Planning committee best practice self-assessment toolkit

Introduction

This self-assessment is produced by the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) and is designed to help Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) run a smooth and efficient planning committee. It is based on best practice that PAS has observed while working with LPAs and their planning committees alongside evidence from the results of the Modernising Planning Committees National Survey carried out between October and December 2024. This work formed part of the Government’s modernising planning committees reform programme.

'Planning committee' is the generic term used throughout this self-assessment for the committee in your council that makes planning decisions. We appreciate that you may refer to this committee by another name, and that you may have more than one committee. If you have more than one committee then you may want to either carry out a separate self-assessment for each committee or generalise the response to cover all your committees.

We recommend that you complete the self-assessment even if you believe your planning committee is operating well. No planning committee is perfect and, hopefully, it will help you to validate what you are doing well and provide ideas on things to improve.

Each of the topics outlined in this self-assessment work together in the effective running of your planning committee so it is important that you assess your committee(s) against each one.

Finally, it is important you review over time the impact of any changes you make as a consequence of using this best practice self-assessment. Has it changed the quality of decision-making? Has it reduced the number of appeals that have been upheld? It is important to self-reflect and make further changes if you are not seeing positive changes. There is a number of ways you can do this. The Government publishes quarterly statistics on planning performance and so you could measure whether your review has improved the quality of decision-making, as measured by Government. Many councils also undertake regular surveys with the participants in the planning committee process and you could measure improvement in feedback following a review.

We would like to thank the following people and organisations who helped us to create this self-assessment:

Blaby District Council; East Suffolk Council; Harborough District Council; Haringey Council; Adele Morris; Gilian Macinnes Associates; Cllr Liz Green, Kingston Council, LGA peer and LG Progress Ltd; Mike Keily, Planning Officers Society; Raymond Crawford; and Tim Burton Planning Limited.

How to use the planning committee self-assessment tool

For each topic, we explain its importance and pose a series of questions with different options for you to answer. In most cases, there is not a single ‘right’ option as each council and the circumstances that they operate in are different. The options may not always precisely reflect the situation at your council, so we suggest that you pick the option that most closely fits.

Each option has actions that you should consider carrying out, or we identify actions that we think are required because your answer highlights a potential fundamental failing in your planning committee processes.

If you chose an option that specifies 'Action Required!' you are strongly advised to take the action specified to make the most of the opportunity to improve your committee processes and avoid the potentially damaging reputational and legal implications of continuing without changes.

For the self-assessment to be effective we suggest that you collate your list of actions into an action plan that forms part of an improvement programme. Even the most highly performing planning committees will have some actions following your self-assessment.

This self-assessment tool is aimed to be carried out by officers and members of your council working together and without any external help. However, if you would like advice and support from PAS please contact us at [email protected].

Part 1: Size and composition of the planning committee

The number of members of a planning committee is partly influenced by the political make-up of a council. Planning decisions should never be made based on political views, but a council will normally want a planning committee to include a representative number of councillors based on the political make-up of the council.

Government is proposing that the size of a planning committee is limited to a maximum of 11 members and so we recommend that you do not make any changes to the size of your planning committee until a final decision is taken on any mandatory requirements and any flexibility that councils will be given.

Executive councillors sitting as planning committee members

There is nothing in law to prevent a planning committee including members of the council’s executive. However, PAS would discourage this due to the following key reasons:

The public and development community will often perceive that an executive member will have greater influence on other members of the council and this perception could be interpreted as pre-determination.

There will often be a conflict of interest that could be perceived as pre-determination. For example, it would be difficult for an executive member to argue that they are not pre-determined if an application is a council owned or council-promoted development.

Ward members involvement in decision-making

There is no restriction on ward members making a decision on a planning application in their ward unless a council’s constitution prevents them from doing so. However, PAS suggests that a ward member considers the following points before making their decision on whether to sit on the planning committee:

Have you made any statements in public that might lead people to believe that you are pre-determined? This would not just include comments on social media, but could include replies to individual constituents on the planning application? If you consider that you have made such statements do not sit on Planning Committee.

Are you comfortable with not being able to lobby the council on behalf of your local constituents? If you feel that you need to promote the individual views of your constituents then you should not sit on planning committee.

