Regional sustainable development frameworks: Tools for sustainability planning in the English regions

Abstract

Regional Sustainable Development Frameworks (RSDFs) have been prepared in each of the 8 English regions as a means of progressing sustainable development at the regional level. Promoted by central government, which has emphasised the overarching role of the Frameworks as a key reference for all regional plans, strategies and policies, their preparation and use in practice has offered scope for innovation and variety which are revealing of the relationships and tensions between various interests at the regional level. This paper assesses the effectiveness of the Frameworks, focusing in particular on their use in practice in appraising the sustainability of other regional plans and strategies, and their role in resolving conflicts. The paper also examines their role in integrating a consistent understanding of sustainable development, and reflects on the implications for different meanings of sustainability. It draws on work commissioned by the English Regions Network from CAG Consultants and Oxford Brookes University. A central aim of the research project was to evaluate how effective RSDFs have been in providing a direction and a vision for regional activity to progress sustainable development.