of existing and emerging technical evidence. Following the scoping exercise (undertaken under Theme A. Role Assessment) identify what evidence is available (and up to date) or currently being prepared that could be used or adapted to support the SDS. This should include evidence being prepared and/or published by others, including at a national/sub-national and local level. Identify the evidence gaps against the SDS initial scoping. Where evidence is currently being commissioned or is at an early stage, consider where the project brief could be adapted to support the SDS and deliver consistencies and efficiencies for all involved.
2. Determine early priorities for evidence. Establish the early priorities for evidence focusing on what is needed to inform fundamental strategic choices about growth distribution and infrastructure investment (cross reference to evidence audit to see what new evidence is needed). At this stage, consider carefully the need to commission further work until it is clear what the Government’s expectations are for strategic evidence and whether any further guidance or templates will be provided through the Planning Practice Guidance.
3. Initiate work on developing a Place Vision (a positive vision for future growth and change). An early priority will be developing the outcome focused ‘place’ vision for the SDS, with clarity around what success looks like – what outcomes the SDS is expected to achieve over the long term, both qualitative and quantitative. This will be vital for exploring spatial scenarios later on in the process. There needs to be a ‘one vision’ approach which captures existing visions (especially those in local plans) and integrates the priorities set out in other plans and strategies, including the Local Growth Plan and Mayoral Vision, where relevant.
4. Identify the potential for joint evidence across neighbouring SDS areas. Early evidence scoping should include an assessment of any potential cross-boundary issues and an agreement with neighbouring Strategic Planning Authorities around the scope, procurement and project management arrangements (see also C. Governance and Working Arrangements and D. Engagement Strategy). This should include early discussions with national agencies where national infrastructure is impacting on more than one SDS area. The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) and the National Energy System Operator (NESO) are likely to be key organisations for early engagement in your SDS evidence audit (see 5 below).
5. Prepare an early assessment of the existing strategic infrastructure pipeline. The SDS will have to be supported by a robust evidence base on strategic infrastructure requirements and a clear delivery pipeline. An early assessment of local, strategic and national infrastructure planned within or impacting on the SDS area (i.e. within neighbouring SDS areas) should therefore be undertaken as early as possible, including early engagement with responsible bodies and organisations (see 4 above).
6. Consider what evidence will be needed to address health factors. Having regard to improving health and addressing health inequalities through the SDS is a requirement of the Planning and Infrastructure Act. Addressing and evidencing how the SDS will improve health outcomes will therefore be a part of the SDS strategy and policies. Early consideration of the evidence base to support this will be important, including engagement with the relevant health organisations.
7. Consider how Strategic Environmental Assessment and sustainability will be managed. The SEA process will have to underpin the SDS from the start as the vision and spatial scenarios are developed, therefore some early consideration should be given to how this will be managed, especially whether in-house or externally procured. Although there is no express requirement to do a Sustainability Appraisal in the legislation, SPAs must have regard to the achievement of sustainable development.
8. Ensure that management of the evidence base is included in the Project Delivery Plan (see Theme G. Project Delivery Plan). Once the evidence base has been scoped and a timeline for its commissioning and preparation has been prepared, it should be integrated into the Project Delivery Plan, with clarity around any joint commissions and how these will be managed and funded.
Part B – Data Audit
Building a comprehensive SDS evidence base means integrating datasets from a range of public bodies and utilities with different data standards, licenses, refresh cycles, and data maturity. Government is improving discovery and standards (e.g., the Planning Data Platform), but blockers persist: fragmented sources, non‑uniform spatial schemas in local plan documents, OS/PSGA licensing constraints, privacy/compliance for personal data, and skills gaps in data analysis and digital. In addition, secondary legislation and further detail on SDS evidence expectations from the government will inform the data required for a comprehensive and insight led approach.
1. Begin by taking a no regrets (low risk) approach to the data foundations work you are planning; start with the data sets you will need to have in place anyway. This will be the data that forms existing land-use evidence for the sub region (i.e. from local plans, LNRS, LGPs and other existing sources). These will form the foundations of the evidence base and enable a clear gap analysis of what else is needed once secondary guidance is published.
