The Commons debate on 5 January considered the issue of alternative providers dealing with processing planning permissions, as Planning minister Brandon Lewis says ‘The democratic determination of planning applications by local planning authorities is a fundamental pillar of the planning system.’
Planning minister Brandon Lewis said:
‘Let me be clear: this is about competition for the processing of applications, not their determination. The democratic determination of planning applications by local planning authorities is a fundamental pillar of the planning system, and that will remain the case during any pilot schemes that the Secretary of State brings forward. Let me also be clear that new clause 43 would require that any pilot schemes brought forward by the Secretary of State will be for a limited period specified in regulations’ (Hansard 5 Jan 2016: Column 218)
View the full text of the debate
View a Planning Portal summary of the debate
