Tendring District Council (TDC) has voiced its opposition to national planning changes which will remove the ability of ward councillors to ask for applications to be decided by the Planning Committee.
At a meeting on Tuesday (13 October), councillors agreed amendments to the council’s constitution to meet the requirements of the Government’s new National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Functions, which comes into force on 31 October.
However, councillors made clear that the decision was taken with considerable reluctance because the council is legally required to implement the changes.
Under the new national rules, more planning decisions will be delegated to council officers and ward councillors will no longer be able to demand that an application is brought before the Planning Committee.
Councillor Mark Stephenson, Leader of TDC, said councillors from across the chamber spoke forcefully against the changes, reflecting the depth of feeling among councillors and residents who value their democratic voice in the planning process.
“I want to be clear from the outset that I am deeply opposed to these changes,” he said.
“Planning decisions can have a profound effect on our towns, villages and residents. Local councillors understand their communities and should be able to ensure that significant and contentious applications receive proper public scrutiny.
“This new national scheme removes the ability of ward councillors to require an application to come before the Planning Committee. It places far more decisions in the hands of officers and reduces the democratic voice of elected members.
“I do not support that. I believe it weakens local accountability and takes decision-making further away from the communities affected.
“However, this change has been imposed through national legislation. If we do not comply, the council risks acting unlawfully and planning decisions could be challenged.”
He added that councillors were not casting aspersions on the council’s “hardworking, fair-minded and professional” planning officers, but on the national policy changes.
As part of an amended motion, the council agreed that the Leader will write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to set out Tendring’s opposition to the move.
The council’s Community Leadership Scrutiny Committee will also review the operation of the new arrangements after three months, including how often councillors ask to express views on applications in their wards and how many cases are referred to the Planning Committee.
All district councillors will also be offered training on how to raise issues affecting their wards and communities, and on the criteria for referring applications to the Planning Committee.
Councillor Andy Baker, TDC’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, said that during the national consultation in April, TDC responded that the draft regulations were “undemocratic and not justified”.
“It’s wrong and it does take away our democratic right in certain circumstances,” he added.
