Long Wittenham, Oxfordshire

Significant changes are coming to the planning process from the end of October, including a new standard national system that will see more applications determined by council officers.

Government reforms to planning committees are set to come into force from 31st October 2026, with big changes in the way the planning process works locally.

Key changes include:

• A mandatory national scheme of delegation.  Where previously, every local council created its own rules, the new system creates one standard rulebook for the whole country – with the aim of speeding up and streamlining the planning approval process.
• Most everyday planning applications will automatically be handed to professional planning officers to decide.  Only very large, complex, or highly controversial projects are allowed to be decided by a planning committee.
• A smaller project can only be pushed up to the committee if it passes a strict “gateway test” to demonstrate that the proposal has significant impacts affecting the wider community, and that request will need to be agreed by a nominated officer.
• Parish council and district councillor call-ins are not permissible under the new legislation.
• A cap on committee sizes at a maximum of 13 members and enforcement of strict planning training and certification requirements.

Read more: https://orlo.uk/PlanningChanges_J2XAc