| AdminHistory | The Planning Department was responsible for strategic planning, including the production of a Structure Plan, which involved such activities as social and population forecasting, policies regarding urban land use, agriculture, minerals and transportation and studies regarding industry, employment, population and the use of resources within the county. It was also involved, together with the District Council Planning Departments, with development control and the preparation of local plans.
South Yorkshire County Council presented their Policy Statement in 1973 which laid out four key areas:
1. Industrial development - the Council pressed for publicly-owned labour-intensive growth industries, direct involvement (where necessary) in manufacturing industry, the bringing of land into public ownership for industrial development to benefit communities and improvement of the South Yorkshire Navigation to improve trade with other areas of Britain and Europe.
2. Traffic and transportation planning - underpinning this was the principle that public transport should be regarded both as a social service and an instrument of planning policy. The provision of free public transport for all was the end goal. The need for reduced traffic congestion and a better integrated rail and bus network was highlighted to improve the environment.
3. Pollution and dereliction - this included measures to reduce air pollution from industrial sources, the extension of smoke control orders across South Yorkshire (recognising the importance of the mining industry and the rate at which solid smokeless fuel could be provided), the tackling of water pollution - especially the River Rother and the River Don, disposal of industrial waste, dereliction, land reclamation and the removal of environmental blights.
4. Planning strategy - this covered the development of country parks, the planning of residential areas and the need for meaningful participation by local communities in the formulation of plans.
In 1974, as part of the South Yorkshire Structure Plan of the environment, conservation and land use, South Yorkshire County Council commissioned a public attitudes survey. The Structure Planning exercise was one of the biggest surveys ever carried out by a local authority - 1,700 households were asked about their priorities for the County. They were asked about ten topics: the local environment, housing, employment, education, recreation, local shopping, central shopping, health, public and private transport which helped form the priorities for the Structure Plan. |