National Scheme of Delegation: A New Era for Planning Decision-Making

Why are planning committees being reformed?

Planning committees play a vital role in maintaining local democratic oversight of development proposals. However, the Government has identified significant variation across local planning authorities in how decisions are made, which can lead to inconsistency, delay and uncertainty.

In response, the reforms seek to:

Improve speed and efficiency of decision-making;
Provide greater clarity on which applications go to committee;
Ensure committees focus on the most significant proposals; and
Introduce more consistency across England.

A new national approach to delegation

At the heart of the reforms is a two-tier national scheme of delegation, which will standardise how applications are determined.

Tier A – Officer decision-making (mandatory)

Applications in this category must be determined by planning officers and cannot be referred to committee.

These are generally smaller or technical applications, such as:

Householder development;
Minor residential schemes (e.g. small-scale housing);
Minor commercial proposals;
Non-material amendments and certificates of lawfulness; and
Certain reserved matters applications.

Tier B – Officer-led by default, with limited committee referral

These applications will normally be determined by officers, but can be referred to committee in defined circumstances.

Referral will only occur where:

The proposal raises significant economic, social or environmental issues; or
There are material planning considerations of particular importance.

Importantly, the guidance emphasises that committee involvement should be the exception rather than the rule.

A shift towards ‘delegation by default’

A key theme of the reforms is that officer determination becomes the default position, with planning committees focusing on strategic or contentious applications.

This reflects the Government’s intention that:

Routine or policy-compliant schemes are dealt with more efficiently; and
Committees concentrate on proposals with a lasting local impact.

Changes to how applications reach committee

Under the proposed system:

Applications will no longer automatically go to committee based on local call-in procedures or objection thresholds;
Instead, a ‘gateway test’ will determine whether referral is appropriate; and
A Chief Planning Officer and a nominated member will jointly decide whether a case should be considered by committee.

This represents a significant change in how democratic oversight is exercised at a local level.

Other proposed reforms

Alongside the new delegation framework, the reforms also introduce:

Powers to set limits on the size of planning committees; and
Mandatory training requirements for planning committee members.

These measures are intended to improve consistency, capability and decision-making quality across authorities.

What does this mean in practice?

If implemented, the reforms are likely to:

Increase the proportion of applications determined under delegated powers;
Reduce the number of applications considered at planning committee;
Provide greater certainty for applicants and developers; and
Potentially speed up decision times.

However, concerns have been raised by some stakeholders regarding:

The potential impact on local democratic input; and
Reduced flexibility for local authorities in managing their own committees.

Next steps

The Government consulted on the draft regulations and guidance between March and April 2026, with final guidance now published to support implementation.

Local planning authorities will be required to have regard to this guidance when updating their delegation arrangements.

How can DHA Planning help?

These reforms represent a significant evolution in how planning decisions will be made in England.

At DHA Planning, we are closely monitoring changes to the planning system and can advise clients on:

How proposals are likely to be determined under the new framework;
The likelihood of committee consideration; and
Strategies to support efficient and successful decision-making.

Laura Jackson