A major overhaul of the planning process will see council staff making more decisions while fewer applications will go before elected members.
The move has been described as an erosion of democracy and one that was designed to help other areas of the country achieve more housing stock.
Elected members from partnership members South Holland, East Lindsey and Boston Borough councils all attended a briefing on the new rules, which come into force at the end of this month.
“I think planning is the most emotive subject to local councils, and certainly to local residents, and transparency of that decision-making is vital to maintaining openness and avoiding the erosion of democracy. Sadly, I think that openness will be lost,” said Coun James Avery, of South Holland (pictured).
Boston council member Chris Mountain said: “This might work towards London where there is a massive push to get housing. My major concern is how the statutory consultations will take place.”
The changes will see an end to the local ward council member being able to ‘call in’ a planning application which they feel should go before the planning committee for full discussion.
The vast majority of applications are already decided by planning officers at the relevant councils, but until now elected members could request a ‘call in’.
Only major applications or those affecting listed buildings will go before committee. Small developments of up to nine homes, commercial schemes and extensions will be determined by planning officers.
Developments of more than ten homes will be assessed by the chairman of the committee and a planning officer to see if it needs to go before a committee.
Service director for planning and strategic infrastructure at the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, Phil Norman, said: “The government is looking to standardise that across the country because councils up and down the land have very different constitutions as to how that balance is made between officer and member decisions.”
Tom Ashton, East Lindsey’s portfolio holder for planning, said the move was ‘dangerous’ and that a really important part of the democratic process would be lost.
The consultation period will remain the same and the process will also be no different, but a decision after the 21-day consultation period could be swifter.
New Schedule One applications will be for minor commercial, house extensions and small developments up to nine dwellings.
Schedule two is more than ten dwellings or more than 1,000sqm floorspace.
