Local Government Minister Jim McMahon and Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook attended the LGA’s most recent Councillors Forum, taking questions from members on a range of issues.
These included local government reorganisation (LGR), devolution, planning, ensuring houses with planning permission are built, abuse of councillors and councillor standards, energy security, council finances and the Autumn Budget.
Mr McMahon acknowledged the disruption caused by the Government’s review of councils’ LGR plans but said this was almost complete, and that devolution should proceed regardless of the pace of LGR.
Mr Pennycook rejected concerns that new planning delegation rules are over-riding local democracy and run contrary to devolution, saying planning officers already deal with 96 per cent of all planning applications.
The Government is focused on meeting housing demand and he urged councils to ensure they have up-to-date local plans that meet assessed housing need in full.