2. View data science as a discipline within itself rather than a requirement of the evidence base. Data will need to underpin all the decision making in the organisation; much more widely than just land-use and the SDS. Strong data foundations will be the primary way in which accurate delivery, monitoring and iteration can be embedded in the Strategic Authority. Appendix A provides a more detailed overview of the approach to data and digital for SDS design, production and delivery.
3. Begin by building a data catalogue in machine readable format (Excel/Google Sheets) that can then be digitised and automated: disciplined, standardised and compliant data catalogue will not only cut litigation risk and speed up decisions and delivery, it will also improve the geospatial mapping that will need to be the foundations of delivering against priorities.
4. Develop capability and capacity in good data management and stewardship. To be ready for SDS preparation, begin to build a small, multidisciplinary embedded core team and invest in skills. This should focus initially around building the understanding and interplay between evidence base work and its constituent data foundations both for SDS preparation but most importantly delivery and monitoring. This will help turn disparate evidence into interoperable, license‑clean, provenance‑rich(detailed, documented and verifiable) datasets that are owned by the council and can be reused, creating a single source of information for growth and investment cases, business planning, demographic modelling, and forming long term foundations for evidence base updates and other strategic activity including delivery of local growth plans, devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR).
5. Develop strong data foundations for scenario testing - across transport, the economy, and the environment to support more accurate and reliable scenarios, and most importantly allow you to build automated models that can connect with a wider range of digital tools and platforms reducing long term workload, accuracy and reducing risk of challenge. It informs a wider range of decision making related to other strategies and lets teams generate clean, layered maps and reuse the same data for growth and investment cases, business planning, demographic models, the SDS, and devolution/LGR, speeding decisions, cutting risk, and future‑proofing the evidence.
6. Start by closing skills and capacity gaps before buying new technology. Much of what you need (certainly in the early stages of SDS preparation) likely already exists in your organisation’s tools (e.g., GIS and the Microsoft 365 suite). Identify where skills, data, and integrations limit the use of current tools; this will enable you to focus your requirements and prevent costly, low‑value purchases or new licensing lock. Regardless of future digital tooling, successful SDS delivery will depend on building data science, analytics, and data stewardship capabilities within the core SDS team.
Suggested toolkit components
Strong governance and delivery arrangements are essential for SDS success, especially given the challenging issues that the SDS will have to tackle. This theme focuses on setting up the right structures, resourcing appropriately, and engaging beyond traditional planning stakeholders.
The governance requirements will depend on whether the SDS is being prepared through devolved arrangements (i.e. by a Mayoral or non Mayoral Strategic Authority), by a single upper tier authority (i.e. county council) or through a new Strategic Planning Board (SPB) where authorities have been grouped together to prepare an SDS jointly. Key governance provisions, including voting arrangements, will be set out through the regulations establishing each board.
1. Set Up SDS Governance and working arrangements as part of the early preparation. Clear governance arrangements will prevent delays and ensure that all stakeholders are clear about their roles and responsibilities from the start, including resource requirements. These should be underpinned by Terms of References with decision gateways agreed, tied to evidence sign-offs as well as plan preparation stages. Where the SPA has not yet been established (ie. you are waiting for the establishment of a Strategic Planning Board or a new strategic authority), these should be drafted on an interim basis and used to manage these early arrangements but with an understanding that they will have to be reviewed as the board or combined authority is formally established.
2. Make sure all partners are aware of their role and responsibilities. All strategic partners (whether part of the decision-making i.e. local authority partners, or not e.g. development corporations, district councils and national park authorities) should be fully aware of their respective roles and responsibilities, especially what powers sit with the Strategic Planning Authority itself and what role the partners within it should play. Awareness of the Terms of Reference should therefore be properly communicated, including whether these are likely to evolve as the new SPA is formally established (see D. Engagement Strategy).
3. Build a clear SDS narrative for Strategic Planning Authority members and partners. There should be a clear narrative setting out what the role of the SDS is and why it is beneficial for partners and stakeholders, especially in relation to its role as a ‘spatial framework for growth and investment’ and in terms of the relationship with local plans. This should be easily digestible to those that are unfamiliar with planning. This will help ensure that the SDS is prioritised by senior managers and councillors, especially at the early stage of preparation when the SPA may not yet have a fully established strategic planning resource and there could therefore be more reliance on constituent members to support the early technical work. (see also D. Engagement Strategy).
