Bracknell Councillors Face Planning Decision Cuts

Bracknell councillors say they'll get fewer chances to decide planning applications after changes to the national planning policy framework. The Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions England) Regulations take effect on Saturday, October 31.

The key change: smaller developments - under 10 homes and extensions - will be delegated to planning officers, and ward councillors lose the right to trigger committee reviews for minor applications.

Opposition councillor Tony Virgo warned at full council the move will curb the planning committee's power. Cllr Virgo (Conservative, Winkfield & Warfield East) said: "This council understands that central government intends to severely curtail the powers and influence of our planning committee."

"This proposal will harm residents' influence, and that of their elected representatives to decide on local planning issues."

"Under this new dictate, only very limited planning applications will be allowed to be referred to the planning committee."

"The change requires the council to modify its constitution, and this proposal will be before the governance and audit committee in September."

"Could the cabinet member for planning, transport and countryside, Cllr Gillbe, assure members that when the change comes before council in November there will be adequate time scheduled for members to debate?"

Cllr Gillbe (Labour, Easthampstead & Wildridings) backed the planning committee's concerns. She said: "When the planning committee put in a response to the consultation along the lines of 'by reducing the role of the council and planning decisions, it is reducing the role of democracy of planning decisions', I fully endorse that view."

"This is quite frankly not how I would envision how planning decisions are made. I think councillors perform a vital role, actually, in the decision-making process around planning applications, it is that vital link between residents and how the planning process works."

"But the reality is that decisions by central government are way above my pay grade, and we must simply work within the system that we are mandated to work within."

She said councillors would be briefed on the impact of delegating powers to officers ahead of the full council meeting in November. The exchange took place at the meeting on September 9.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter