Reforming Planning Committees
The Government could transfer decision-making power from Councillors to an un-elected planning officer on what applications are considered at committee. Conservation areas would not be protected. A Technical consultation here is open until 23rd July covering decision delegation, size and composition of planning committees and mandatory training. Two tiers of planning applications are proposed. For Tier A, “minor” developments and those up to 9 dwellings would be delegated to officers but in London that could be increased to 49 dwellings. A current Planning Working Paper [more…]
Chief Planner’s update
The MHCLG Chief Planner, Johanna Averley (pictured), has issued a newsletter to local authority planners. It covers a Modernised Planning Committees consultation and speeding up build-out with Completion Notices, a Delayed Homes Penalty and Compulsory Purchase Orders, as in a recent Working Paper and Technical Consultation.
The Government proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill amendments to remove the statutory requirement to consult in the pre-application stage for NSIP applications.
DEFRA is consulting on options for how Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) should be applied and MHCLG issued a related Working [more…]
Simplifying decisions
As London Forum reported, the Planning & Infrastructure Bill includes delegating planning decisions. The Government has issued a 15 question Working Paper consultation for
- Simplifying decisions for schemes below 10 homes to help small and medium builders (SMEs)
- Introducing a medium-sized site threshold up to 49 homes
There is another working paper on ‘Speeding up Build-out’ and for major developments, the Government is considering options for a mixed tenure development threshold at 500 units. Views on the right threshold are sought in this ‘Simplifying Decisions’ Working Paper. There will be [more…]
Planning and Infrastructure Bill debate
Labour members of the Commons Planning and Infrastructure Bill Committee voted through Clause 46 in that Bill for delegation of planning decisions. Government guidance is to be produced. Gideon Amos, LibDem MP, said “We are dealing with primary statutory legislation here, and there would be no discretion over its implementation. We are talking about giving him [Mathew Pennycook MP] and all future Ministers, of whatever party, the power to write the delegation arrangements for each local council in the country and tell them what they may or may [more…]
Build Out consultation
The Government issued a Planning Working Paper on ‘Building Homes Faster’, as reported on 25th May 2025. That has been followed by a Technical Consultation, open until 7th July, for the introduction of a new statutory build out framework and the power to decline to determine applications.
Building homes faster
The Deputy Prime Minister has urged developers to “Get on and build” as here.
The Government wants views on a Planning Reform Working Paper ‘Speeding Up Build Out’, with eleven questions.
Councils will get new powers to keep housebuilders on track with build rates set before planning permission is granted. Developers who repeatedly fail to construct approved schemes or trade land speculatively could face a new ‘Delayed Homes Penalty’, be locked out of future permissions or have their sites acquired by councils. Annual reports on progress will [more…]
Protecting nature could be weakened
The lawyer Simon Ricketts has published comments on the Government’s proposals in Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill for a Nature Restoration Levy to be paid by developers and the use of Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs). See the lawyer’s comments here. He points to evidence that organisations have given on the Bill indicating that there could be a weakening or reduction in current levels of environmental protection. Various detailed recommended changes have been submitted.
Smart Machines strategy
The Smart Machines 2035 Strategy provides a roadmap to position the UK as a global leader in robotics and Smart Machines. It highlights their transformative potential to address pressing societal challenges, enhance economic productivity, and establish national leadership in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Also, the Government wants to explore how AI can change the way we conduct research.
Cut in affordable homes
According to a 14th May 2025 BBC News report, the GLA and Government have agreed to reduce London’s target for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026 from a range of 23,900 to 27,100 starts to 17,800 to 19,000 – a cut of 22%.
A GLA Housing in London report last November showed 2,358 City Hall funded affordable homes in 2023 until the end of Q2 2024 – a 91 per cent cut in the 25,658 affordable homes 2022-23. In 2024, 528 GLA-funded affordable homes began construction between March [more…]
Impact of planning changes
The Government published impact assessments at https://bit.ly/4meFcmM for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. It could introduce planning committee modernisation with more delegated decisions. The Commons Bill Committee debated it here which should be of interest to all civic, amenity and community groups.
Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Try a new search:
Cost-of-living crisis
![Low Cost Solar [ MHCLG ]](https://i0.wp.com/www.londonforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Low-Cost-Solar.jpg?fit=150%2C98&ssl=1)
Low cost solar panels
Sign up for OnLondon news
What’s Happening to London’s Population?
An Historical Introduction
London’s population peaked in the 1930s, reaching about 8.6 million in 1939. For the next half century it fell steadily, to 6.8 million in the 1980s, before beginning to rise [more…]
Most Popular This Week
-
Using AI in your Civic Society
📆 Thu 30th April | 18:30 - 20:30
🚩 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL (map)
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere in the news and in business these days – we even used it to generate the image for this event. How can it help your civic society ? Do you need to be an expert? (No!) Civic societies are often under-resourced, and at this event we’ll show that with a little knowledge, illustrated with examples, AI can bolster your resources in several useful ways, without necessarily spending a penny. Please book here ( https://www.londonforum.org.uk/events/using-ai-in-your-civic-society#booking ). Agenda Firstly by way of introduction, we’ll look at some novel…
-
Member Services Committee meeting
📅 Thu 7th May | 14:00 - 16:00
🚩 Room B1 70 Cowcross St, EC1M 6EJ (map)