The Local Government Association (LGA) has called on the Government to bring forward its review of new planning decision rules by a year, amid fears they could weaken local democracy.
The National Scheme of Delegation (NSD), which comes into force on 31 October, changes how planning decisions are divided between council officers and committees of elected councillors. Under the new rules, councillors will have less scope to ‘call in’ applications for committee scrutiny.
The LGA warns this risks eroding the democratic role of planning committees. It also argues that a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to reflect the diversity of local planning authorities, particularly those covering large geographic areas or communities where developments have a significant local impact.
Councils, the association says, should be free to decide the governance arrangements that suit their own areas.
The Government has pledged to review the change in 2028, but the LGA wants this brought forward to 2027 so any impact on local democracy can be assessed sooner.
‘Councillors are concerned this could negatively impact their democratic mandate and ensure their views about how their area is developed are taken into account,’ said Cllr Carl Cashman, chair of the LGA's Inclusive Growth Committee.
‘We support creating a more efficient and effective planning system, but we do not believe the Government’s plans address this.’
