ARCHIVE: Strategy for developing an area - Masterplanning

A 'masterplan' is a long-term, coordinated strategy for the development of an area.

A successful masterplan should be:

  • visionary – it should raise aspirations and provide a vehicle for consensus building and implementation
  • deliverable – taking into account likely implementation and delivery routes
  • fully integrated into land use planning system, while allowing new uses and market opportunities to exploit the development potential of a site
  • flexible – providing the base for negotiation and dispute resolution
  • the result of a participatory process, providing all the stakeholders with the means of expressing their needs and priorities
  • equally applicable to rethinking the role, function and form of existing neighbourhoods as to creating new neighbourhoods.

Urban Taskforce, Towards an Urban Renaissance, ODPM, 1999

Following a recommendation from the Matthew Taylor review (‘Living Working Countryside’) a £1m Rural Masterplanning fund has been jointly provided by Defra and CLG. This will provide expert assistance and training on design, and help councils work closely with local communities to develop masterplans, identifying best practice that will provide a model for rural authorities across the country.

Councils who provided the best proposals for rural towns and villages will be given specialist advice to develop masterplans for new neighbourhoods of high quality housing that will include green spaces, commercial and business premises, shops and services.

See the

Page last modified: 23 March 2010
Page published: 23 March 2010