Senior Labour councillor denies controversial new planning rules are 'silencing local voices'

A senior Dudley Council Labour politician has defended the Government’s changes to planning regulations, saying they do not cut councillors’ ability to object to applications.

New rules which came into force on October 31 have meant major changes to how planning permission is granted by local authorities, including removing elected members’ power to ‘call in’ applications for discussion by planning committees.

The changes have been criticised by other political groups on Conservative-led Dudley Council including Reform UK, whose leader Councillor Marco Longhi said the changes “castrated” councillors’ ability to represent their constituents.

Councillor Shaukat Ali, Dudley Labour group leader, insists the changes are not as dramatic as others claim.

Speaking at a meeting of Dudley Council on Monday (November 2) Councillor Ali said: “I don’t think it is correct to claim councillors will have no say, it’s far from silencing local voices.

“Residents will continue to be consulted on planning applications, submit representations as we are able to do now, raise objections as we are able to do now.

“Ward councillors will continue to be able to represent local views; I don’t think the framework takes any of that away.”

Labour’s Councillor Asif Ahmed added: “It prevents councillors, which we have seen in Dudley, from trying to politicise applications to put forward their political agenda.

“As a result people miss out because there are some applications which meet all the planning requirements which would give more housing to the people of Dudley.

“In fact what it does is stop councillors from making silly decisions.”

Dudley Council’s Conservative leader Councillor Patrick Harley has been a regular critic of the Labour Government’s planning policies which he believes could mean the loss of green belt land to development.

Councillor Harley said: “Our power and ability to fully represent our constituents is being eroded, it is being weakened.

“We have recently passed the local plan, great job, saved the green belt. I’m not confident we can do that next time around.

“If we don’t make the decisions as 72 members, or as a cabinet or planning committee then what’s in the next stage of this Government’s plans - to erode even more powers and responsibilities from local councillors and put it in the hands of the West Midlands mayor?”

Councillor Harley told the meeting the current regional mayor, Labour’s Richard Parker, has said he will not take power away from local authorities in the West Midlands Combined Authority, which he leads.

Councillor Harley said: “I don’t believe that because if mayor Parker doesn’t do as his Government wants they will replace him with somebody who will.”

Councillor Longhi said: “Planning decisions can have a profound and lasting impact on local communities, residents expect their elected representatives to be able to speak up for them, challenge proposals and scrutinise decisions.

“This scheme takes away much of that ability; the Government is effectively transferring decisions away from elected councillors and into the hands of unelected officers.”