Do you feel that you can provide important local on the ground information about the local area and still be impartial about the planning merits of a planning application? If you do not feel you can be impartial then do not sit on Planning Committee.

Do you have residents who are personal friends and who might be affected by the development proposals? If you do then you should speak to the Monitoring Officer before the meeting to seek advice on whether it would be appropriate to sit on planning committee.

Part 2: Scheme of delegation

Your council’s scheme of delegation within its constitution will determine what planning decisions require referral to the planning committee and what decisions can be delegated to officers.

The Government is currently considering whether there should be a national scheme of delegation that will apply to all councils in England. Therefore, we suggest that you do not carry out any reviews of your scheme of delegation until the mandatory requirements for the scheme of delegation are clarified by the Government.

However, to give you some context on your council’s current position on average LPAs delegate 96 per cent of decisions to officers with 72 per cent of councils having a delegation rate of 95 per cent or more and only 20 (six per cent) of councils below 90 per cent (based on MHCLG Live tables on planning application statistics (refer to table 'Planning Performance Dashboard Year Ending December 2024').

Part 3: Codes of conduct

All councils will have a code of conduct within their constitution for councillors and officers to follow as part of carrying out their duties. A council is not required to have separate planning committee protocols, but it is good practice to do so as there are areas of planning committee business that are not easily covered in a generic, council-wide code of conduct. In 2019 the LGA produced a guide: the LGA Probity in Planning and more recently PAS has produced guidance on planning committee protocols to help councils prepare and review their planning committee Protocols. Other useful guides on probity matters include the RTPI’s Probity and the Professional Planner and The Members Planning Code of Good Practice produced by Lawyers in Local Government.

What protocols are followed by the planning committee?

The planning committee follows the same protocols that all other council meetings follow, and this is written within the Council’s Constitution There are various protocols in place for such matters as: speaking at planning committee; site visits; pre-application involvement etc. However, these are not formalised in the constitution but are just in the form of guidance notes There are separate planning committee protocols, but these have not been reviewed for many years and so have not been updated to include the latest legislation and guidance (such as the 2019 version of the LGA Probity in planning document) The planning committee protocols are regularly reviewed by officers and members and form a key part of the planning committee annual training programme to ensure that all relevant people understand and follow the protocols

Part 4: Training

Members of the planning committee must have the necessary skills to make sound planning decisions. This does not mean that they should be planning 'experts', as the council employs planning and other specialist professionals (e.g. legal) to provide technical advice to members of the planning committee.

In addition, all councillors in a council need to have a basic understanding of planning so that they can advise their local residents and relevant planning reasons that might impact a planning decision.

Committee members do, however, need to understand the key aspects and issues, be able to ask appropriate questions and make decisions based on the evidence supporting the planning application(s) presented to them.

At the moment it is not a nationally mandated requirement in England for planning committee members to be trained, however most councils make it a locally mandated requirement before councillors are allowed to sit on planning committee. Councils that do not require members to be trained could be more at risk of challenge e.g. if an applicant feels that members of the planning committee have not properly considered matters presented to them.

It is also best practice for members to receive ongoing training on issues such as urban design, viability, housing land supply etc and also to visit completed developments to review the impact of their decisions.

The PAS planning committee survey 2025 identified that 81 per cent of planning committees in England made it a mandatory requirement for councillors to be trained if they wish to sit on the planning committee.

The Government is currently reviewing the training requirements for councils and therefore you are advised to check progress on national changes before reviewing your own council’s schedule of training.

How, and how often, are members of the planning committee trained?