4. Highlight any potential changes to governance as the SDS is prepared. Be clear where there are likely to be any changes to the governance arrangements during the preparation process, for example, as a result of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) or transfer of SPA powers through Devolution (see also risk management in Theme G. Project Delivery Plan). This should also take into account any implications for resources, especially where there is a different employer as a result of the structural changes. Assurances of employment for the strategic planning team will be essential to maintain momentum and deliver the SDS to the timetable agreed with the Government.
5. Maximise the potential of collaborative working. It is important that there is a robust process for engaging with key stakeholders from the start of the preparation process. Early thinking around how this should be managed from both a member and officer perspective will be essential, with clear ‘rules of engagement’ set out in the SPA’s governance structure and Terms of Reference. Key groups that should be embedded into the governance arrangements should include local planning authorities (especially where they are not part of the formal decision-making structure), neighbouring Strategic Planning Authorities and key stakeholders such as developers and infrastructure/utility providers.
6. Underpin the working arrangements with appropriate formal mechanisms. Where appropriate, use formal tools (such as protocols, MOUs, Statements of Common Ground) to underpin working arrangements and manage expectations for all involved. This will be particularly important where there are shared procurement processes involved (e.g. shared evidence or data). See also Theme C. Engagement Strategy.
7. Engage Beyond Planners (see also Theme F. Skills and Resources). The SDS will have a vital role in setting out a long term spatial framework for growth and investment and will have to provide a spatial interpretation of a range of different plans and strategies. Strategic planning therefore requires multidisciplinary input from a range of experts to succeed. These should include those within the wider Strategic Planning Authority organisation that have responsibility for economic strategy, regeneration, transport, climate change and health (especially when part of a Strategic Authority governance structure). Raising awareness around the SDS and how it will impact on others within the organisation is important at the start of the preparation process to ensure they understand how to input into the work and to ensure all strategic plans and strategies are aligned. Digital, data and analytics will be crucial as well as developing internal skills on product and user research.
Suggested toolkit components
The preparation of an SDS presents an opportunity to bring together a range of digital, visualisation and mapping tools and techniques and use different media platforms to build an innovative engagement strategy. Facilitating and encouraging positive and diverse engagement in the planning system is a challenge – effective SDS engagement can more widely help to influence and change public perceptions of the planning system. The SDS preparation process needs to both embed meaningful engagement with the public and stakeholders and be undertaken at pace. Ultimately engagement should drive a better SDS end-product, more informed and responsive to the priorities, aspirations and a range of perspectives of communities and stakeholders. Use the Evidence Commissioning Toolkit to assist. Key tools and tasks for developing a SDS engagement strategy include:
1. Undertake early stakeholder engagement - use the Role Assessment stage as an early engagement/socialising process with key internal and external partners to build understanding about the purpose of strategic planning and benefits of the SDS and managing expectations about what the SDS can and cannot do.
2. Involve the right stakeholders from the start – recognise that different stakeholders may contribute at different stages of the SDS process and consider both evidence and delivery aspects in identifying and engaging with relevant stakeholders.
3. Avoid confusion and duplication - assess recent/current/pending relevant engagement exercises and activity on other related plans and strategies, make use of and/or respect existing engagement activity, thinking carefully about timings and links to reduce the risk of consultation fatigue and utilise existing sector forums and partnerships.
4. Address the relationship between the SDS and local plans in your area – alongside the role assessment, ensure local authorities (members and officers) understand this and what their role will be in developing the SDS – strong foundations of trust and collaboration will be essential throughout the whole process from plan making to delivery.
5. Explore innovative practice and different arrangements - consider how digital tools and data can help make an SDS more accessible and how to generate more widespread involvement – this could include more formal arrangements (e.g. Infrastructure Sounding/Advisory Board, Citizens Panel, Young People’s Assembly, focus groups) and surveys and polls.
6. Reflect the role of the SDS as a marketing and investment tool – consider the SDS investment audience (private and public sector) and its role in boosting investor confidence and levering in and attracting investment to the area.
