Appendix 1: Draft Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026
Additional information from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Q: Could you please summarise what types of applications will be dealt with by planning officers and what types will be decided by committees? Are there any thresholds in terms of the size of the development, for example applications for x number of new houses have to go to a planning committee?
A: The Regulations place planning applications into two categories (these were previously referred to as Tiers A and B when we consulted on the proposals):
- Schedule 1: those which must always be delegated to planning officers for a decision; and
- Schedule 2: those which are presumed to be delegated to officers but which, in certain defined circumstances (known as the Gateway Test), can be considered by planning committees.
The Gateway Test to take Schedule 2 applications to committee requires the local planning authority to have a nominated officer (usually the chief planner or equivalent) and a nominated member (usually the chair of the committee). The nominated officer and member must agree that the application meets one of the following criteria before it can be referred to committee:
- A. where the application raises an economic, social or environmental issue of significance to the local area
- B. where the application raises a significant planning matter having regard to the development plan and any other material considerations
The types of applications in Schedule 1 tend to be the more routine applications and include applications for minor residential (up to 9 dwellings) and minor commercial development, householder development, discharge of condition applications and reserved matters applications for proposals where the outline permission is below 500 dwellings.
The types of applications in Schedule 2 include larger applications for planning permission not set out in Schedule 1, reserved matters applications where the outline permission is above 500 dwellings, and listed building consent applications.
Applications which are made by the authority or an officer or member of the authority or where, in the view of the nominated officer and nominated member, the authority or any of its members or officers has an interest are treated separately. They do not need to meet the gateway test to be taken to committee. Instead, the nominated officer and nominated member just need to agree that they should go to committee. This different treatment is because we recognise that there may be cases where, in the interests of transparency and public accountability, it may be appropriate for some such applications to go to committee.
Where an application does not fall into either Schedule 1 or 2 it will be for the local planning authority to decide whether it is delegated to an officer or referred to a committee for a decision.
17 June 2026