Training is carried out in an ad-hoc way and/or provided when members and officers can find the time. There is no mandatory requirement for members to be trained before sitting on the planning committee and/or there is no set training programme or format There is an annual training event for new planning committee members and existing members if they wish to attend. It is carried out by officers, and it is not mandatory for members to attend There is mandatory training prior to members being able to sit on planning committees. Also, there is an annual planning committee training session scheduled in the diary that is mandatory for all members of the planning committee and other councillors are encouraged to attend. The format of the training session and who provides the training is agreed with the Chair/other senior leaders based on issues most relevant to the council There is a programme of committee member training throughout the year that focuses on different topic areas. Members are clear about the mandatory training and other councillors are encouraged to attend. The training is agreed well in advance and is provided by a combination of in-house and external providers

Part 5: Member involvement/briefings prior to committee

Members of planning committees are often reluctant to receive information about a planning application or meet with the applicant prior to the planning committee meeting for fear of being, or appearing to be, pre-determined (‘pre-determined’ means having made up their mind prior to the committee meeting about whether they will approve or refuse the application – this will be in breach of codes of conduct). However, to be pre-determined a member would need to have demonstrated that, or been shown to have made their decision with, a ‘closed mind’ i.e. that nothing discussed in the planning committee meeting was going to change their pre-determined position.

It is the job of members to deliver their local plan and therefore, it is important that they are pre-disposed to implementing their local plan and to approach decision-making in a positive way (as directed through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)). For these reasons it is important that members are involved at the pre-application stage whenever possible so that they can discharge their duties and responsibilities.

Any pre-involvement of this kind should be subject to strict transparency and reporting requirements and supervised by experienced planning officers.

Are planning committee members encouraged to take part in pre-application discussions?

Members are advised not to attend any pre-application discussions between the applicant and council officers Planning committee members are able to attend pre-application discussions with an applicant, under the guidance of officers and with an officer being present Members are free to attend pre-application discussions as they see fit. However, they will then need to decide whether they are in a position to be pre-determined and, in such cases, should not sit on the planning committee

Is there a process for pre-committee briefings to take place?

No, these never take place, and all discussion takes place at the planning committee If an applicant or officers wish to hold a pre-committee briefing they are considered on their own merits and the decision is made by the Chair in consultation with officers There is a set procedure outlined in the planning protocols for pre-committee briefings and officers, in consultation with the chair, normally instigate the briefings

Part 6: Site visits

Site visits are a very useful tool to enable planning committee members to better understand the site (e.g. the geographical context, any constraints etc.) where an application is situated. A site visit should not normally form part of the actual planning committee meeting but will be held purely for familiarisation purposes. Ideally site visits are either carried out prior to the committee meeting or members may defer an item being presented at committee for a site visit.

Is there a set process for carrying out site visits?

Yes, this is set out in the planning committee code in agreement with members No, members know that they can ask for a site visit either before or during a committee meeting and arrangements are made once a request is made

How often are items deferred for a site visit?

Very rarely or never because members are required to request a site visit prior to the committee meeting and either do not have the option to defer for a site visit during a meeting or can only do so due to very specific reasons If a committee member wants a site visit they request this at the committee meeting and the application matter is deferred, so it happens quite often It happens quite often, despite us having a clear procedure in place

Part 7: General accessibility, layout and use of IT

The planning committee is often referred to as the 'shop window of the council because it is the council committee that is normally most viewed or attended by the public. It is, therefore, very important that the planning committee is as accessible as possible to the public and is seen to conduct business in an open, professional way. This includes accessibility of the website, the accessibility of the location of the planning committee meetings and the ease with which the public can understand how the business of the planning committee is being conducted.

There are a number of good reasons to webcast your meetings that include:

providing greater access to decision-making for interested parties

helping to understand the committee’s position when defending an appeal

rebutting claims of maladministration or failure to follow due process if a complaint or judicial claim is put forward

to help both officers and members review planning committee practices as part of continuous learning.

How is webcasting used for planning committee?

The PAS Modernising Planning Committees National Survey 2025 identified that 85 per cent of councils webcast or record in some way their planning committee meetings and PAS considers this is good practice to show transparency in decision-making. Outlined below are a set of best practice suggestions that you may want to include as part of the planning committee webcasting arrangements:

Don’t just use a static camera unless you are confident it can capture everything that is happening in the room and ensure that the camera focuses on the person who is speaking at all times. This will help viewers better understand the proceedings and retain their interest in the discussion taking place.

Link the webcast to the agenda page on the council’s website and, ideally, link each item on the agenda to allow the viewer to navigate to the correct part of the recording.

