‘If independence goes, the planning system goes’: New Political Governance and the English Planning Inspectorate

Hickman, Hannah; Boddy, Martin

Abstract

Radical restructuring of 'arms-length' government bodies following the 2010 UK national election signalled a change in relations between government and the civil service. This was seen as a major shift in modes of governance from 'new public management' to a more politicised mode of 'new political governance'. This paper presents an analysis of the impacts of these shifts on the English Planning Inspectorate, an executive agency central to the land-use planning system. It identifies measures by ministers to increase control over the Inspectorate that represent a shift in governance culture and a shift in the planning system itself.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 24, 2019
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2020
• Deposit Date: Sep 25, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 26, 2019
• Journal: Town Planning Review
• Print ISSN: 0041-0020
• Electronic ISSN: 1478-341X
• Publisher: Liverpool University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 91
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 21-45
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3828/tpr.2020.2
• Keywords: Planning Reform, Governance, Arms-Length Bodies, Planning Inspectorate, Ministers
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/3257667