The government has announced reforms to the planning system, focusing on streamlining the statutory consultee process to accelerate growth and achieve the target of 1.5 million new homes. Organisations like Sport England, Theatres Trust, and The Gardens Trust may be removed from the list of mandatory consultees, while the scope of others will be narrowed.

The reforms aim to address issues such as lengthy consultation times, unnecessary objections, and "gold-plated" advice that delays development. The government reports that over 300 applications were escalated to the Secretary of State in the past three years due to consultee disagreements.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner stated: "We've put growth at the heart of our plans as a government, with our Plan for Change milestone to secure 1.5 million homes and unleash Britain's potential to build. We need to reform the system to ensure it is sensible and balanced, and does not create unintended delays – putting a hold on people's lives and harming our efforts to build the homes people desperately need. New developments must still meet our high expectations to create the homes, facilities and infrastructure that communities need."


The proposed changes include:

• Consultation on removing certain statutory consultees, including Sport England, Theatres Trust, and The Gardens Trust.

• Reviewing the scope of remaining consultees to focus on heritage, safety, and environmental protection.

• Clarifying that local authorities should only consult when necessary and adhere to statutory deadlines.

• Establishing a new performance framework with ministerial oversight.

The government emphasises that existing protections for open spaces and community facilities will remain in place through the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

A consultation on these reforms will be launched this spring, preceding the introduction of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will further aim to speed up planning decisions for housing and infrastructure projects.