Make it easy for people to find the recordings and this usually means providing the links on the planning committee agenda page and/or your planning page. Count how many clicks are needed to get to the page where you can view the webcast. You should aim for three clicks.
Use more than one camera so the audience get the best possible view of proceedings. A single camera looks both unprofessional and makes it difficult for the audience to follow what is happening.

Remember to record the sound as well as the visuals to ensure that it is clear what is being said by all participants in the decision-making process.

Keep up-to-date with the latest technology either through your own IT teams or by looking at what other councils are doing with their planning committee recordings. No council will mind you copying their good ideas.

Ensure you keep the meeting recordings for future reference. This will help with any future appeals or challenges and will also mean that you can keep the formal minutes concise and to the point.

How suitable is the venue to host your planning committee?

We have set out some general guidance and things to consider when considering the venue you use for your planning committee meetings:

The venue, layout and use of technology are important considerations for committee members conducting the meeting, for the interested parties who attend the meeting and for those who view it online. If a permanent and suitable venue is not available, it can have an impact on the quality of the decision-making process and the staff resources needed to administer the meeting.

Ideally, planning committee meetings should be held at the same venue for each meeting. The venue should be properly risk assessed to meet both physical accessibility and be compatible with the requirements for good decision-making. If the same venue is not possible for every meeting then an accessibility and layout plan should be prepared so that the venue meets the planning committee requirements.

It is not always possible for councils to create the layouts that they would like for the planning committee due to the types of venues that are available. Some venues are too small to hold a larger audience or provide good visibility. It is important that this is acknowledged, and contingencies are made such as making an ‘overflow’ room available where the committee proceedings can be viewed on a screen.

Pre-plan meetings - if a large number of people are expected and the venue is too small, make the public aware well in advance that spaces will be limited and, if necessary, try to find an alternative, larger venue, to hold the meeting. If there are known accessibility issues plan for these well in advance to ensure that you comply with equality legislation.

The IT facilities should be installed to properly meet the requirements of the meeting and the layout should be well thought out and created in consultation with officers and members so that it best meets the requirements of the planning committee.

Ask attendees for feedback regularly so that you can make any changes that may be necessary. Sometimes small changes can make a big difference and it is important that attendees see that their feedback is making a difference.

Part 8: Chairing skills and Chair’s briefing

The role of the Chair is pivotal to the success of the planning committee. It is important that the Chair understands the committee's business and procedures and has a good relationship with the key officers who will be attending and supporting the planning committee. If the Chair is strong the committee debates will remain focused on planning issues and all interested parties will receive a fair and equitable hearing. If the Chair is weak then the committee is in danger of making unsound decisions and could be open to challenge due to bias and poor management.

Councils will normally hold a Chair’s briefing prior to the formal planning committee meeting. This is an important part of the planning committee process as it enables, ahead of the main committee meeting, the Chair (and usually vice Chair) to help organise and manage the committee meeting and to understand from officers the issues that are going to be discussed. There may be important issues to look out for/be aware of (e.g. no surprises) and it is a useful tool to help keep the actual committee meeting focused and to time. However, it is important that these meetings are limited to organisational issues and are not used by the Chair/vice Chair to exert any influence on officers on the recommendations they put to planning committee.

The following is a checklist that planning committee Chairs should consider adopting as part of their chairing roles (credit to Cllr Liz Green, Kingston Council, LGA peer and LG Progress Ltd).

Keeping the meeting legal

know the constitutional and procedural rules for your meeting
know who to ask for any clarifications
know who is expected to attend, who can speak, who can vote and any quorate rules
ensure correct information is available to everyone who needs it
know what interventions are open to you
understand the reasoning behind any exempt agenda items and keep it clear when there is exempt information
ensure that minutes are accurate and sent out in a timely manner
be clear who will follow up on any questions/issues raised.

Getting the business done

set or agree the agenda in advance of the meeting with a view to time management
keep control in the meeting; three C’s - clarity, consistency, conciseness, using your vice chair and officers, ensure everyone knows where you are in the process and the next steps, take a moment to pause when required and decide when to intervene
ensure you are clear when follow-ups are allowed.

How to intervene

be clear when the meeting is in discussion and when it is time for a decision
deal with different participants and attendees appropriately, adapting your approach depending on whether the individual is: dominant, quiet, rambling, aggressive
challenge disruptive behaviour.