7. Develop a clear SDS narrative – succinctly outlining the benefits of the SDS and positive planning for the area, use clear and compelling communications and storytelling to drive internal alignment and external buy-in. This will need to also recognise the challenging issues that the SDS will be addressing, such as overall housing growth targets and distribution to local planning authorities.
8. Develop a Member engagement programme – ensure senior politicians/councillors are engaged in strategic planning.
9. Place an emphasis on early visioning work – as an early opportunity and focus for initial engagement to build legitimacy, understanding and interest - de-risking the single statutory consultation stage on the draft SDS.
10. Prepare a communications plan - for both internal and external use (including local councillors) with clear rules around use of plain English language, tone and audience nuance (including a glossary of key terms and phrases). Working with communication colleagues/specialists include early requirements for community and stakeholder engagement, capture how digital tools and data can help, identify key messages and audiences and the media/social media approach.
Suggested toolkit components
Digital and data will be the foundations of a credible and interoperable SDS fit for delivering a 21st century approach to strategic planning. Digital tools cut effort, speed up drafting, improve participation, and make delivery more predictable. Used well, automation, predictive analytics, AI assistants, digital twins, and collaborative platforms shrink plan‑making timelines, spotlight risks earlier, and give leaders real‑time visibility of housing and infrastructure progress. They will be the foundation for running advanced growth scenario modelling and building single source evidence-bases, implementation roadmaps, as well as crucial in allowing the integrated modeling of large land use data sets including complex and often misaligned sequencing of energy, housing, infrastructure and environmental delivery.
To realise these benefits, early preparation SDSs will need to be grounded in a web‑first evidence hub and simple geospatial observatory as a single source of consistent information, and light governance so datasets can be reused across plan‑making, option testing and delivery monitoring. This keeps evidence transparent and repeatable, aligns with national tools (Planning Data Platform, DfT Connectivity Tool, NISTA Align), and meets modern accessibility and assurance expectations, reducing challenge risk and speeding decisions.
1. Start by closing skills and capacity gaps (align with data skills and capacity outlined in 2b Part B) Identify skills within your team and in the wider organisation that can be used to begin with and undertake an audit of existing capability. Build a digital skills roadmap which includes upskilling, recruitment and blending different commissioning approaches to embed knowledge transfer and build organisational memory.
2. Use national Digital and Data Maturity Models (or the cross‑government Data Maturity framework) to see where you need help in data stewardship, GIS/data engineering, licensing/privacy, accessibility/content, delivery. Use this to plan training, commission bespoke support (coaching, advisory or mentoring) or plan resourcing/transformation ambitions, not to trigger big procurements with limited capability building or knowledge transfer.
3. Always take a web‑first lens and start with SDS Evidence Hub (MVP).
Build the foundations in a spreadsheet SharePoint the underpinning content and signposting for a web page that lists every dataset. Give each one a short “card” showing: who owns it, where it came from, the licence, when it was last updated, and any warnings or caveats. Add a short plain‑English summary next to each map/PDF. Make the page accessible to everyone (meet the WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standard – see Glossary).
4. Design the architecture and roadmap - the development of a simple geospatial observatory as the single source of consistent information.
Consider straightforward interactive online mapping where all official data layers live. Use standard formats so districts, utilities and consultants can plug the maps straight into their tools. Include national “screening” layers like flood risk and nature priorities, and label them clearly as strategic (not for site‑level decisions).
5. Design for easy reuse and assurance from day one.
Follow government tech rules: use open standards, design “API‑first”, keep things accessible and secure. Stick to common data shapes used by national planning tools so sharing is simple and audits are straightforward. This also helps avoid supplier lock‑in.
6. Use national tools don’t rebuild them.
Develop understanding of existing and emerging national tools and data you can ‘plug in’. DfT Connectivity Tool, Planning Data Hub and NISTA Align are examples of these and owned by government but there will be emerging innovation and it will be important not to reinvent the wheel locally where there are robust models which will begin to form the national standards.
7. Put lightweight rules in place for sharing and licensing.
Agree a short Memorandum of Understanding and a simple Data Sharing Agreement with districts and utilities. Keep a one‑line licensing register showing which layers are open and which sit under OS/PSGA terms (see glossary App 3, plus any contractor conditions). This speeds publication and partner access and stands up to scrutiny.
