Government delays planning committee reforms and promises review within two years

However, the government is introducing a national scheme, which means only “significant” planning applications will be decided by a committee. Under the changes, the maximum number of members on a planning committee will be limited to 13.

The changes are part of efforts to speed up housebuilding amid the government’s ambitious commitment to overseeing the building of 1.5 million new homes this parliament.

However, the Local Government Association (LGA), which voiced its concerns about the plans during the consultation, said it was still concerned. 

“While we broadly support the government’s intention to streamline and speed up the planning system, we are concerned these proposals risk eroding the core democratic mandate of planning committees and stop councils from responding properly to local circumstances,” said Carl Cashman, vice chair of the LGA’s inclusive growth committee. 

“Councils need to be able to make arrangements that suit their needs – from deciding the size of planning committees, to when a development needs to be called in, to avoiding bottlenecks. These decisions are best when done at the local level.”

He added: “We urge government to address our concerns and work closely with councils to achieve the best outcomes.”

MHCLG acknowledged the criticism in its response today: “Individuals expressed strong opposition to the principle of having a national scheme of delegation at all, largely on the grounds of perceived loss of local democratic oversight.”

The consultation received a total of 611 responses.

The new regulations also include a requirement for the housing secretary to publish a review of the changes by 31 October 2028.

“This will provide an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of the national scheme of delegation and propose any improvements to the regulations,” MHCLG said. 

MHCLG added that specific provision has not been made for Section 106 agreements in the regulations.

“This is because, most of the time, appropriate Section 106 planning obligations will be considered as part of the application process. In other cases, they can be entered into unilaterally by the landowner so there is no real ‘function’ for the local planning authority,” the guidance said. 

The draft regulations will be scrutinised by parliament, but MHCLG said the intention is that the final regulations will be made in July and come into force on 31 October.

The changes are part of the wider Planning and Infrastructure Act, which received royal assent late last year.