The Government’s New National Scheme of Delegation – A Shift Toward Officer‑Led Planning

The Government has published its national scheme of delegation for planning functions, alongside statutory guidance for local planning authorities in England. Issued on 1 June 2026 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), the reforms mark a significant change in how planning decisions will be made across the country.

Historically, each local planning authority (LPA) has operated its own scheme of delegation, deciding which applications are determined by planning officers and which go before elected members in committee. While most decisions are already delegated there has been considerable variation between authorities, leading to inconsistency, delays and uncertainty.

The new national scheme is intended to standardise decision‑making and improve efficiency. At the core of the reform is a two‑tier approach to delegation, set out in draft regulations and accompanying statutory guidance:

Schedule (or Tier) 1 – Mandatory Officer Decisions

Certain types of applications must always be determined by planning officers and cannot be referred to committee. These typically include:

• Householder applications.
• Minor residential and commercial schemes.
• Non material amendments and certificates of lawfulness.
• Routine technical approvals.
• S73 applications where the original permission was a Schedule 1 permission.
• Reserved matters approved where the outline permission is for fewer than 500 dwellings or less than 50,000sm of floorspace.
• Prior approval applications.
• Non- material amendments.
• Permission in principle.
• Certificate of lawfulness of existing/ proposed use or development.

Schedule (or Tier) 2 – Presumption of Delegation with Limited Committee Referral

More complex applications fall within this category, but are still expected to be determined by officers unless specific criteria are met. Referral to committee will only occur where they raise significant economic, social, or environmental issues, or other material considerations of particular importance.

A central principle is therefore ‘delegation by default’, with planning committees reserved for the most significant or contentious proposals.

One of the most notable aspects of the new scheme is the restriction on traditional routes to committee. Under the forthcoming system:

• Automatic triggers, such as objection thresholds or routine councillor call‑ins, will largely be removed.
• A “gateway test” will determine whether an application should be referred.Decisions on referral will typically be made jointly by the Chief Planning Officer and a nominated member, introducing a new governance dynamic.

This represents a substantial shift, reducing the routine involvement of elected members in day‑to‑day planning decisions and reinforcing the professional role of planning officers.

LPAs must take into account these updates when establishing or revising their own arrangements, the accompanying regulations are expected to be finalised in July 2026 and come into force on 31 October 2026.

Authorities will therefore have only a few months to update their procedural guides and internal processes. Importantly, failure to comply could expose decisions to legal challenge, including judicial review.

The publication of the national scheme of delegation signals a decisive move toward a more officer‑led planning system. By embedding delegation as the default and limiting committee involvement to exceptional cases, the Government aims to streamline decision‑making and support delivery, especially of new housing.

For planning professionals and local authorities, the coming months will be critical as they adapt to this new framework, which is set to reshape both the governance and day‑to‑day operation of the planning system.

To discuss these proposals and how they will affect an application or for any planning and development enquiries, please contact:

PJ Triplow (Shrewsbury) 01743 271697

Lauren May (Kettering) 01536 412464

Kirsten Sloth-Nielsen (Towcester) 01327 356140

Immy Platt (Hereford) 01432 809830