MP challenges Government over planning powers stripped from councillors

Summarised from Wilts & Glos Standard's report · Updated 5 Nov, 15:09 · Archive

An MP has challenged new Government planning rules that strip councillors of power to call applications before committees.

Danny Kruger, Reform UK MP for East Wiltshire, raised the issue in the House of Commons over new planning rules that came into force on 31 October. The Government's National Scheme of Delegation replaces councils' individual arrangements with national rules governing which planning applications are decided by officers and which reach elected planning committees.

Kruger told Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook that the changes had 'abolished an essential safeguard for communities against inappropriate planning', referring to the loss of councillors' power to call in applications. He asked what steps the Government was taking to review the measure and whether it would reconsider if the reforms proved ineffective.

Pennycook responded that the reform had only commenced two days earlier and that the Government had 'already committed to review it after a two-year period'.

Read the report

• New rules stripping councillors of planning powers blastedAn MP has challenged the Government over controversial new planning rules.Wilts & Glos Standard · 5 Nov, 05:00

In this story: Danny Kruger · Matthew Pennycook · Reform UK · East Wiltshire · Swindon · Wiltshire

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