What you need to know about changes to the planning system

New rules on who decides planning applications have been introduced to councils across the country.

The government says planning officers, rather than councillors, should decide most applications unless exemptions apply.

The government says the changes will provide greater clarity and consistency on how planning decisions are made across England.

But critics say that reducing the role of elected councillors will make the system less democratic and transparent. They raise concerns that this will erode public confidence in the planning process.

Mayors, including the Mayor of the West Midlands, will also be given new powers to overrule local councils on some planning decisions.

The new National Scheme of Delegation, which came into effect on Saturday, sets out when a planning decision can and cannot go to committee, leaving councils with less discretion.

Determination by officers is now the default position for all planning applications.

Some councils are refusing to implement the changes.

The new scheme means unelected but fully trained officials will make decisions on most planning applications.

Planning committees may still consider:

• some commercial and residential developments
• listed building consent applications
• tree preservation order applications
• advertisement consent applications

Even these applications will be decided by planning officers unless they raise issues of economic, social or environmental significance.

The size of planning committees will be limited to 13 under the scheme.

In Herefordshire the amendment was voted through by a full meeting of county councillors last month, though without enthusiasm.

Chair of the county's audit and governance committee and former council leader David Hitchiner called it "an unacceptable change to our democracy", but said he would "reluctantly" second it.

Residents in his Stoney Street ward west of Hereford were already "irritated" that a seven-home proposal locally could no longer be determined by councillors, he added.

Peter Wilkinson, chair of planning at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, has described the changes as an "erosion of local democracy", while councillor Tony Holmes went as far as to resign from the planning committee in protest.

Supporters of the old system say that when applications are determined by committee, it allows planning issues to be debated in public, making the system more transparent and accountable - something they say will be lost under the new system.

Councillors have been particularly concerned by the removal of the right to call in applications to the committee.

Moorlands councillor James Aberley said the call-in system allows ward councillors to act as a link between residents and the planning system, ensuring that the public feel involved in decisions that could have a major impact on their lives.

But the changes being implemented by the Labour government have had more support from local Labour councillors.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for regeneration at the Labour-led Stoke-on-Trent City Council, suggested that "not a lot will change" in the city, as the council already delegates most applications to officers.

But he insisted that the biggest planning applications would still go to committee for a decision.

David Walker, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for planning, said, despite the changes "people will still be able to have their say".

Comments that raise relevant planning matters such as highways, flooding, heritage, ecology, landscape, residential amenity or planning policy will continue to be carefully considered as part of the decision-making process, he said.

"Shropshire Council is already recognised as a high-performing planning authority and has an established process for reviewing which applications should be considered by committee," he said.

"As a result, whilst we must comply with the new national requirements, the practical impact in Shropshire is expected to be less significant than in many other areas which differ more substantially from the new national framework."

Ahead of the changes, Solihull Council held an extra planning committee meeting on 21 October to consider five applications.

Addressing the meeting, planning officer Mark Andrews reassured the committee they would "take full regard" to concerns raised by members and residents in determining applications.

Councillor Bob Grinsell, chairman of the committee, told members the changes would not mean they would be "let off the hook".

"Maybe the load will be lessened, but it will be equally as onerous," he said.

Under government proposals the Mayor of the West Midlands could overrule local councils, including Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton on some planning decisions.

The change would apply to proposals with more than 150 homes, more than 15,000 square metres of commercial space or buildings over 30 metres.

In addition to gaining the new "call-in" powers, mayors are set to be able to grant "up-front permission", which the government says will allow building to begin "without a developer having to apply".

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.