Definition of Town and country planning in the united kingdom

See Development control in the United Kingdom for an explanation of how planning control is exercised in the UK.

Town and Country Planning is the land use planning system by which the British government seeks to maintain a balance between economic development and environmental quality in the United Kingdom. The essential framework for the system was set in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947, with a critical addition in 1955 of green belts, which were introduced via a Government Circular.