A major change has taken place in the way planning applications are determined. The Government’s new National Scheme of Delegation is now in force, substantially restricting the applications which can be considered by elected councillors at a public planning committee.

Applications classified as “Schedule 1” must now be determined by planning officers. They include householder development, minor commercial schemes and residential proposals for up to nine homes on sites smaller than half a hectare, together with various technical applications.

Previously, a ward councillor could ask for an application to be referred to committee where there was legitimate local concern. Councillors could hear from residents, question officers and debate the merits of the proposal in public. That safeguard has now been removed for Schedule 1 applications, regardless of the number of objections or the strength of local feeling.

I remain deeply concerned about this change. It weakens transparency, openness and democratic scrutiny while concentrating considerably more decision-making power in the hands of unelected officers.

That is not a criticism of our professional planning teams, who undertake difficult work within a complex legal framework. It is a matter of accountability. Planning decisions can permanently change a community, yet residents will now have fewer opportunities to see those decisions examined publicly by the people they elected.

Residents must therefore adapt how they participate in the planning process.

First, do not assume that submitting one objection at the beginning of an application is the end of your involvement. Applications frequently evolve. Revised plans may be submitted and responses may arrive from consultees including highways officers, environmental health, drainage authorities, ecologists and parish or town councils.

These responses can introduce new information or identify issues that were not apparent when the application was first published. Residents should monitor the application’s online record regularly and update their comments when relevant information appears.

When responding, concentrate on material planning considerations. These may include highway safety, access, flooding, drainage, design, overlooking, loss of privacy, ecological impacts, heritage, the character of the area and conflict with policies in the Local or Neighbourhood Plan. Explain concerns clearly, relate them to published evidence and avoid comments about an applicant’s identity or motives, which cannot form part of the planning decision.

If amended plans do not resolve an earlier concern, say so and explain why. If a consultee response raises a new issue, residents are entitled to comment on its implications. Quote the planning application reference each time and ensure that additional representations are submitted through the council’s official planning system.

Ward councillors can no longer secure committee determination of a Schedule 1 application, but we can still help residents understand the process, identify relevant policies and ensure that properly raised concerns are visible to decision-makers.

The new system makes vigilance more important than ever. Residents should engage early, follow an application throughout its progress and keep their representations accurate, relevant and up to date. Reduced democratic scrutiny must not be allowed to mean a quieter public voice.

*Cllr Nick Adams-King is the Leader of Hampshire County Council