Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
(National Spatial Planning Report) at national level sets out the main principles and
guidelines for national spatial planning policy for the medium and long term.
Notas
are strategic planning documents with key diagrams which have been prepared
since 1960. They are meant to synthesise spatially relevant policies into one overall
scheme to express national aspirations. All political statements in the
Nota
are
described as
Planologische Kernbeslissing (PKB)
(key planning decisions).
The current National Spatial Strategy for the Netherlands, the
Nota Ruimte
(VROM, 2004), lays down national spatial policy (
PKB
) until 2020. This new
spatial planning policy document is based on the
Vijfde Nota Ruimtelijke Ordening
(VROM, 2002) (which had never been adopted due to changes in government),
but overall the emphasis within the document has changed in comparison with pre-
vious
Notas
, not least from a 'spatial planning' to a 'spatial development' focus. The
Nota Ruimte
continues the approach promoted in the
Vijfde Nota
of conceptualis-
ing the space of the Netherlands as consisting of three 'layers' (or strata), i.e. first,
the surface or ground layer (formed by water, soil and the life forms in those envi-
ronments). The second layer is formed by networks, i.e. all forms of visible and
invisible infrastructure such as railways, roads, waterways and ICT. The third layer
is the occupation layer, formed by the spatial patterns as a result of human use (cf.
VROM, 2004). One of the arguments for this approach is that national borders can
be transcended by thinking in terms of layers.
The twelve Dutch provinces (see Figure 4.1) are not legally required to prepare
a
Streekplan
, though there is an expectation at national level for such an instrument
to be in place. In preparing
Streekplannen
, provinces are not subject to any form of
national government control. However, the national government has reserve powers
(which are hardly ever used) to ensure that in cases of conflict national concerns
prevail.
Streekplannen
are administratively (though not legally) binding on municipali-
ties and other public sector agencies and outline the future development for the
whole or parts of the province. The
Streekplan
should give a vision of the future
spatial development of the territory. It contains a policy map (usually to a scale of
1:50,000 or 1:100,000) as well as an explanatory text which contains the results of
the analysis and policy statements.
Streekplannen
are the basis for approval of lower-
tier plans (
goedkeuring bestemmingsplannen
). Only exceptionally can a
bestem-
mingsplan
(binding local land use plan) which contradicts the essential decisions in a
Streekplan
be approved by the Provincial Executive.
The responsibilities of municipalities are characterised by autonomy of action
within their own areas, but this is only loosely defined in the constitution. In taking
any initiative, their actions are subject to supervision - municipal plan proposals
and budgets need the approval of provinces. However, provinces do not command
the municipalities on what they should do; the relationship is more one of checking
and negative control - a 'blocking power' (Hupe, 1990). Two kinds of plan are pre-