8. Adopt safe, useful AI helpers, not decision‑makers.
Treat AI as an assistant. Keep a human in charge (in the loop), do a quick privacy check (DPIA) when you’re processing sensitive material, and publish a short transparency note if any algorithm helps to prioritise or screen. Aim AI at time‑savers: summarising long reports, drafting FAQs, and producing plain‑English web copy. See Tool 3.7 which provides guidance on safe and effective AI use.
9. Name a small team and set a clear update rhythm.
Assign an Evidence Product Lead, a GIS/Data Engineer, and Dataset Stewards (plus a part‑time licensing lead). Publish a short update note every quarter so partners and the public know what changed and when.
Suggested toolkit components
New resources are needed for SDS preparation at a time of when there is a strategic planning skills and experience deficit and an overall need to rebuild the culture, capability and capacity of strategic planning in England. The following steps and tasks will help to guide and inform SDS resourcing models and approaches, helping to ensure that core and wider skill set requirements are addressed.
1. Assess existing Strategic Planning Authority capacity – undertake a skills audit and assessment of current SPA resources, skills and expertise relevant to SDS production (taking account of the other SDS readiness themes and further tasks set out below). Develop a capacity roadmap with a focus on sequencing where budgets and resources are stretched and/or to plan resourcing/transformation ambitions, not to trigger big procurements with limited capability building or knowledge transfer
2. Consider wider capabilities – using dependency mapping, consider if existing capacity can be supplemented by wider resources and skills both within the SPA (e.g. within the local growth team), from local authority partners and/or from stakeholder or other secondments.
3. Explore the scope for shared place-based and/or pooling resource models – consider if/how skills and resources can best be used to deliver both the SDS and Local Plans in the area, exploring any opportunities for dynamic and flexible, cross boundary and inter-authority staffing models. Wider pooling of scarce specialists can also be considered via a shared hub model with SLAs (ecology, conservation, design, viability, climate/flood). Time‑boxed work orders (see Glossary) and shared QA can be used to increase resilience and reduce recruitment risk.
4. Set up or strengthen a core dedicated strategic planning team to lead SDS production – with a strong grasp of planning policy, an ability to handle complex evidence bases and evolving national requirements, and the ability and experience to translate political priorities into statutory policy frameworks. Seek to include data/analytical/GIS/geo-spatial and programme management skills and resources within the core team.
5. Embed relationship management skills in the core and wider team – balancing technical work with partnership based collaborative working (for SDS preparation and delivery), stakeholder and community communications and political working.
6. Incorporate or provide ‘matrix style’ access to diverse multidisciplinary skills - consider both the many SDS policy overlaps (e.g. LGP, LNRS, climate change, transport/infrastructure) and the skills and perspectives needed to deliver integrated policy approaches - and the broader engagement, partnership working, communications, graphic design/visual, legal, investment, commissioning and programme/project management skill sets required.
7. Look ahead: consider the more immediate requirements for SDS preparation and also the medium/longer term requirements for SDS implementation and delivery – the powers set out in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, such as strategic development management functions and for delivery (such as the Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy).
8. Provide Strategic planning training and development - support new SDS postholders and decision makers and use the skills audit (see 1 above) to plan training, commission bespoke support (e.g. coaching, advisory or mentoring).
9. Consider key infrastructure skill requirements – develop integrated working practices with infrastructure planning teams and/or nominate a utilities/energy liaison in the SDS core team to synchronise SDS evidence timelines (e.g. with Regional Energy Strategic Planning (RESP) cycles and pre‑planning capacity checks for power/water). This keeps network constraints visible in options and delivery and can be applied to other key areas of priority infrastructure (Green/Digital/Carbon Offset).
10. Build investment and commercial capability in‑house - integrate with inward investment teams and look to embed these capabilities within the SDS core team - starting lean (an Investment & Partnerships lead, commercial/procurement and modelling support) and progressively upskilling planners in Green Book appraisal, subsidy control, and route‑to‑market design as well as investment criteria for institutional and private finance and blended capital stack development for infrastructure and place based investing.
11. Draw up a resourcing plan – bring together all the above, focus on building capacity where skills gaps are most acute, including budgets and posts, and keep under review as a S/M/L term plan, particularly given forthcoming devolution powers (see G. Project Delivery Plan).
