Changes to planning process to protect local decision making
02/06/2026
Officers successfully stopped Cherwell being “designated” when a threshold was crossed
Last minute updates to planning applications leaving councillors just minutes to digest new information have been stopped.
That’s one of the issues raised by the Planning Advisory Service after Cherwell District Council crossed a government set threshold for the number of planning application decisions overturned at appeal.
Now officers have a deadline of 4pm the day before a meeting for the publication of written updates.
The change is one of a number to the planning process to ensure the council holds on to the ability to decide planning decisions locally.
In the period from April 2022 to March 2024 the Council determined 115 major applications. Nineteen of those decisions were appealed with 12 overturned by the Planning Inspector – 10.43 percent. The government-set threshold is 10 percent.
Council officers successfully stopped Cherwell being “designated”, which would have allowed applicants to bypass the council and submit planning applications directly to the Planning Inspectorate.
The Planning Advisory Service noted the Council had an effective planning committee with professional, knowledgeable officers and members who understood planning issues and the importance of following officer advice. It also acknowledged the Council had dealt with a high number of contentious housing proposals.
However, they suggested a number of changes in areas such as site visits, improving clarity and consistency of officer reports and reintroducing a Developers’ Forum.
The Council’s Executive will consider the current position when it meets next week.
Published: by the Banbury FM News Team
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