Ensuring fairness

ensure interested parties know about the meeting
ensure equal opportunity to speak (as rules allow)
make everyone feel relaxed to speak
demonstrate natural justice
ensure there is active listening to everyone and by everyone
demonstrate the Nolan principles .

How is the Chair's briefing conducted?

There is no Chair’s briefing before a planning committee meeting There is a short meeting with the Chair/vice Chair on the day of the meeting or the day before and this is simply to agree procedural arrangements for the meeting and does not involve a discussion on the items being presented There is a meeting with the Chair/vice Chair in the build-up to the planning committee (after agenda publication) where detailed arrangements are discussed such as the presentation, likely attendance from interested parties, officer representation, etc There is a meeting with the Chair/vice Chair prior to the publication of the agenda and the Chair/vice Chair discusses issues such as the presentation, likely attendance from interested parties, officer representation, etc

Part 9: Member and officer relations and officer attendance at committee

Possibly the most important indicator of a well-run planning committee is when there is demonstrable mutual respect and understanding between members and officers. When this works well members have the confidence that they will get professional and helpful advice from officers and officers have the reassurance that members will listen to officers and make sound decisions. Remember that the planning committee is a meeting held in public and the community/visitors to the committee also need confidence in the process. When there is a lack of mutual respect, it often results in poor decision-making and is reputationally damaging for a council.

Features of good member/officer relationships in Planning Committees

Strong, effective relationships between planning officers and elected members are fundamental to good planning decisions, a well-functioning committee, and a positive organisational culture. These relationships should be built on mutual trust, clear roles, and ongoing communication. Based on our experience, here are the key features of good member/officer relations:

1: Regular and meaningful contact

Members and officers should have opportunities to engage outside of formal committee meetings.

Chairs and Vice-Chairs should be in regular contact with senior officers to discuss committee management and planning issues.

There should also be structured opportunities for case officers and more junior staff to interact with members (e.g. through briefings or training), helping to demystify roles and build confidence.

2: Clear protocols and agreed behaviours

Councils should have an agreed set of protocols covering communication between members and officers, including how and when members can ask questions or raise concerns before meetings.

These protocols should be jointly developed, regularly reviewed, and promoted across the planning service and political groups.

The committee Chair should play an active leadership role in setting expectations and maintaining respectful behaviour.

3: Shared understanding of roles

Members should understand and respect the professional role of planning officers, including the basis of their recommendations.

Officers, in turn, should understand and respect the democratic role of the planning committee in making decisions, which includes balancing policy, evidence, and local views.

Constructive challenge should be encouraged - but personal attacks, dismissiveness, or inappropriate comments must be addressed swiftly.

4. Culture of mutual respect and support

Committee discussions should be informed, respectful, and focused on planning issues.

Officers should feel supported when presenting at committee and confident that members will treat them professionally.

Members should feel supported by officers in understanding applications and in exploring policy and legal implications.

5. Ongoing training and development

Joint officer-member training should be a regular feature - not just an induction activity or reaction to problems. Training should cover:

planning law and policy

probity and decision-making

committee procedures and behaviours

emerging themes (e.g. climate policy, design codes and BNG)

good practice includes inviting external speakers or using peer support (e.g. through PAS).

6. Proactive leadership and maintenance

Strong relationships require ongoing care and maintenance.

Changes in political leadership or senior staff should trigger a review of how officer/member relations are working.

Where problems arise, councils should act quickly and, if necessary, seek support from external peers or bodies like PAS.

Next Steps for Councils

Whether you are starting from a strong base or seeking to improve, consider the following actions:

Review your protocols for member-officer interactions.

Invest in joint training and regular briefings.

Support committee chairs to lead by example.

Use peer support or reviews to reflect on how your committee is working.

Embed officer/member working as a shared responsibility - not something that sits only with senior officers.

Part 10: Officer reports and presentations

The officer report is the key piece of evidence that members must consider for a planning application at the planning committee. The report should be clear and comprehensive but also proportionate and concise so that members can clearly understand the key features and arguments for and against an application.

