The United Kingdom is a unitary state with three devolved governments in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, respectively. At the local level, 389 local authorities with varying status and powers exist. Among them are 27 county councils, which exist in parts of England and are strictly speaking an intermediate level of government because they operate above other local authorities, except where they are unitary authorities. The UK government is responsible for allocating funds to local authorities and for preparing the National Planning Policy Framework in England. It can also facilitate important infrastructure projects through specific legislation or by placing them under direct ministerial control. The Welsh and Scottish governments have been granted far reaching powers regarding land-use policies. They enact national spatial planning frameworks that structure the planning system in their territories. The Scottish government also prepares a Scottish Land Use Strategy, the only such document in the United Kingdom. Furthermore, both governments decide about appeals against local planning decisions and have the power to fast track infrastructure project in their territories.