From 31 October 2026, new national rules change who decides routine planning applications in England. Under the National Scheme of Delegation, the majority of planning applications, including householder proposals such as extensions and alterations to existing homes and residential development of fewer than 10 dwellings, will no longer be referred to a planning committee by councillors. Instead, those applications must be determined by professional planning officers.

Councils across England have been updating their decision-making processes and governance arrangements to comply. Spelthorne Borough Council explains that decisions will continue to take account of national planning policies and the council's own local plan, and that residents will still have the opportunity to comment on applications. Elmbridge Borough Council notes that its officers already determine 96% of applications, so for many residents the practical change will be smaller than the headline suggests.

What still goes to committee

The change does not remove committees altogether. Applications that are more complex, or that have a bigger impact on the community, can still be decided by a planning committee, and councillors keep a role where applications meet the criteria set out in the new rules. The government has put a review in place after three years to check whether the new process is working as intended, an acknowledgement that the reform is significant even though it is aimed at straightforward cases.

For householders, the point of the reform is speed and consistency: a routine extension should no longer wait for a committee slot. It is not a guarantee of permission, and it does not change the policies against which an application is judged. Anyone planning work should still check local policies and submit a complete application, because an officer decision applies the same tests a committee would.