Planning Committee Reforms

Earlier this summer, DHA examined the Government's proposed reforms to planning committee decision-making and the introduction of a new National Scheme of Delegation. With implementation now only weeks away, applicants, developers and local planning authorities should be preparing for one of the most significant procedural changes to the planning system in recent years.

 

From 31 October 2026, the new National Scheme of Delegation will replace the individual delegation arrangements currently operated by local planning authorities across England. The aim is to create greater consistency in decision-making, allowing planning committees to focus on proposals that raise genuinely significant local issues, whilst increasing the number of applications determined by planning officers under delegated powers.

 

What Will Change?

Under the new arrangements, a wide range of applications will normally be determined by officers rather than planning committees.

 

These include:

 

• Householder applications;
• Minor commercial development;
• Residential schemes of up to nine dwellings on sites below 0.5 hectares;
• Reserved Matters applications;
• Applications to discharge planning conditions;
• Prior Approval applications;
• Certificates of Lawfulness; and
• Biodiversity Gain Plans.

 

For many applicants, this could lead to a more streamlined determination process, reducing delays associated with committee cycles and meeting timetables.

 

The New Gateway Test

One of the most significant aspects of the reforms is the introduction of a new gateway test that will determine whether larger or more complex applications are referred to committee.

 

To proceed to committee, an application must raise either:

 

• A significant planning matter; or
• An economic, social or environmental issue of significance to the local area.

 

Importantly, referral will require agreement from both the authority's nominated senior planning officer and nominated committee member, typically the Chief Planning Officer and Committee Chair. Where agreement cannot be reached, the application will remain delegated to officers.

 

The reforms also remove several traditional routes to committee. Ward councillors will no longer be able to call in applications simply because they believe they should be considered by members, while the receipt of a specified number of objections will no longer automatically result in committee consideration.

 

What Does This Mean for Applicants?

Commenting on the forthcoming changes, DHA Planning's Head of Gatwick Office, Jonathan Buckwell, said:

"The reforms should bring greater consistency and allow committees to focus on the applications with the most significant implications for their area. However, they may also fundamentally change how applicants approach political and community engagement.

 

Major development will not automatically go before members. Applicants will need to understand the likely route to determination from the outset, identify whether the gateway test could be met and engage early with officers, members and local communities.

 

Applicants may benefit from greater consistency and fewer delays associated with committee cycles. However, there remains an important judgement at the heart of the system: what constitutes an issue of 'significance' to the local area? Until a body of practice emerges, authorities may interpret that threshold differently."

 

Whilst the Government's objective is to secure faster, more consistent and policy-led decision-making, the practical application of the gateway test is likely to be closely watched. Until a body of decision-making practice develops, there may be differing interpretations of what constitutes a matter of local significance.

 

Preparing for the New Regime

With implementation now just one month away, applicants should not assume that significant development proposals will automatically be determined by planning committee.

 

Understanding the likely route to determination is becoming an increasingly important component of planning strategy. Early consideration should be given to whether an application could satisfy the gateway test and how engagement with officers, elected members and local communities is best targeted.

 

At DHA Planning, we are already helping clients navigate the forthcoming changes, considering the implications of the new delegation arrangements at the earliest stages of project planning and ensuring application strategies are aligned with the evolving decision-making framework.