Suggested toolkit components
Effective project delivery for the Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) requires careful planning across several key areas. Proactive planning ensures a robust, adaptable, and outcome-focused approach. The project delivery plan (PDP) should capture and summarise elements of all other Themes set out in the Readiness Guide.
1. Implement a robust project management process from the start. The SDS will be prepared in a complex multi-plan environment and, in many areas, during a period of significant structural change as a result of local government reorganisation. A robust project management process underpinning the SDS preparation (with the right skills to support it – see Theme F. Skills and Resources) will therefore be vital. This will be particularly important when managing the sequencing of local plans and the SDS where timetables are unlikely to be aligned. This should include a Programme Initiation Document to ensure organisational buy-in and clear accountability (see Tool 3.2 Project Initiation Pack).
2. Set out the initial core project requirements. The PDP should include a provisional timetable, with key decision-making timelines and expected budget projection for the full plan preparation process. Where the SPA includes a Strategic Authority, set out how this will be aligned with devolved funding and powers to support delivery, helping to build investor confidence in the strategy from the start.
3. Ensure working arrangements are aligned and integrated. Establish robust arrangements across local, sub-regional, regional, and national levels with clear guidance within the PDP around timescales, with any peaks in activity identified. These should take into account any Terms of Reference prepared under Theme C Governance and Working Arrangements, as well as any statutory requirements set out in the Planning and Infrastructure Act and Regulations.
4. Implement inter-agency agreements and shared platforms. Ensure effective coordination through joint working groups at all spatial levels - locally with local plans, sub regionally with local growth plans, regionally with cross SDS boundary working and nationally, especially with government agencies e.g. NESO, NISTA, Homes England, Natural England, Environment Agency, National Highways.
5. Include a communications plan. The PDP should include links to the (fully costed) Engagement Strategy developed under Theme D and include a clear, compelling narrative to drive internal alignment and external buy-in, especially as new mayoral or political leadership arrives (see Theme C Governance and Working Arrangements). The use of language will be important especially when engaging with those outside the core team – avoid technical jargon and acronyms in any formal material, including committee reports.
6. Include initial thinking around the SDS Delivery Framework. The PDP should provide a high level framework for investment funding and delivery which can then be developed into part of the SDS Delivery Framework, providing confidence in the overall strategy. This will form an important part of your technical evidence base (see Theme B. Evidence and Data Audit). Early stage engagement on the SDS provides a good opportunity to think about potential investment pipelines and blended funding models (public, private, local, regional, national). As a long term spatial framework for growth which brings with it more stable conditions for investment, the SDS could open up your area to new forms of investors so all options should be explored at this point.
7. Include an Evidence Strategy. Following the evidence audit (see Theme B. Evidence and Data Audit) identify the opportunities for collaborative SDS/local plan evidence work and those that are stand-alone and sequence the evidence preparation. Commission only evidence and data that answers strategic questions and supports the key themes (as agreed through Theme A: Role Assessment), avoiding duplication with more detailed evidence prepared through the local plans. Formulate a strategic evidence commissioning approach but do not commission new evidence until you understand your data needs and you have more clarity around the role of nationally prescribed evidence and templates. Maintain an evidence audit trail from the start which can be presented at the Examination.
8. Prepare a Risk Assessment Strategy. SDS is a new model of strategic planning and there remains some outstanding details on both process and content. Key risks to consider include:
a) The impact of Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution, especially where the designated Strategic Planning Authority changes as a result.
b) Legislative uncertainty, which will require proactively planning for potential legislative changes (for example, in relation to future secondary legislation and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill).
c) Alignment of local plan timetables and SDS preparation which will have to be carefully managed, especially in relation to agreeing the scale and distribution of growth across the area.
d) Timing of local and mayoral elections and the impact on any decision-making set out in the project plan/timetable.
The Risk Assessment should identify any potential pinch points or risks to the agreed SDS timetable, with constant and consistent feedback, highlighting any potential tensions and changes This will require leadership skills within the team to balance technical excellence with relationship, partnership, and political skills (see Theme F. Skills and Resources).
Suggested toolkit components