For the same reasons it is important that the officer presentation highlights the key points (e.g. features of design, delivery of council policies) that officers feel require consideration and debate. However, the presentation is not a substitute for the officer report, it should simply bring out the key points for consideration.

Is there a set format for planning committee reports?

The report format is the same as for a delegated report and officers are encouraged to write them in the way they feel is best to present to members There is a planning committee officer report template used and this has been in place for many years. Members seem to like it so there is no demand to change it The planning committee officer report has been designed in consultation with members and is regularly reviewed both by members and officers when either legislation changes or an issue is raised (e.g. through an appeal decision or challenge)

PAS would encourage you to have a protocol for speaking in place and suggest it includes the following:

A time limit for each speaker, possibly with the inclusion of a countdown clock or a prompt to warn speakers when they are coming to the end of their time.

A guide to speakers on matters that are material and non-material in planning terms.

Guidance for the Chair on inappropriate behaviour and action that a Chair can take e.g. stopping the speaker to ask them to withdraw the comment or cancelling their right to complete their speech.

A clear policy on whether councillors can ask the speaker follow-up questions or whether there will be no further involvement of the speaker.

A clear policy on the use of additional material such as a presentation or distributing material to the committee. If this is to be allowed PAS strongly advises that this is passed to an individual (e.g. Democratic Support, lead officer, or case officer) well in advance (we recommend a cut-off date/time is specified) so that it can be checked for accuracy and bias.

The process for registering to speak including any cut-off times or eligibility to speak (e.g. requirement to have submitted a comment or the ward that a councillor represents);

Clarification whether a speaker is allowed to share their slot with another speaker and how the other speaker(s) would qualify to speak.

The qualification to speak if a matter is deferred e.g. do they have an automatic right to speak or do they need to re-register?

Ensure that people with different viewpoints have the same length of time to speak e.g. the applicant having the same time to speak as objectors.

A requirement that any lobbying information is referred to the Head of Planning prior to the meeting so they can comment on its accuracy.

More guidance can be found on the PAS website.

Who presents the officer reports to planning committee?

Always a planning manager or a senior officer who is experienced at presenting to planning committee Always the case officer unless they are unavailable for the meeting It depends on the agenda and who is attending the meeting. A more senior officer will often present a more junior officer’s report if it is more convenient to do so or if the junior officer does not feel confident in presenting

Part 11: Number of planning committees, length of planning committee meetings and number of items

Most councils should be able to manage with a single planning committee covering the whole council area. In some cases, this is impractical either due to the large geographical area covered by the council or the high volume of planning applications received. Also, many councils have a 'strategic developments' committee to deal with the most complex and high-profile cases. For example, in London, the strategic meetings might be reserved for items with London Mayor interest.

The PAS Modernising Planning Committees National Survey 2025 identified that 79 per cent of councils in England have one planning committee and when a council has more than one committee, 52 per cent have a Strategic Developments committee (or equivalent).

There is no right number of items that should be considered at any one meeting as it will depend on the size, complexity and contentiousness of each item. However, the length of time spent at each meeting will be a good indicator of whether the agenda is reasonable. For example, if there are several small, relatively uncontentious items coming forward (such as employee applications or uncontentious council sponsored applications) then a larger number of applications could be considered. However, if there is one or a number of major, complex and contentious applications that needs a committee decision, it would be reasonable for the meeting to have just those items on the agenda.

The PAS Modernising Planning Committees National Survey 2025 identified that 81 per cent of planning committees had an average of four or fewer applications at each committee, 85 per cent had monthly meetings and 74 per cent took three hours or less on average to complete a meeting.

How many committees does your council have for your council area?

PAS view: If you have more than one planning committee you need to be clear about why more than one is needed. Is it to manage the large number of applications being referred to the committee? Is it because you want to separate strategically important applications from other applications? Is it for practical reasons because of the large geographic area that the council covers and therefore it is difficult to travel to the venue? These are all legitimate reasons for having more than one committee.

Some councils have a referral system for the most contentious applications e.g. referral to Full Council. Whilst having a checking process available to avoid potentially poor decision-making is a good thing, councils need to be wary of this referral system being used as an excuse for planning committee not to make a decision. This could result in poorer decision-making by members who are not properly trained, or even resulting in a decision simply being made twice.

