Proposed changes to planning committees could undermine local democratic decision-making, the LGA has warned.
Responding to a consultation from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the LGA said that some elements of the draft regulations risk limiting councils’ ability to reflect local circumstances.
It cautioned against a nationally standardised scheme of delegation, arguing that excessive centralisation could weaken accountability to local communities.
The LGA also opposes proposals to impose a maximum size for planning committees, stating that effectiveness is not determined by numbers, and that strict caps could affect political and geographical representation, particularly in larger unitary authorities.
It also called for greater flexibility to allow planning applications with significant local impact to be referred to committees, even where they fall below national thresholds.
In addition, concerns were raised about the proposed ‘gateway test’, with the LGA warning that defaulting decisions to officers where agreement cannot be reached risks bypassing democratic oversight.
Cllr Carl Cashman, Vice-Chair of the LGA’s Inclusive Growth Committee, said: “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.
“Councils need to be able to make arrangements that suit their needs… These decisions are best when done at the local level. For these changes to improve the planning system… local government’s views must be central.”
- See also ‘Reforming the planning system’ and ‘Keeping it local’.