Planning rule changes keep councillors’ power say Labour

A senior Labour politician says the government’s changes to planning regulations do not cut councillors’ ability to object to applications.

New rules came into force on October 31 which made major changes to how planning permission is granted by local authorities including removing elected members’ power to ‘call-in’ applications for discussion in planning committees.

The changes have been criticised by other political groups including Reform UK whose Dudley leader, Cllr Marco Longhi, said the changes ‘castrated’ councillors’ ability to represent their constituents.

Cllr Shaukat Ali, Dudley Labour group leader, insists the changes are not as dramatic as others claim.

Speaking at a meeting of Dudley Council on November 2, Cllr Ali said: “I don’t think it is correct to claim councillors will have no say, it’s far from silencing local voices.

“Residents will continue to be consulted on planning applications, submit representations as we are able to do now, raise objections as we are able to do now.

“Ward councillors will continue to be able to represent local views, I don’t think the framework takes any of that away.”

Labour’s Cllr Asif Ahmed added: “It prevents councillors, which we have seen in Dudley, from trying to politicise applications to put forward their political agenda.

“As a result people miss out because there are some applications which meet all the planning requirements which would give more housing to the people of Dudley.

“In fact what it does is stop councillors from making silly decisions.”

Dudley Council’s leader, Cllr Patrick Harley (Conservative), has been a regular critic of the Labour government’s planning policies which he believes could mean the loss of greenbelt land to development.

Cllr Harley said: “Our power and ability to fully represent our constituents is being eroded, it is being weakened.

“We have recently passed the local plan, great job, saved the greenbelt. I’m not confident we can do that next time around.

“If we don’t make the decisions as 72 members, or as a cabinet or planning committee then what’s in the next stage of this government’s plans?

“To erode even more powers and responsibilities from local councillors and put it in the hands of the West Midlands Mayor.”

Cllr Harley told the meeting the current West Midlands Mayor, Labour’s Richard Parker, has said he will not take power away from local authorities in the West Midlands Combined Authority, which he leads.

Cllr Harley said: “I don’t believe that because if Mayor Parker doesn’t do as his government wants they will replace him with somebody who will.”

Cllr Longhi wondered why the government wanted to make changes if the current system is as good as Labour councillors were saying.

He said: “Planning decisions can have a profound and lasting impact on local communities, residents expect their elected representatives to be able to speak up for them, challenge proposals and scrutinise decisions.

“This scheme takes away much of that ability, the government is effectively transferring decisions away from elected councillors and into the hands of unelected officers.”

By Martyn Smith | Local Democracy Reporting Service