Government’s proposed planning reform not “wanted or needed” says council
Published Tuesday 12 August 2025
A council has slammed proposed changes to planning decision-making saying they will “weaken local democracy and faith in the planning process”.
Vale of White Horse District Council has strongly opposed plans to introduce a two-tier decision-making system in its response to the Government’s consultation on its proposals.
Under the move, some planning applications (Tier A) would automatically be determined by officers, removing the right for councillors to consider planning applications at the planning committee.
They would also remove the right of councillors to call in certain applications such as housing developments up to nine houses, to committee.
Councillors have called on ministers to urgently rethink the proposed automatic scheme of delegation as it would strip councillors of their democratic accountability.
Councillor Bethia Thomas, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “These proposed reforms are unnecessary and will not improve the decision-making process. Indeed, they will make the decision-making process less transparent and will undermine a vital principle of local democracy.
“I’d particularly like to express opposition to the removal of the right of councillors to call in an application to committee. It is a vital principle of democracy and transparency that applications can be called in by ward members in consultation with local stakeholders and with the agreement of elected members, the Chair/Vice-Chair of planning committees.”
The council highlighted how the “calling in” process does not cause undue work pressures, nor does it result in a high number of inappropriate items coming before the committee.
Chair of Planning, Cllr Max Thompson argued: “This proposal is at best a solution in search of a problem, and at worst a deliberate attempt to undermine democratic oversights and local faith in the planning process.
“Well over 95% of planning applications are already determined by planning officers without coming before planning committee. Each year Vale’s planning committee determine around the 30-40 most complex and contentious applications in an open forum that allows opponents and supporters, including Town and Parish Councillors, to be heard.
“If this scheme was in operation, around 3/4 of applications that committee have heard in recent years would not have come to us.”
Councillor Emily Smith, Cabinet Member for Planning Development, added: “Our council’s constitution includes the ability for elected members to refer applications to the planning committee, and this process helps build positive working relationships between planning officers and councillors, which results in better planning decisions for their communities.
“The Vale’s planning is clearly working well with significantly more homes being given planning permission than the new government targets require, so the proposal to reduce the input of local elected members seems like a needless and retrograde step.”
A motion expressing the council’s opposition was unanimously approved at the Vale’s full council meeting on July 16.
If the Government goes ahead with its two-tier decision-making proposals, the council is urging it ensures councillors and the chief planner maintain call-in powers for the most controversial applications and those borderline applications to ensure that all information available is fully considered in public.
