[UPDATE: For the subsequent government response to this consultation, please view this post.]
The government has published the following consultation, which runs for 4 weeks from 26/03/2026 until 23/04/2026:
Consultation document:
- March 2026: Planning committee reform - statutory consultation on draft Regulations and guidance (link) (pdf print version of HTML webpage).
Notes:
- The "Scope of the consultation" section at the start of the above consultation document includes the following information:
- "This statutory consultation seeks views on the draft Regulations and guidance underpinning our planning committee reforms from the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.".
- "It covers the following areas:
>>> delegation of planning decisions to officers
>>> the size of planning committees". - Note: The webpage (link) for the above consultation document also includes the following documents:
- "Draft - Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions Regulations".
- "Planning Committees and the National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Functions - Draft guidance for Local Planning Authorities in England".
Other sources of information:
- December 2024: Government press release - "Major overhaul of planning committees to get Britain building" (link).
- December 2024: Planning Reform Working Paper - Planning Committees (pdf) (link).
- Note: For more information about the above document, please view this post. - May 2025: Government press release - "Government backs SME builders to get Britain building" (link).
- May 2025: Reform of planning committees - technical consultation (link) (pdf print version of HTML webpage).
- Note: For more information about the above document, please view this post. - March 2026: Reform of planning committees - technical consultation - government response (link) (pdf print version of HTML webpage).
- Note: For more information about the above document, please view this post.