From Pressure to Prosperity: How Councils Can Harness Growth for Good

Across England, parish and town councils are stepping up to shape the future of their communities. But, with development pressures rising and government policy even more focused on growth, town and parish councils need sharper tools to respond confidently and effectively. One such emerging tool is the Settlement Spatial Plan – a new product designed to give local councils a practical, credible, and community-backed framework for shaping development. 

What is a Settlement Spatial Plan?

A Settlement Spatial Plan provides a clear, locally-focussed blueprint for how a town or village could grow and change to inform decisions on:

• The best locations for new housing and employment

• Infrastructure needs (roads, schools, health facilities, etc.)

• Protecting important built and natural features

• Making new development sustainable, inclusive and place-sensitive

A Settlement Spatial Plan can be used to shape discussions with developers, guide responses to planning applications, feed into emerging Local Plans, or be a first step towards undertaking a new or reviewed Neighbourhood Plan or Development Order. 

How have Settlement Spatial Plans been used in practice?

Buckingham’s recent experience using this tool offers a compelling case study in why a Settlement Spatial Plan is an essential investment for councils. The town was facing, and continues to face, numerous speculative development proposals. It adopted a growth-scenario approach in thinking about the town’s future to ensure a richer understanding of when and where step changes in supporting infrastructure need to be planned for as an integral issue, not an afterthought. Three plausible, logical and distinct growth scenarios for the town – grow west, south or both – were tested through community and stakeholder engagement and environmental assessments. 

First Analysis: Buckingham Settlement Spatial Plan

Key outcomes included:

• Realistic housing growth: The town recognised that a brownfield strategy alone would not meet future needs. Proactive planning helped identify the most beneficial growth locations accepting that there will always be trade-offs.

• Stronger infrastructure planning: Clear spatial growth scenarios allowed early conversations about new schools, transport improvements and healthcare provision.

• Community buy-in: By consulting the community early on different spatial options and infrastructure forming part of that discussion, the trade-offs the community were willing to make became clearer and provided the Town Council with a mandate to inform future engagements on the growth of the town.

• Strategic Influence: The evidence gathered as part of the Plan will allow the community to make meaningful contributions to the emerging Buckinghamshire Local Plan. 

The town continues to face reactive, piecemeal development which risks losing control over its character and future prosperity. The Town Council therefore decided, with a supportive Local Planning Authority, to pursue a review to its Neighbourhood Plan, alongside commenting on speculative planning applications coming in thick and fast. The reviewed Neighbourhood Plan is currently at examination and does therefore not yet carry full weight in decision-making, which became relevant in a recent appeal. Integrating your Settlement Spatial Plan with live evidence and neighbourhood or local plan-making sooner rather than later, considerably benefits councils looking for weighted influence in planning decisions.

Buckingham’s experience shows that town and parish councils which plan smart, early, and together will be the ones who thrive through change. A Settlement Spatial Plan empowers town and parish councils to lead with vision, ensuring growth enhances – not undermines – the place we love. If your council wants to stay ahead of the curve and build a better future, now is the time to act. 

How can Councils harness new development and growth for local good?

A Settlement Spatial Plan enables town and parish councils to:

• Frame discussions with developers

• Strengthen responses to planning applications

• Influence emerging local plans

• Create a foundation for a new or reviewed neighbourhood plan

• Secure better outcomes for infrastructure and services

It is a powerful tool for town and parish councils looking to protect what makes their places special, while planning positively for growth. If your council wants to prepare for the future, contact us to discuss how a Settlement Spatial Plan can help in your area.