Wokingham Borough Council is at risk of ‘underperforming’ if a rule about planning appeal decisions is changed by the government.
Wokingham Borough Council faces the risk of being labelled as ‘underperforming’ if the government alters planning appeal rules.
As the planning authority for Wokingham, Woodley, Earley, and surrounding villages, the council makes key decisions on planning applications, typically led by development manager Marcia Head.
Major plans are reviewed by a committee of councillors, with applicants able to appeal decisions to the government’s department of housing, communities, and local government.
The government is considering changes to planning decision processes, which has sparked varied reactions from Wokingham Borough Council.
The council agrees with a suggestion that planning committees should comprise between eight and 11 members, currently meeting this with nine members.
However, they oppose a new rule stating that councils are ‘underperforming’ if 5% or more of major or non-major decisions are overturned on appeal, arguing that the existing 10% threshold is more reasonable.
As of May, Wokingham had 76 major applications, with five appeals allowed, representing 6.5%. If the threshold drops, the council risks being deemed underperforming.
The council's response emphasises that a lower threshold could lead to unrepresentative outcomes, especially given the limited number of major applications.
Additionally, the council supports the government’s proposal for mandatory national training for councillors, which would enhance their existing training.
Councillor Martin Alder, the executive member for planning and enforcement, approved the council's feedback on these proposed reforms in July.
James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter
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