Councillors from all parties have asked ministers to change the new planning rules now. They want Neighbourhood Plan clashes to be heard at a public committee.

Thirty-six of Test Valley’s 43 borough councillors, from all parties, have signed a letter asking the government to change its new planning rules straight away. The rules, which took effect on 31 October, mean far fewer applications can be decided by councillors in a public meeting.

The letter is dated 30 October and is addressed to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. It is signed by the council leader, Phil North, the opposition leader, Neil Gwynne, and the planning portfolio holder, Phil Bundy, followed by 33 other councillors. The letter says it carries the signatures of all councillors at the Full Council meeting of 14 October, where the subject was discussed. The council published it on 2 November. (Letter to the Secretary of State, 30 October 2026)

What the letter asks for

The councillors make two requests:

  • any application that conflicts with an adopted Neighbourhood Development Plan should automatically be eligible for a committee hearing
  • the government should review the rules now, rather than in two years’ time as it has promised

Under the new national scheme, an application in Schedule 1 of the regulations must be decided by an officer. The letter says that holds “even where it conflicts with policies in an adopted Neighbourhood Plan”. Parishes that wrote those plans would then have no chance to speak at a meeting or see the decision made.

Only Schedule 2 applications can still reach a committee, and only if they pass what the letter calls “gateway tests”. We explained how that gateway works, and which Andover routes to committee it closed, in our September report on the change.

The Romsey example

The councillors argue that slow building, not refusals, is what holds back new homes. They point to a site in the centre of Romsey that got permission for 211 houses in 2006. “Apart from a very small number of completions, that site still hasn’t been built out,” the letter says. It does not name the site.

“Democracy shouldn’t be denigrated because of fundamental problems in the development industry,” it adds.

What the council’s leaders said

The council set out its position in a statement on 2 November. (Test Valley Borough Council, 2 November 2026)

Cllr North said: “These changes will significantly reduce the number of applications that can be considered by elected councillors in public committee meetings. Put simply, the government’s desire to centralise will denigrate democracy locally.”

Cllr Bundy said there should be “greater flexibility and scope for councils to refer any applications of significant local interest to committee”.

Cllr Gwynne said: “This is an issue that affects communities across Test Valley, regardless of political views.”

The letter follows a vote at Full Council on 14 October, when councillors agreed to raise their concerns with the government.

What it means for you

  • If you object to an application near you, write to the council in the consultation period. Your letter is now more likely to be read by an officer deciding the case alone than by a committee.
  • You can still ask your ward councillor to look at a case. They can no longer insist that it goes to committee.
  • If your parish has a Neighbourhood Plan, an application that breaks it can still be refused by an officer. It just may not be heard in public.
  • Track applications near you on our Andover planning news page.

Sources