Bolton pursues legal challenge into national planning changes
Summary
Bolton Council has agreed, under protest, to amend its constitution to comply with the National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Functions, which shifts most planning decisions to public officers. At the same time, councillors have voted to explore the cost of a judicial review and to seek support from other local planning authorities for a coordinated legal challenge to the policy.
Why it matters
Changes to who makes planning decisions can affect the speed, consistency and transparency of planning outcomes, which are relevant to surveyors advising on development potential and planning risk. A legal challenge could also create uncertainty around the implementation of the new delegation arrangements across England.
Key points
- Bolton Council approved compliance with the national delegation scheme under protest.
- The council will examine the potential cost of a judicial review.
- Bolton plans to contact all local planning authorities in England to seek support for a joint challenge.
- Tameside, Central Bedfordshire and Fenland have previously opposed the policy.
- Other councils may support the challenge despite having adopted the changes.
This is an RPSA summary of a publicly available article. The full content remains with the original publisher.
