Hounslow Council's constitution is set for significant changes, particularly concerning its Planning Committee, as it aligns with new national statutory frameworks. The Audit and Governance Committee met on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, to approve revisions to the committee's terms of reference and procedure rules. These updates are necessary to comply with the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 and the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which introduce a national scheme for the delegation and referral of planning applications.
Under the new framework, a national scheme governs the discharge of specified planning functions. This scheme categorises planning applications into two schedules. Schedule 1 applications will be determined by officers, while Schedule 2 applications will also be determined by officers unless specific statutory criteria for referral to the Planning Committee are met. This referral process will require consideration by the Council's Nominated Officer and Nominated Member.
The committee will now formally appoint a Nominated Member, the Chair of the Planning Committee, and a Nominated Officer, the Director of Planning and Buildings, to oversee these functions. It is proposed that the Chair of Planning Committee will act as the Council’s Nominated Member, with the Vice-Chair stepping in if the Chair is unavailable. The Director of Planning and Buildings will serve as the Nominated Officer, with provision for nominated deputies.
Furthermore, the maximum membership of the Planning Committee will be reduced from 15 to 13 councillors. This reduction is a compulsory legal requirement stemming from the new statutory arrangements, and the allocation of seats will continue to be subject to applicable statutory political balance requirements.
The Council Procedure Rules are also being updated to refine arrangements for member questions, motions, and meeting durations. These amendments aim to provide clearer and more effective arrangements for the conduct of Borough Council business. Specifically, 'on notice' questions will be retained, with revised allocations: two for the largest political group and one for others. A separate stage for questions on referral reports will be removed. For motions, one will be allowed from the Administration and one from opposition groups, with priority determined by receipt order. Meetings will now conclude at 11:00 pm, with no provision for extension except for the budget meeting.
Committee Procedure Rules will also formally allow for member substitutions at relevant committees and sub-committees. Political groups can nominate named substitute Members. A named substitute from the same political group may attend in place of an appointed Member if that Member is unable to attend for an appropriate reason, such as illness, but not for personal convenience or to avoid participation in a specific item. Safeguards include the requirement for the substitute to have completed mandatory training, and the Monitoring Officer will determine permissibility in cases of doubt. Substitution arrangements will not apply to Area Forums, the Pension Fund Panel, or bodies with specific eligibility requirements, and they do not alter political balance requirements.
These changes were unanimously approved for the Planning Committee Terms of Reference, with majority votes for the Council and Committee Procedure Rules. The proposed amendments are scheduled to be presented to the Borough Council for final approval on 15 September 2026, with the statutory changes to the Planning Committee arrangements taking effect from 1 October 2026.
Public reports pack Tuesday 08 Sep 2026 18:00 Audit and Governance Committee