Challenges and opportunities in reforming the planning system for England: a rapid review of literature and lessons for the future of planning for health

This open access article in the Journal of Health Equity reports on the process and results of a rapid literature review of reports related to planning reform in England between 2010 and 2024.

It aims to help advance systems understanding of healthy planning and opportunities for improving future local policy and practice in relation to:

• uncertainty in planning reform
• clarity in national policy
• complexity in plan-making and local plans
• delays in decision-making
• politics in planning
• reduced resourcing in local government
• need for capability and skills