Your Say in Planning – Introducing the new member referral process for Planning Committee

As a County Councillor, you play a vital role in representing your community’s interests in planning decisions. To support this, the County Council has introduced a Councillor Request Form – a simple and transparent way for you to formally request that certain planning applications be considered by the Planning Committee, rather than determined by officers under delegated powers.

Please note: This referral process applies only to planning applications determined by Gloucestershire County Council – typically minerals, waste management, and public infrastructure developments (such as schools and highways). It does not apply to applications determined by Gloucestershire’s district councils, such as residential or commercial developments.

This process empowers you to raise concerns brought forward by local communities. These may include:

·    Potential impacts on local amenity, traffic, or the environment.

·         Risk of harm to heritage assets or protected landscapes.

·         Applications that have generated significant public interest.

·         Proposals with strategic implications or potential for long-term change.

By completing the form, you can ensure that applications of concern are scrutinised by elected members before a final decision is made. All referral requests must include valid planning reasons and will be reviewed by the Planning Committee Delegation Review Panel, made up of Planning Committee members.

Key points:

·     Submit your referral request within 21 days of the consultation notification date for the application or contact the case officer as soon as possible to discuss any potential referral request.

·    Use the electronic referral request form, highlighting relevant planning themes and providing any supporting details.

·     All referral requests will be recorded and reported to Planning Committee for transparency.

·    Referral request can relate to applications from any locality within Gloucestershire and not just from within your electoral division.

·  The referral process does not determine whether an application is acceptable – it only influences how the decision will be made.

‘This is your opportunity to help shape development throughout Gloucestershire and ensure that local community voices are heard in the planning process.’

If you have any further questions regarding the decision making process for planning applications determined by the County Council, or indeed any other land-use planning matter of potential interest to the County Council please do not hesitate to contact the Planning Development Management team: - planningdc@gloucestershire.gov.uk