National planning - Transport Policy and Planning in Great Britain - page 288

fields of transport and development planning. The Mayor directly funds investment
programmes, including the transport programmes of the London Boroughs. As a result
the local transport and development planning undertaken by the London Borough
Councils, although broadly similar to that undertaken by unitary councils elsewhere,
operates within a tighter policy remit (as set by the Mayor).
In the shire counties of England local transport plans (LTPs) are prepared by county
councils and local development frameworks by district councils. Elsewhere (outside
London) both types of local plan are prepared by unitary councils. (In the case of the
metropolitan areas LTPs are prepared jointly with the Passenger Transport Authority
for the conurbation concerned.) However these local plans do not 'nest' neatly
(geographically speaking) within the sub-regions defined in the regional strategies. This
is because they are prepared for the whole of the administrative area of each authority
whereas the sub-regional strategies are prepared for areas defined on a functional basis.
As far as transport is concerned an improvement on this arrangement may come about
in future as a consequence of the Government's proposals for 'Integrated Transport
Areas' within the current Local Transport Bill (23.7).