Just what do we mean by the South West? I have my own ideas on this but others might have a different definition. The reason I am posing this question is because of the wording of a report in today's Western Morning News. It's all about the "draft South West Regional Spatial Strategy" by the National Housing Federation, the Chartered Institute of Housing and the South West RSL Planning Consortium apparently. I don't know anything about the remit of these three organisations either.
We are told that they are calling for the planned number of homes in the South West to be upped from 7,500 to 10,000 a year. But exactly how far does the "South West" extend? We are not told and we seldom are in other reports. It would be nice to have it spelt out as to what our region consists of; perhaps different organisations have their own definitions. Whatever I find this sloppy journalism quite tedious because if the geographical context is open to doubt then quoting figures is meaningless.
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From what I know of journalism, I'd say they would think of the South West starting roughly at the edge of the M25. It's a very convenient definition, because you can use the same framework for defining all those other mysterious regions that don't have tube lines. Basically just take the London A to Z and whatever falls off the top is the North, whatever falls off the left is the South West. Unfortunately when it comes to Wales or Scotland you have to reach for a world atlas... although it's usually easier just to leave them out.
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