Suggested action

If you have more than one committee and you have very few items or regularly have to cancel meetings because of a lack of items, consider whether you really need more than one committee.

If you regularly run out of time at meetings and have to defer items you may want to consider whether you need to either reduce the number of items that need to come to committee, reduce the time spent debating items or consider having an additional committee e.g. a meeting for strategically important developments.

If you operate a referral system to another committee or Full Council, review decisions made through this process to ensure that you are confident it is achieving the right quality of decision-making.

How long does each committee take on average?

An hour or less One to three hours Three to five hours Over five hours

Is there an actual or perceived difference in outcome from different committees? (For councils with more than one committee)

No, the committees are differentiated by the type of application or geographic area, but the decision-making process is consistent Interested parties sometimes say there is a difference of approach when the decision goes against them, but the council has considered this and is happy that the training and, therefore, decision-making is consistent There are regular observations or complaints that different outcomes result from the different committees and interested parties look to get their items heard at particular committees because they consider that they know they will get a better result

What time of day/evening does your planning committee take place?

The PAS Modernising Planning Committees National Survey 2025 identified that there was a correlation between the start time for meetings and length of time taken to complete the meeting - 74 per cent of councils whose committees last for an average of over three hours hold their meetings during the day. Conversely, 61 per cent of councils who hold their meetings in the evening, take an average of under two hours.

Outlined below are a set of best practice suggestions that you may want to consider when deciding the time of day to hold planning committee meetings:

Be consistent with the time that you hold the meetings. It is confusing for all participants in the planning committee process if the times change and you will open to complaints when participants feel that it has not been made clear about the timing of meetings.

Evening meetings are often more convenient for members of the committee and the public who work, but is less convenient for staff who have probably had a full day’s work and may have issues with transport and caring responsibilities if meetings finish late in the evening.

Morning and afternoon meetings are more convenient for council staff, but may be difficult for members of the committee and the public who work.

As outlined above, the PAS Modernising Planning Committees National Survey 2025 indicates that evening meetings tend to be shorter than those held during the day, so if you are concerned at the length of meetings then evening meetings may help members of the committee to be more focused during debates.

At the next convenient opportunity (for example around the time of the next Council AGM) review the timing of the planning committee meetings taking account of the particular requirements of officers and members from all parties. However, recognise that the timing will inevitably be a compromise as you are unlikely to meet everyone’s preferred option.

When there are significant changes in membership of the planning committee review the timings of the committee with the committee members recognising that the timing will inevitably be a compromise as you are unlikely to meet everyone’s preferred option.

Part 12: Public speaking at planning committee

Public speaking is now an established part of the planning committee and most councils allow public speaking. However, councils do not have to allow public speaking as long as the officers clearly explain the pros and cons of an application. It is also very important to establish some clear rules regarding public speaking to ensure you are being fair to all parties and that public speaking does not, unnecessarily, extend the length of the meeting. Also, it is important that speaking is restricted to matters relevant to the decision-making of a planning application.

What are the public speaking arrangements for your planning committee?

We don’t allow public speaking at our committee We allow a limited number of speakers (e.g. one objector, one supporter and councillors who represent the ward). They are given a fixed time limit to speak (e.g. three or five minutes) and then take no further part in the committee meeting We allow a limited number of speakers (e.g. one objector, one supporter and councillors who represent the ward). They are given a fixed time limit to speak (e.g. three or five minutes) and are allowed to ask questions to the speakers We allow a limited number of speakers and allow additional speakers such as town and parish councillors There are an unlimited number of speakers who can register to speak provided they meet the criteria set out by the council

Do you have a protocol for public speaking at planning committee?

PAS would encourage you to have a protocol for speaking in place and suggest it includes the following:

A time limit for each speaker, possibly with the inclusion of a countdown clock or a prompt to warn speakers when they are coming to the end of their time.

A guide to speakers on matters that are material and non-material in planning terms.

Guidance for the Chair on inappropriate behaviour and action that a Chair can take e.g. stopping the speaker to ask them to withdraw the comment or cancelling their right to complete their speech.

A clear policy on whether councillors can ask the speaker follow-up questions or whether there will be no further involvement of the speaker.

