From 31 October: who decides planning applications
From 31 October 2026, a national scheme set by government regulations decides which planning applications Hastings Borough Council's officers must decide, and which may go to its Planning Committee. That is 31 days from today.
Below are the council's own words on what changes, from the papers it put to its meetings, each linked to the page it comes from. They are picked by fixed rules, not summarised, and the rules are listed at the foot of the page.
To comment on an application, use its page on the council's site, which says how and by when. Every application on this site links to it.
When does it start?
“The purpose of this report is to seek approval for amendments to the Council's Constitution arising from the introduction of the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, which come into force on 31 October 2026.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 3 ↗
“Members should note that the National Scheme of Delegation comes into force from 31 October 2026 regardless of local views.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 98 ↗
“The proposed constitutional amendments are intended to minimise these risks by ensuring that the Council's planning governance arrangements are aligned with the legislative framework that comes into force on 31 October 2026.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 114 ↗
What is the National Scheme of Delegation?
“The Regulations establish the National Scheme of Delegation and prescribe the circumstances in which planning applications must be determined by officers or may be referred to Planning Committee.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 192 ↗
“The Regulations establish a mandatory national framework governing how planning functions are discharged by local planning authorities and removes the discretion previously enjoyed under section 101 of the LGA 1972 for councils to structure their own delegation arrangements for planning functions.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 38 ↗
“The National Scheme divides planning applications into two categories: Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 applications.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 51 ↗
Which applications will officers decide?
“The Regulations introduce the National Scheme of Delegation for Planning Functions and establish a mandatory national framework for determining which planning applications must be decided by officers and which may be referred to Planning Committee.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 3 ↗
“The category determines whether an application must be decided by officers or whether it can potentially be considered by Planning Committee.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 51 ↗
“Schedule 1 applications must be determined by officers and cannot normally be referred to Planning Committee.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 52 ↗
How can an application still go to the Planning Committee?
“Report Template v31.00 Proposed position: Call-in rights cease and applications may only reach Committee through the Gateway Test for schedule 2 type applications only.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 82 ↗
“Proposed position: Chair call-in powers cease and are replaced by the Nominated Member role for schedule 2 type applications only.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 83 ↗
“These applications are presumed to be delegated unless the statutory Gateway Test is met.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 59 ↗
What happens to call-in, objection numbers and petitions?
“Proposed position: Objection thresholds cease to operate.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 84 ↗
“The proposed amendments remove longstanding local planning referral arrangements, including Ward Member call-ins, objection thresholds and petition-based referral mechanisms, and replace them with a nationally prescribed statutory framework.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 128 ↗
“Petitions cannot override the National Scheme.”
Planning appendix AFull Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 8 ↗
Can people still speak at the Planning Committee?
“Residents will continue to be able to make representations on planning applications and participate in the planning process through existing consultation and public speaking procedures.”
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09Full Council, Wed 23 Sep 2026The paper, page 167 ↗
When the council considered it
Hastings Borough Council
Full Council · Wed 23 Sep 2026
Final National scheme of delegation report V2 Legal Amends 15.09
The report recommended: “Note the necessary amendments to Part 5 (Planning Protocol) and Part 8 (Standing Instructions to Authorised Officers) as set out in Appendix A.” (and more)
The minutes of this meeting aren't on the record yet.
What the committee heard in the last year
In the twelve months to Wed 30 Sep 2026, the borough's Planning Committee had 27 application reports before it. Each one, with the officer's recommendation beside the committee's decision and vote, is on how the planning committee decided. From 31 October, which applications reach the committee follows the national scheme.
How the sentences are picked
From the borough's reports whose title names the National Scheme of Delegation, the appendices put to the same meeting, and the Planning Committee minutes that mention the scheme, a sentence is shown under the first question whose words it uses:
- When does it start? "comes into force", "in force on".
- What is it? "divides planning applications", "the Regulations establish", "two categories".
- Which applications will officers decide? "determined by officers", "Schedule 1".
- How can an application still go to the committee? "Gateway Test", "Schedule 2", "own-interest", "may be referred".
- Call-in, objection numbers and petitions: "call-in", "objection threshold", "petition" (not scrutiny call-in).
- Speaking at the committee: "public speaking", "speak at".
At most 3 sentences for each, the report's first. The date is the one the papers give. Nothing here is legal advice: the regulations and the council's constitution are the authority.