This consultation follows other recent announcements on planning reform, including Housing Minister Angela Rayner’s commitment to overhaul the planning system to boost housing delivery. Propertymark continues to press for reforms that increase housing supply while protecting local decision-making and professional standards.
Leaning on planning officers
Three models that have been outlined for a set of consistent national rules to govern which planning applications are decided by local planning committees and which are delegated to officers.
- Option 1: Applications that comply with the Local Plan must be delegated to officers.
- Option 2: All applications are delegated unless they deviate from the Local Plan and are recommended for approval, or they are submitted by the authority itself or its members/officers.
- Option 3: All applications are delegated except for a predetermined list of types that must go to the committee.
All the proposals rely on planning officers making more decisions; however, Propertymark does not have confidence that there is enough capacity in Local Authority teams for this to happen. A national survey found that 91% of planning departments face recruitment challenges, and 72% struggle to retain staff. Without investment in recruitment and upskilling, this could overload an already stretched workforce.
Checking against compliance with Local Plans would also be premature, as many authorities still do not have an up-to-date plan in place.
Delegation schemes should be decided locally
As a general principle, delegating by default risks overlooking evolving local priorities and context-specific issues. Local councillors are often best placed to understand community needs, especially in sensitive developments.
Rather than a national scheme, Propertymark recommends that every local authority should be required to create and publish its own, clear delegation criteria. This would balance transparency for developers with flexibility for councils to manage their workload and local priorities effectively.
Targeted committees for strategic development
Under the proposals, Local authorities would be required to establish smaller, dedicated planning committees focused solely on strategic developments such as major housing projects, Area Action Plans, or urban extensions. These committees would operate alongside existing ones and handle complex, large-scale developments.
We welcome the idea of smaller, dedicated teams which could allow councillors to build expertise and better oversee complex, long-term projects. However, Councils must make sure that committee size and membership reflect local needs and political balance.
Mandatory training for committee members
The UK Government suggests that all planning committee members should undertake certified training before being allowed to vote on applications. This aims to ensure consistent and informed decision-making across all local authorities.
We fully support this proposal; given the complexity of planning policy, trained and knowledgeable decision-makers are essential. We urge Ministers to go further and introduce a code of conduct to ensure high standards and objectivity are maintained.
Next steps
We will keep members updated as this policy develops. If you have views or case studies related to planning committee processes or delegation in your area, please contact the Policy and Campaigns team.
