Southampton council adopts planning system reform amid fears

A majority of Southampton councillors voted to adopt the changes despite major concerns because they are required by law from the end of October.

Under the new national scheme of delegation, larger planning applications will continue to go before councillors for decision.

However, some smaller applications that currently could be referred to committee because of local objections or requests from councillors may instead be decided by planning officers.

The government says the aim is to create consistency across England and allow committees to focus on the most significant development schemes.

Labour council leader Sarah Bogle said the authority had worked behind the scenes to put mitigations in place to ensure there were opportunities to air concerns over contentious proposals that would now receive a delegated officer decision.

There was widespread opposition from planning and rights of way panel members across the political spectrum at a Southampton City Council meeting on Wednesday, September 23.

Liberal Democrat panel vice chairman Sarah Wood said: “This reduces transparency, public and council engagement and the democratic process."

She added: "I would like it to be known that I do not agree with the legislation. I feel it's been brought in to force through 1.5 million new homes this parliament but reduced democracy."

Cllr Wood said she would abstain in the vote on changing the constitution because the authority had to comply with the law but she opposed the legislation.

Green Party councillor Sam Pryce told the meeting: "I've not met a single councillor in this room express support for these changes."

He added: “In a time when the government is talking about devolving power, they're taking away even more of our ability to shape our communities for the sake of people rather than profit."

Reform UK councillor Richard Piatkiewicz said the changes were "not in the interests of the residents of Southampton" but acknowledged they appeared to be a "fait accompli".

Conservative councillor Jaden Beaurain said stripping powers away from elected politicians would reduce public scrutiny and place additional pressure on officers.

He added: "I don't think that you make up for a poor economic environment for housebuilding by overriding and creating a democratic deficit."

Labour planning panel chairman Vivienne Windle said Southampton would introduce a local "triage" system under which controversial applications could still be considered for committee discussion.

Cllr Windle said this was an important addition, which many other authorities were not pursuing.

She said: “If the service manager and I, or his deputy and the vice chair, feel during the triage process that there's public anxiety about a development or there’s something in particular that we should put before the panel, then we will ask for it to go to the panel."

Cllr Bogle said currently around five per cent of all planning applications get decided by the panel.

She said: “I do have some of the same concerns about the democratic deficit that potentially is incurred here.”

The council leader added: "We are committed to reviewing what the consequences are and feeding that back to government and lobbying appropriately."