North Somerset councillors have strongly criticised the government’s recent reforms to planning permission rules, describing them as “Stalinist” and an unwelcome centralisation of power. Despite already meeting most of the new requirements, the council reluctantly amended its constitution to comply with the government’s directives.
The changes impose strict limits on local planning committees, including capping the number of councillors on planning committees at 13 and restricting which applications can be decided by the committee based on stringent criteria. Councillors from all parties, including Labour, expressed frustration, arguing these reforms reduce democratic accountability and hinder local autonomy.
Robert Payne, Liberal Democrat councillor for Weston-super-Mare Central, highlighted that the council was forced to approve the changes to comply legally but saw no benefits. “This is yet another example of the government telling councils what to do and ignoring local arrangements,” he said.
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Former planning committee chair Hugh Malyan, Labour councillor for Weston-super-Mare South Worle, attributed the reforms to central government’s “Stalinist centralising tendencies,” noting this approach has persisted across administrations.
Planning cabinet member Annemieke Waite of the Green Party defended the local committee, noting it was already operating with the committee size mandated by the reforms and was functioning well. Most planning decisions are already delegated to officers, with the committee mainly handling major applications. Waite expressed surprise at the government’s interference.
Councillors also feared these reforms would alienate residents and reduce transparency in decision-making. Payne warned that sidelining members and locals could damage relationships.
In response, the council agreed to write to the government and local MPs to raise their serious concerns, following a proposal by Green councillor Bridget Petty.
Conservative councillor Peter Burden criticised the government’s contradictory stance on devolution, saying, “They are giving us power to decide, but only if we do exactly as we are told.”
Underlying the reforms is the government’s ambitious target to build 1.5 million new homes within five years. North Somerset’s housing target was recently increased from 15,200 to 23,500 homes over 15 years. Malyan suggested that the real obstacle to housebuilding is land banking by developers lacking the capacity to build the homes they have permission for.