Planning rule changes are not the answer to the housing crisis — but we have no choice but to implement them

Wokingham Borough Lib Dems have confirmed they will vote to implement nationally required constitutional changes stripping councillors of the power to refer planning applications to committee — but say they do not agree with the change, and that restricting the power of elected Councillors and Planning Committees is the wrong way to get the country building.

At Full Council on 17 September, members will be asked to update the Council's Constitution so it complies with new national planning regulations coming into force on 31 October. Under the government's National Scheme of Delegation, smaller applications — including householder extensions and minor residential schemes of up to nine dwellings on sites under 0.5 hectares — must be delegated to officers and cannot be referred to committee. This is also the case for “reserved matters” applications of up to 500 dwellings metres where the principle of development has already been established.

Larger applications, of 10 or more dwellings, will only reach committee where two conditions are met: i) the application raises a significant economic, social or environmental issue, or a significant planning matter under the Local Plan, and, ii) the Head of Development Management and the Chair of Planning Committee agree it should be referred to committee. If they disagree, the Head of Development Management determines the case.

Crucially, the current system allowing a Ward Councillor to "list" an application for committee within 21 days is being scrapped entirely. Councillors can still raise concerns or support directly with Planning Officers, but this will no longer guarantee a hearing before elected members.

Wokingham must comply or risk its planning decisions being challenged and quashed through judicial review, since the change is being imposed nationally, not chosen locally.

Lib Dem Council Leader and Executive Member for Housing, Partnerships and the Local Plan, Stephen Conway, said:

"We don't believe tinkering with planning committees is addressing the real cause of the housing shortage in this country. There are hundreds of homes across our borough, and over a million across the country, which already have planning permission but are not being built by developers.

"Wokingham must comply with this national legislation, but we will keep pressing the case that the real barriers to housebuilding lie with developers sitting on land, not with local democratic scrutiny.

"While the ability of councillors to list applications to come to the Planning Committee is now restricted by national rules, we encourage and expect councillors to engage constructively with planning officers at an early stage, so that local knowledge feeds into decisions long before they're made.”

Despite the changes, public consultation remains a legal requirement for planning applications. Residents will still be able to comment on proposals in their area, and planning officers must respond to the issues consultees raise as part of a lawful decision. Wokingham Borough Lib Dems say this remains a critical safeguard, and residents should keep engaging with planning consultations.