Regional strategy making and the new structures and processes for regionalgovernance

After a period of neglect, regional planning is returning to the political agenda of central government in the UK. The current approach to regional pl anning in England has, ho,vel er; been called governing without government and depends on co-operative action between key institutions and consultatio n with other stakeholders. A study of practices in two English regions (Yor kshire and the Humber and the East Midlands) reveals the emergence of new a nd potentially more open institutional forms and practices, and a greater c ommitment to spatial planning for regional development. This research sugge sts, however that there are tensions between the agents, institutions and s tated objectives of regional planning,which are likely, to hinder the achie vement of the government's stated goals for the development and planning of the English regions.