Government takes planning decisions out of Solihull councillors’ hands

Solihull councillors are set to lose key powers over planning applications under Government reforms that will make it harder for elected members to bring developments before a committee.

The changes, which come into force on 31 October, will introduce a national scheme of delegation across England, with planning officers expected to decide most applications unless strict criteria are met for a committee hearing.

Councillors will no longer be able to call in applications using existing local plan arrangements, while the number of objections from residents will no longer be enough on its own to trigger a committee decision.

The changes were discussed at an additional meeting of Solihull’s planning committee on 21 October, where members agreed to amend the committee handbook to bring it into line with the new rules.

Planning officer Mark Andrews said the council had arranged the extra meeting to deal with applications that had already been called in by councillors or had met existing referral thresholds before the deadline.

He warned that some applications already raised by members could no longer be brought before the committee.

“I appreciate there is a lot to take in,” Mr Andrews told councillors, describing the introduction of the new system as a “bedding in process”.

He added: “Once this comes into effect it is a completely different way of working to determine applications.”

‘The decision is being made for us’

The effect of the reforms was illustrated by five applications considered during the meeting. Mr Andrews confirmed that three involving small housing developments of fewer than 10 homes would not have gone before the committee under the new arrangements.

Councillor Michael James voiced frustration at the changes, saying: “It’s almost like the decision is being made for us.”

He added: “It’s slowly becoming a room where we don’t make the decision, we are here to accept the decision.

“It’s a rubbish situation we have been left with, we have to accept.”

Planning committee chairman Councillor Bob Grinsell agreed that members’ role was changing, saying: “You are spot on, it’s a dictate from the government.”

He also warned that the reforms would undermine local democratic oversight.

“It is wrong from the residents’ perspective here in Solihull – the full decision process is being eroded,” he said.

What the new planning rules mean for residents

Under the national scheme, certain categories of application must be decided by officers. Other applications will normally be delegated to officers unless they meet specified criteria and both a nominated planning officer and nominated councillor agree they should go before a committee.

This means that a large number of objections will not automatically secure a committee hearing, even where a proposal is controversial locally.

Councillors will still have a role in the process, and applications can be referred to committee where the national criteria are met. The Government says the reforms are intended to create greater consistency and allow committees to concentrate on proposals with significant implications for their areas.

Mr Andrews told the meeting that residents’ concerns would still be taken into account by planning officers, even when an application could not be referred to councillors.

Responding to a question about a householder application receiving 150 objections, he said the number of representations could not itself justify a committee hearing. However, he said officers would have regard to the concerns raised and that a significant issue could influence the decision, including the possibility of refusal.

The Government’s statutory guidance says the new scheme is designed to clarify responsibilities and allow minor or technical applications to be decided by officers, while retaining a route to committee for applications that meet the required tests.

The reforms are being introduced nationally under legislation passed in 2025. Solihull’s committee handbook has now been amended ahead of the changes taking effect at the end of October.