From 31 October 2026, new national planning rules introduced by the government will change how some planning applications are decided across England.
We understand that planning decisions matter to residents because they shape the future of our communities. While councils will be required to follow these new national rules, local priorities and the needs of the communities in the district will continue to play an important role in planning decisions.
The changes determine which applications must be decided by planning officers and which may be considered by planning committees. We have updated our decision-making processes and governance arrangements to comply with the new regulations.
Planning applications will still be carefully considered by experienced planning officers, using both national planning policies and our own local policies.
Residents will still be able to comment on applications, and those views will continue to be taken into account.
Councillors and town/parish councils will also continue to play an important role, representing the views of local residents. There are clear rules in place to ensure that applications that are more complex or have a bigger impact on the community can still be decided by our Planning and Licensing Committee.
However, under the new national rules, the government has stated that many applications (such as householder extensions, developments of 1-9 new dwellings, and applications for Certificates of Lawful Existing Use/Development) must now be decided by officers and cannot be reported to committee.
We recognise that some residents may be concerned that fewer applications will be considered by councillors. These national changes are intended to speed up decisions on straightforward applications, while ensuring councillors can focus their time and expertise on the more significant and complex proposals that are important to local communities.