Planning changes recommended for approval in Horsham

Once approved by the full council, the changes will include reducing the number of councillors on the planning committee from 15 to 13, and removing the current ‘call-in’ system, which allows members to ask for certain applications to be considered by that committee.

The council has little choice but to make the changes due to the introduction of the government’s National Scheme of Delegation, which comes into force on October 31. If it fails to do so, it will find itself on the receiving end of legal action.

The government said the aim of the scheme was to ‘ensure greater clarity, consistency, and certainty’ about the role of planning committees in decision-making.

Once the scheme comes into play, applications will fall into one of two categories. Schedule 1 applications – including minor commercial and householder developments, reserved matters, prior approval applications and the discharge of planning conditions – must be determined by planning officers.

Schedule 2 applications – including large outline planning applications, tree preservation orders, applications for listed building consent, and applications in which the council or a councillor has an interest – may be determined by the planning committee.

Each application will undergo three ‘gateway’ tests to determine which of the schedules applies.

Alexander Jeffery (Lib Dem, Southwater South & Shipley) said councillors had ‘concerns’ about losing the ability to call in an application – but recognised that the authority had little choice but to adhere to the government’s new rules.

He added: “The arrangements preserve a route for members to request consideration of eligible applications where they can explain the significant local or planning issues involved.”

The changes are included in an updated version of the council’s Constitution, which was recommended for approval during the meeting on Monday (September 28).

The Constitution was adopted on April 2 2025, when it was agreed that the head of legal and democratic services  – the Monitoring Officer – would carry out a post-implementation review to assess its effectiveness.

That review also covered scrutiny arrangements. They were found to be ‘operating effectively and providing appropriate challenge and oversight’. But the need for training and ‘improved internal protocols’ were highlighted to ensure that councillors were involved from an early stage when it came to policy development.