English councils overhaul planning processes following national reforms

Local councils in England, including the City of Lincoln and Havering, are preparing to overhaul their planning decision-making processes to comply with the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. These national reforms, set to take effect on 31 October 2026, introduce a National Scheme of Delegation that shifts more decision-making authority from planning committees to professional planning officers.

Under the new regulations, many types of applications—such as householder, minor commercial, and minor residential developments—will be determined directly by officers. The reforms remove the automatic right for ward councillors or local objections to trigger a committee review. Instead, applications will only be referred to a planning committee if they pass a specific “Gateway Test” or meet national criteria, such as raising significant economic, social, or environmental issues.

In Havering, the council has agreed to replace its existing Planning and Strategic Planning Committees with a single new Planning Committee. The City of Lincoln is also proposing a triage process to assess applications before formal referral. While the shift aims to increase efficiency and focus committee time on high-impact developments, both councils noted that residents and statutory consultees will still be able to provide comments and representations during the planning process.