Lib Dems Slam Labour Planning Changes as Committee Meetings Collapse

Liberal Democrat councillors have criticised Labour’s changes to planning rules at City of York Council after a dramatic drop in the number of applications being heard in public by the Planning Committee.

Since October, when Labour introduced new rules limiting which applications are referred to committee, all but three planning applications have been decided under delegated powers by planning officers. In the same five-month period, the Planning Committee has met just twice, with seven meetings postponed or cancelled.

Liberal Democrats say the changes have sidelined elected councillors and reduced democratic oversight over developments that shape York’s communities.

They also highlight that many residents had expected their local applications to be debated in public, where they could present verbal evidence and address councillors directly, only for those applications to be determined by officers instead.

Cllr Andrew Hollyer, Liberal Democrat councillor, said:

“We warned Labour that these changes would mean fewer applications going before elected councillors and that is exactly what has happened.

“Planning committee meetings provide a vital public forum. Residents can speak, councillors can scrutinise proposals in detail, and open debate often leads to additional planning conditions that improve developments.

“Instead, we are seeing meeting after meeting cancelled and decisions being taken behind closed doors under delegated powers.

“There are many local people who were expecting applications in their local area to go to committee so they could present evidence in public. That opportunity has simply been taken away.

“Decisions that shape our neighbourhoods should be made transparently, with proper democratic oversight, not quietly signed off without public debate.”