The forces shaping local planning policy on high voltage electricity installations

Local planning authorities in England and Wales are turning increasingly to development plan policy as a means of expressing their concerns about the planning implications of high voltage electricity installations. This body of policy provides a well-defined focus for the study of local environmental policy making. This article presents an analysis of policy formation that gives attention to external forces and local conditions, and the ways in which these impinge on policy makers preparing development plans. Local policy activity is found to be connected closely to heightened sensitization to high voltage installations in areas that are being attributed greater environmental worth. Broader questions are also raised about the changing nature of the relationship between planning authorities and privatized utilities.