The new National Scheme of Delegation for planning decisions, which becomes mandatory from31 October 2026. There are no transitional arrangements, so this is a hard deadline. For B&NES. This means less planning applications that residents care about being able to be determined by councillors in committee reducing democratic accountability.
The key changes are:
- Schedule 1 applications must be determined by officers and cannot be called to Planning Committee. These include, broadly, householder applications, residential developments of up to nine dwellings on sites below 0.5 hectares, most reserved matters applications, minor commercial developments and a range of technical applications such as discharge of conditions, non-material amendments and lawful development certificates.
- Schedule 2 applications are also presumed to be delegated, but may go to Committee where the national gateway test is satisfied.
- For a Schedule 2 application to reach Committee, the nominated officer and nominated member must agree that Committee consideration is justified and the application must raise either a significant planning matter, having regard to the development plan and other material considerations, or an economic, social or environmental issue of significance to the local area.
- The national scheme therefore removes the existing ability to seek Committee consideration for Schedule 1 applications. Ward councillors can still request Committee consideration for Schedule 2 applications, but must identify the significant matters relied upon under the gateway test.
- The changes concern who determines an application, not how its planning merits are assessed: planning policies, material considerations and residents’ ability to make representations remain relevant to the determination process.
- This is an important change because it reduces the range of applications over which local councillors and communities can seek public committee scrutiny. Our own scheme and constitutional arrangements must comply with the national requirements from 31 October.The change has been mandated by the Labour government who seem hell bent on pushing through reforms to the planning system although Your Local Lib Dem councillors remain opposed to these changes but have no choice but to work within the new scheme.It’s important to remember that residents and councillors will have less say in important decisions that affect our communities.
