Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to proposals to modernise planning committees and introduce a national scheme of delegation, whether applications affecting green belt land could be determined by officers rather than elected members; what criteria will determine whether such applications are considered strategic; and how he will ensure democratic accountability for decisions involving the loss of green space.

On 28 May 2025, my Department published a technical consultation on proposals for reform of planning committees. It can be found on gov.uk here.

The consultation has now closed, and we are analysing the responses with a view to consulting on draft regulations for such a National Scheme of Delegation in the coming months.