What it covers

Influence what the strategy covers
The regional planning body has some choice about what to include in its strategy. It is worth letting it know from the outset what you think should be included.

Decide what is special about your region or sub-region.

For instance it might be

• Wildlife
• Landscape
• Cultural heritage

Urge the regional planning body through your regional assembly, to include proposals that deal with the issues you care about, but it is important to remember that regional spatial strategies are just that, policies which have to be regionally, rather than locally, important and not just mimic national policies.

Any influence will be more successfully exerted if you think about why your concerns are of regional importance and how to express that importance.

Try to get good policies from elsewhere adopted
Other regions may have good policies on issues you are interested in. Have a look at their draft or approved strategies and encourage your region to adopt similar policies and to follow best practice.

If you can't find any good policies from elsewhere, suggest some wording and encourage your region to "lead the way".

Don't forget about sub-regions
The regional planning body can decide whether to plan something just for part of the region or a sub-region. If you think that a policy is needed for a particular sub-region, put your proposals to the regional planning board and also to the local authorities in the area it would cover.