Connecting councillors with strategic planning applications: good practice guide

Why is this guide needed?

As planning applications become more complicated, it is critical that councillors become involved in them at an early stage. Greater certainty and clarity in decision making benefits all, applicants, boroughs and communities.

Who should use this guide?

This guidance brings together those practices in London considered to be working well. It is aimed primarily at borough heads of planning, solicitors and relevant councillors and is designed to help boroughs increase the role of councillors prior to formal decision making. 

It highlights four key areas where councillors' involvement in the planning process can be maximised:

• councillor training
• councillor involvement prior to the submission of a planning application
• councillor involvement when a planning application has been submitted
• decision making.

This guide was developed from research commissioned by London Councils, GOL and London First on elected member involvement in strategic planning applications and training for elected members.

How to use this guide

The guidance provided here is not exhaustive but highlights key areas where councillors' involvement in the planning process can be maximised.

We recommend this guide as a 'menu' of good practice. Boroughs may like to choose options that best fit their individual circumstances.

We strongly recommend that all boroughs should have procedures in place which ensure that councillors are well trained and are made aware of strategic schemes before they take their decision at committee.

We also recommend that two other elements should be in place.

1) Every borough should already have a specific protocol or code of conduct for councillors involved in planning, and this should be regularly reviewed.

2) There should also be a regular training programme for councillors, especially those with planning roles.

We hope this guide will help to improve the quality of decisions in London. 

Attached below as a pdf copy of the guidance.