Angry And Emotional Scenes As East Riding Council Hosts Final Planning Sub-Committee Meeting

East Riding of Yorkshire Council has held its final planning sub-committee meeting amid anger from local councillors over central government reforms that will eliminate public debate on most housing applications.

There were angry and emotional scenes in Beverley this week as East Riding Of Yorkshire Council hosted its final planning sub-committee meeting. The sessions have been axed under central government reforms intended to cut red tape and to ‘get Britain building’.

The move away from local decision-making has been branded a ‘disgrace’ by an East Yorkshire councillor. There are fears residents are about to be locked out of some of the most important decision-making processes – determining where houses get built in local communities.

Under the changes, residents will no longer be able to ask councillors to ‘call in’ many planning applications for public debate, drastically reducing public scrutiny. It also means the public and journalists will have fewer chances to attend live meetings at County Hall.

In simple terms, people will no longer have their voices heard, according to Cllr Victoria Aitken (Conservative – Howdenshire). She told the council chamber:

“It is a disgrace that democracy is being weakened.”

She added:

“It is important that our residents have the chance for their voice to be heard. They don’t always get what they want, which is fine. But it’s a crying shame their voice is no longer going to be heard.”

There was a sombre atmosphere in the meeting room. The session was chaired by Cllr David Jeffreys (Independent – Goole South), who spoke of his sadness at drawing the curtain on the committee.

He told the chamber it was “a very sad occasion” and thanked council officers for their hard work.

“The decision to discontinue western area planning was imposed on us by the government with the stated aim of reducing red tape. However, in practice, it removes an important part of local democracy,” he said.

Cllr Jeffreys explained that of the 5,500 planning applications considered by the council over the past year, only five per cent came before the sub-committee. However, he warned of the democratic dangers of eliminating that review stage.

“Constituents will no longer be able to raise concerns with town, parish, or ward councillors or ask for planning applications to be called in,” he added.

Fundamental changes to regional development and democracy

The sweeping changes to planning law are taking effect across England and are fundamentally altering how development applications are determined.

Under the national mandate introduced by the Labour government, many housing proposals will bypass elected councillors entirely. Instead, decisions will be handled by council planning officers behind closed doors under delegated powers.

The overhaul follows regulations published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The new rules are called the ‘Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) Regulations 2026’.

Ministers argue the reforms will eliminate costly delays and streamline delivery to hit national housing targets.

At East Riding Council, the change completely abolishes both the Eastern and Western Area Planning Sub-Committees, with the final sub-committee having taken place on October 27.

The council’s Strategic Planning Committee will remain, but it will only consider applications that represent a major departure from the authority’s Local Plan or carry significant county-wide impact. Meaning only big housing developments will carry scrutiny.

Improving efficiency and delivering homes more quickly

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government previously defended the reforms, stating:

“Our plans will modernise planning committees to improve efficiency over decisions so that planning applicants have the clarity they need, and we can deliver quicker for local people.”

Before the committee dissolved, members dealt with their final planning items, including the unanimous approval of an application to build four homes on a former highways depot on Holme Road in Market Weighton.

Cllr Derek Cary (Conservative – Wolds Weighton) backed the scheme, telling the chamber:

“I am happy to support this application. The land has been derelict for many years, and putting these four houses on it is the best way forward.”