Register of committee referrals

The overwhelming majority of planning decisions are taken by planning officers using so called ‘delegated authority’. Only a tiny proportion of applications are referred to, and determined by, the planning committee.

From 31 October 2026, the National Scheme of Delegation sets the framework for determining which types of applications are or are not referred to the planning committee; it operates as follows:

Schedule 1 applications

If your application falls into Schedule 1, it is mandatory that the decision is delegated to officers, we are unable to refer such an application to the planning committee. Schedule 1 includes, but is not limited to, householder applications, minor residential developments and certain reserved matters applications.

Schedule 2 applications

If your application falls into Schedule 2 then committee referral is possible but only if a committee decision is requested by a Cheltenham Borough Council councillor and/or the relevant parish council (within the protocol prescribed by the council) and only if both the chair of the planning committee and the head of planning agree to that request (or in their absence, their deputies).

Schedule 2 includes, but is not limited to, major residential proposals and non-minor commercial development, applications for listed building consent, retrospective applications and applications for advertisement consent.

The statutory guidance sets out exactly which application types are categorised as Schedule 1 or Schedule 2.

Own interest applications

Applications submitted by, or behalf of, the council, members of the council or members of staff will be referred to chair of the planning committee and head of planning for a determination as to whether a committee decision is necessary in all cases

Criteria which must be met before a case can be considered for referral

In considering whether to call an application to committee, the head of planning and committee chair must have regard to the statutory tests, these state that a committee decision is only necessary where:

the application raises an economic, social or environmental issue of significance to the local area and/or
the application raises a significant planning matter having regard to the development plan and any other material considerations