{"id":777749,"date":"2025-03-10T08:58:05","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T08:58:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/?p=777749"},"modified":"2025-03-10T10:38:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T10:38:30","slug":"planning-reforms-to-reduce-power-of-statutory-consultees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.architectsjournal.co.uk\/news\/planning-reforms-to-reduce-power-of-statutory-consultees","title":{"rendered":"Planning reforms to reduce power of statutory consultees"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sport England, Theatres Trust and the Gardens Trust will \u2018no longer be required to input\u2019 on planning decisions, under changes<\/a> to the \u2018haphazard\u2019 system put forward by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.<\/p>\n

Other official stakeholders, who are legally required to provide advice on planning applications, will have their remit tightened \u2018to reduce the type and number\u2019 of applications on which they must be consulted.<\/p>\n

Local authorities will also be told they should only be consulting statutory consultees \u2018where necessary to do so\u2019 and that their decisions should not be delayed beyond the 21-day statutory deadline unless the stakeholder\u2019s advice may \u2018enable an approval rather than a refusal\u2019.<\/p>\n

The government<\/a> said that, while the current roster of 25 statutory consultees played an \u2018important role\u2019 in the planning system, councils and developers continued to report problems with the process.<\/p>\n

These ranged from consultees taking too long to provide their advice, reopening issues already dealt with in local plans, and submitting automatic holding objections which they then withdrew at a late stage.<\/p>\n

A specific situation was highlighted in Bradford, where a proposal for 140 new homes next to a cricket club was \u2018significantly delayed\u2019 because the application was \u2018thought to have not adequately considered the speed of cricket balls\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Angela Rayner<\/p>\n\t

Source:Shutterstock <\/p><\/div>\n

Rayner said: \u2018We\u2019ve put growth at the heart of our plans as a government with our Plan for Change milestone to secure 1.5 million homes and unleash Britain\u2019s potential to build.<\/p>\n

\u2018We need to reform the system to ensure it is sensible and balanced and does not create unintended delays \u2013 putting a hold on people\u2019s lives and harming our efforts to build the homes people desperately need.<\/p>\n

\u2018New developments must still meet our high expectations to create the homes, facilities and infrastructure that communities need.\u2019<\/p>\n

The proposals, which will be put out to consultation this spring, follow the decision earlier this year by Rayner and chancellor Rachel Reeves to pause the creation of new statutory consultees while committing to reviewing the existing arrangements.<\/p>\n

Reacting to the news, Sam Richards, chief executive of pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade<\/a>, said: \u2018The government is absolutely right to reduce the number of statutory consultees and refocus the scope of their work. Too many had become policy campaigners within the government machine \u2013 in the process slowing down the building we desperately need.\u2019<\/p>\n

Richards added: \u2018It\u2019s a step in the right direction but there\u2019s still more they can do. For example, they\u2019ve not introduced a \u201cuse it or lose it\u201d approach to objections. This would remove the chance of statutory consults to intervene after they miss their deadline.<\/p>\n

\u2018There is also some irony in the fact that their decision to remove consultees from the process \u2026 has been put out to consultation.\u2019<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Fergus Charlton, planning partner at solicitors Michelmores LLP, said: ‘If there is real evidence that these statutory consultees are delaying significant numbers of well-designed schemes that accord with the development plan, then curtailing their influence will be helpful.<\/p>\n

‘Without that evidence then labelling the likes of Sport England as a ‘blocker’ is unsubstantiated tinkering and will result in schemes that are more harmful to society as a whole being approved.’<\/p>\n

\n

Official response: Sports England<\/h2>\n

The purpose of our statutory planning remit is to protect playing fields and community spaces for sport and physical activity.<\/p>\n

Britain\u2019s childhood obesity crisis is rising and low physical activity levels cost our economy \u00a37.4 billion a year, making it vital we protect the places where local communities can be active.<\/p>\n

\u2018It is vital we protect the places where local communities can be active\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We support growth, and exercise our powers carefully and quickly, ensuring local neighbourhoods are designed to help people live healthy, happy and active lives.<\/p>\n

We look forward to taking part in the government\u2019s consultation exercise and arguing the importance of protecting playing fields and places where local people can keep active.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Government chopping back the list of statutory consultees this morning, with Sport England losing its ability to block development. At the very least this should make building on redundant golf courses a lot easier.https:\/\/t.co\/kUZBpyGZ11<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Russell Curtis (@russellcurtis) March 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n