1 October 2026
Reminder: the National Scheme of Delegation comes into force 31 October 2026
A reminder for anyone involved in planning or development. From 31 October 2026, the rules governing whether an application is dealt with by planning officers or referred to a planning committee will be set nationally. This will create two categories:
Schedule 1 applications – these must be determined by officers and cannot be referred to committee.
Schedule 2 applications – these are subject to an overriding presumption that they will be delegated to officers
The days of pestering councillors to “call in” an application, or trying to secure the appropriate number of objections are over.
On balance, bad news for objectors but greater certainty for developers, especially for smaller schemes!
(Please note that if your application is already in the system, then it will be decided under the old rules.)
The government’s aim behind the national scheme of delegation is to ensure that there is greater clarity and consistency about the role of planning committees in planning decision making.
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Robin Barnes
Senior Associate, Planning
