The Government’s proposed National Scheme of Delegation represents one of the most significant changes to local planning governance in decades. Presented as a means of accelerating development and improving consistency, the reforms will substantially increase the number of planning applications determined by planning officers rather than elected councillors.The proposals have attracted criticism from local government representatives, including Councillor Marilyn Ashton (photo), Chairman of Harrow Council’s Planning Committee, who describes the measures as “completely undemocratic”.
“The new scheme of delegation the Government intends to impose on Local Planning Authorities is completely undemocratic and will deprive our citizens of being able to make representations to their local Councillors such that the application in question will be determined with full accountability and with the transparency that Planning Committees provide,” she said.
The Government argues that planning committees should focus on strategically significant developments, leaving routine and technical applications to professionally qualified officers. Greater consistency, faster decision-making, and improved housing delivery are cited as key objectives.
However, critics question whether reducing the role of elected members is the right solution. Councillor Ashton argues that delays in development are more often linked to wider economic factors than to the planning process itself.
“The Government is wrong to blame the Planning process for the lack of development when the truth is that it is the economy, new building regulations, and the exceedingly high cost of materials, that are hampering the building out of approved planning permissions,” she said.
Under the proposed arrangements, only a narrower range of applications will routinely come before Planning Committees. Councillor Ashton has highlighted concerns that developments of considerable local importance could be removed from public debate and determined through delegated powers.
“Under this new mandatory scheme of delegation applications of 10 units and above only will be determined by the Committee and only if the Committee Chairman has the agreement of the Chief Planning Officer to call-in the proposal,” she noted.
At the heart of the debate lies a wider constitutional question. Planning decisions are not simply technical assessments; they often involve balancing local concerns, environmental impacts, community interests, and broader policy objectives. While planning officers provide essential professional expertise, elected councillors provide democratic accountability and public scrutiny.
The issue is therefore not whether officers are qualified to make planning decisions, but whether a nationally imposed delegation regime risks weakening local democratic oversight. Planning committees offer a transparent forum where decisions can be debated publicly and decision-makers held accountable by residents.
Whether the reforms deliver the Government’s objectives remains to be seen. What is clear is that they mark a significant shift in the balance between professional administration and local democratic decision-making. As Councillor Ashton concludes, “Let’s hope that the Government sees sense and abandons these measures.”
Harrow Monitoring Group 