Determinants of the decentralisation of spatial and territorial planning power for lower-tier authorities in England and Taiwan

One of the key planning trends in recent decades has been the movement towards the decentralisation of power, and the democratisation of the decision-making process. Throughout the world, there has been a tendency for spatial and territorial planning power to devolve towards lower-tier authorities (such as parishes, town councils and community groups) and this trend has been observed both in England and Taiwan. However, there remains some uncertainty about identifying the determinants regarding how these lower-tier authorities use decentralised powers. In England, some researchers have suggested economic and political factors as being among the most influential. Although there is evidence of increased involvement of lower-tier authorities in spatial decision-making in Taiwan, there has been little discussion of the implications of this for power change in the territorial planning process. One of the main aims of the current research is to provide an overview of the determinants of how lower-tier authorities use decentralised powers to make spatial and territorial (S&T) plans. The research uses mainly qualitative research methods to undertake eight in-depth case studies of local communities - four in England and four in Taiwan. In the case studies in England, the research finds that social deprivation may encourage local communities to become involved in creating a Neighbourhood Plan (NP), as local residents are motivated to improve their living environment, but this may not necessarily lead to planning implementation. In Taiwan, however, although deprived communities face a complex range of socioeconomic challenges, there is little evidence that this has motivated lower-tier authorities or community groups to play an active role in the local planning process. The impact of the government-led local planning system remains the key determinant in the S&T planning process. While the England government's move towards decentralising planning power has created some beneficial conditions for lower-tier involvement in the planning process, these benefits have not been replicated in Taiwan, where - by contrast - current approaches have limited impact to stimulate community to playing an active role in S&T planning at community level. The current research confirms the importance of government legislation as a platform for empowering lower-tier authorities, as evidenced by the case studies in England. The study also argues that the decentralised planning power is most strongly affected by, in England, lower-tier authorities' planning governance and, in Taiwan, by the particular circumstances facing local residents in some areas. In both cases, the fundamental determinant is strongly linked with the legal planning framework. The research recommends regular training support for local communities in the S&T planning process in both England and Taiwan. Specifically for England, the paper develops an assessment framework for examining lower-tier planning governance, while for Taiwan, the paper recommends strengthening lower-tier authorities' inputs in undertaking S&T planning at local level.