A clear policy on the use of additional material such as a presentation or distributing material to the committee. If this is to be allowed PAS strongly advises that this is passed to an individual (e.g. Democratic Support, Lead officer, or case officer) well in advance (we recommend a cut-off date/time is specified) so that it can be checked for accuracy and bias.

The process for registering to speak including any cut-off times or eligibility to speak (e.g. requirement to have submitted a comment or the ward that a councillor represents).

Clarification on whether a speaker is allowed to share their slot with another speaker and how the other speaker(s) would qualify to speak.

The qualification to speak if a matter is deferred e.g. do they have an automatic right to speak or do they need to re-register?

Ensure that people with different viewpoints have the same length of time to speak e.g. the applicant having the same time to speak as objectors.

A requirement that any lobbying information is referred to the Head of Planning prior to the meeting so they can comment on its accuracy.

More guidance can be found on the PAS website.

Part 13: Making the decision at planning committee

The way members of the planning committee make their decisions is crucial to the effective running of the committee. If this part of the process runs smoothly then it will demonstrate an open and professional process to all interested parties, even if those interested parties do not agree with the final decision that members make. If it does not run smoothly then it can be damaging to a council in terms of reputation and the ability to defendable decision-making.

Outlined below are a set of best practice suggestions that you will want to consider when reviewing how members make decisions at the planning committee:

A planning lawyer should be available at this point in the decision-making process to ensure that members are being open and transparent in their decision-making and they can be advised on any potential challenges to their decision-making.

The procedure for making decisions, particularly those contrary to the officer recommendation, should be clearly set out in the planning committee protocols so it is clear and transparent to all participants in the planning committee process.

Members should debate alternative motions before a vote is called. Members must come to a planning committee meeting with an open mind and be able to be influenced by arguments that will change their minds about any pre-disposed view. If an alternative motion is moved without a proper debate then the committee is vulnerable to a challenge of members being pre-disposed to a particular viewpoint.

If members are to vote against an officer recommendation then it is important that they are clear about the reasons for that alternative motion and can challenge each other of the soundness of the decision. Examples: A refusal will need to have justifiable reasons that relate to policy and evidence, an approval against officer advice needs to include conditions that meet the six soundness tests and mitigate the impact of the development, and a deferral must be justified by matters that can be identified or explained for a future meeting.

Officers should be given a chance to respond to potential alternative motions before members vote on a resolution. This will help guide members on reasonable and defendable decisions.

All interested parties need to be clear about how decisions are made particularly if they are contrary to officer recommendations. Avoid adjourning ‘behind closed doors’ to discuss a possible decision as this will give the perception of unwarranted interference in the decision-making process.

Ensure that the decision-making procedure is included in the planning committee training for all members of the committee.

Ensure that there is clear messaging about the role of the planning committee in making decisions and that complaints are only valid if challenging the process of decision-making. The Local Government Ombudsman is clear that it will not investigate the decision-making outcome if due process is followed and therefore it is helpful for the public to be reminded of this through guidance.

What is the procedure for voting on resolutions?

Members are asked to physically raise their hands at the same time and an officer counts the number of hands raised The Chair asks each individual member of the committee in turn for their decision A form of electronic voting is in operation to register the votes A paper system of voting is in operation where members of the committee tick a box (or similar)

Part 14: Reporting on performance

Currently, the Government measures a council’s Development Management performance through specific standards for the speed and quality of decision-making. If a council does not reach these standards it is at risk of designation through S62 of the Town and Country planning Act. It is, therefore, helpful if the planning committee has oversight of its council’s performance both to address any deterioration in performance and to celebrate good performance. It is also an opportunity for a council to monitor other local performance measures and enforcement performance standards.

How is performance reported to members of the committee?

There are no performance reports presented to the planning committee Performance is only reported to the planning committee when there is a problem e.g. a planning committee overturn has resulted in appeal costs against the council A performance report is presented to planning committee as part of an annual review that includes performance at appeal and performance against national performance targets Performance is regularly reported to the planning committee (e.g. quarterly) and includes a regular reporting structure that includes metrics that the planning committee has agreed in advance with officers (e.g. through discussion as part of the regular member training programme)

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