National planning reforms are set to introduce significant changes to how planning decisions are delegated, with proposals aiming to streamline the process and alter committee structures. The reforms, anticipated to be implemented around September 2026, will see changes to council constitutions undertaken with a view to implementation by the next Annual General Meeting.
These reforms are expected to introduce a two-tier system for planning applications. Under the proposed national scheme of delegation, minor applications (defined as those with nine units or less, or under 1,000 square metres) and householder developments would generally be delegated to officers by default. Major applications (Tier B), defined as those with 10 units or above, or over 1,000 square metres, will be subject to a 'gateway test'.
The 'gateway test' for Tier B applications will be applied if officers and the chair of the planning committee identify issues of economic, social, or environmental significance to the local area. Other reasons for triggering this test may include clear policy conflicts, major design or heritage issues, or matters of political judgment. Crucially, the number of objections received will no longer be a trigger for an application to be called to committee. This means that 'minor applications, householders, those kind of smaller changes of use,' such as a change of use of a dwelling to a care home which might generate many objections, would likely become delegated decisions unless deemed particularly important.
The reforms also include a mandatory training program for all planning committee members and a cap of 13 members for such committees. The rationale behind capping committees at 13 members is to standardize and streamline processes across authorities; for Barking and Dagenham, this is not an issue as their current committee size is 10 members.
A nationally mandated training program for all planning committee members is proposed, though details are still emerging. The council intends to continue its own focused training, especially for new cohorts after local elections. The content is expected to involve some form of course, likely online, with a quiz and certification.
It is anticipated that these changes will not drastically alter current operations, as the focus is primarily on larger schemes and addressing instances where decisions are made contrary to officer recommendations. The reforms are designed to address this issue, which is generally more prevalent outside of London. The meeting notes indicate that this is not a significant problem for Barking and Dagenham, as they typically handle larger schemes and have not experienced substantial issues with decisions diverging from officer recommendations. The approach will be to amend the constitution accordingly to align with these national changes.
For further details on planning performance, refer to the Authority Monitoring Report 2024-25 Highlights and the Planning Performance Review covering report - 2025-26.
