‘So, so wrong’ – Councillors concerned over new planning rules

A cross-party committee of councillors in Doncaster has expressed concerns over new planning rules introduced by the Government.

The new ‘National Scheme of Delegation’ means most planning applications must now be decided by officials.

Emma Keefe, planning development manager at the Doncaster Council, informed councillors on the authority’s planning committee that they ‘will continue to play a vital role in the biggest applications’.

Councillor Steve Cox, Conservative group leader, said: “It’s sad to see this… Consensus that I have heard from councillors is that [authority] is being taken away. It’s being done to us, not with us,” the Finningley ward councillor said.

The debate over the new rules, which must be implemented by October 31, 2026, took place during a meeting on September 22, 2026.

According to council papers, the new rules will introduce a ‘two-tier structure of decision-making’

Ms Keefe told members that applications must have ‘genuine planning impact’ to be determined by the committee.

A two-person team consisting of a ‘nominated officer’ and ‘nominated member’, which will be one of the committee councillors, must agree that an application has genuine planning impact in order for it to be referred to the committee.

However, in scenarios where the nominated officer and member disagree, the officer’s decision will prevail.

Labour’s Coun Bob Anderson raised concerns that ‘it could look like we have no authority on the committee’, if the last say is always with the officer.

Ms Keefe said it was something that could be ‘monitored’.

Roy Sykes, head of planning at the council, said that of the nine of the 35 applications considered by the committee in the past year would have been decided by officers under the new rules.

Coun David Knight, Reform UK councillor for Thorne and Moorends, asked if officers had discussed the ‘extra responsibility’ placed on officers with the government.

“There is a joint response from the chair [of the committee] and myself,” Mr Sykes said.

“We’ve got thick skin. We’re used to dealing with contentious applications and applicants,” he added.

He also said that councillors must advise residents that they ‘still need to engage’ in the planning process.

Coun Cox said: “If we don’t follow this, then planning goes out of Doncaster [Council]. It just feels so, so wrong. But there’s nothing we can do.”

The planning committee narrowly approved the changes by one vote.