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The article examines the changing character of the master plan in Great Britain. The author argues that the process of master planning has deeply embedded in the traditions and practice of town planning in the country for almost half a century. It has been said that the attitudes, approaches and relative influence of the professionals like planners and architects involved may have changed as well as the nature of the private-public sector relationship.

It is widely acknowledged that the poorest sections of society bear a disproportionate burden of poor environmental quality, including toxicity and pollution. The struggles to address environmental injustice instigated at grassroots level also place the burden of righting the injustice on those who often have the least resources in terms of time, money and access to decision makers. The unfolding story of BAN Waste's sophisticated challenge to the proposed building of a replacement incinerator in a working-class area of Newcastle demonstrates many of the issues and stages common to struggles for environmental justice. The struggle became proactive and built wider alliances and a broad coalition across the city for change. The eventual success in preventing the incinerator being built and in producing a superior waste strategy counters the popular belief that environmental concerns are predominantly those of the middle class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]