Making modern England work needs tricky decisions to be made. Some of these are planning decisions – ensuring enough housing, employment space, schools, health and community facilities happen where they are needed.
Decisions need to be made at the right level – airports, railways and primary roads are national decisions; ensuring needed development respects the character of villages should be decided locally. District councils are the planning authorities for their areas.
But businesses and markets don’t stop at administrative boundaries and people’s shopping, education and leisure travel are not contained by council boundaries. Nor do historic administrative boundaries always reflect the real influence and draw of towns and cities. Many people live and work in different local authority areas.
