Planning & Regulations
Planning committees and householder applications from 31 October 2026: what changes for London homeowners
New national rules end councillor call-ins for extensions, loft conversions and other householder applications. Neighbours can still object, but from Saturday 31 October the decision will rest with a planning officer in every London borough. Higher planning fees are also expected from 8 December.
From Saturday 31 October 2026, every local planning authority in England, including the London boroughs, must follow a single national scheme of delegation when deciding who determines a planning application. It is set out in the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/854), made on 15 July 2026 under powers added to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. For most London homeowners planning an extension or a loft conversion, the practical result is simple: the application will be decided by a planning officer, and it can no longer be sent to a planning committee because councillors or neighbours ask for it. This article is general information, not legal advice.
What the regulations say
The regulations sort planning applications into two lists. Applications in Schedule 1 must be determined by an officer (regulation 4). They include:
- householder applications, the category used for extensions, loft conversions and other alterations to a house;
- Lawful Development Certificates for existing or proposed development;
- prior approval applications under the permitted development rules, such as the larger home extension scheme;
- applications to discharge conditions and non-material amendments;
- minor residential applications, which cover schemes of one to nine homes on sites under 0.5 hectares and works to a building of flats that do not change its use or the number of flats.
Applications in Schedule 2 are presumed to be decided by an officer, but may go to a committee if the council's nominated officer and nominated member both agree that the case raises an economic, social or environmental issue of significance to the local area, or a significant planning matter (regulation 5). Schedule 2 includes larger planning applications, listed building consent, applications connected with listed building consent, retrospective applications under section 73A, advertisement consent and consent for work to protected trees. Applications made by the council, its councillors or officers have their own route (regulation 6), and committees are capped at 13 members (regulation 7).
The government's statutory guidance, published on 1 June 2026, is explicit that ward councillor call-ins and referral triggers based on the number of objections "will not be possible". It warns that committee decisions on applications that should have been delegated may be quashed on judicial review.
What it means for your extension or loft
A planning officer will decide
Until now, a council's constitution could let a ward councillor, or a set number of objections, send a contentious extension to committee. That route closes. Shropshire Council, for example, has told residents that the rules apply to any application still undecided on or after 31 October, including those submitted earlier. If your application is already with your borough, ask the case officer how it will now be decided.
Neighbours and councillors can still comment
The changes affect who makes the decision, not the right to comment. Representations will still be considered where they raise material planning considerations such as overlooking, loss of light, design, heritage or flood risk. The number of objections, however, no longer decides the route. With no committee stage to fall back on, it makes sense to talk to neighbours early and address likely concerns in your drawings and supporting statement. Our guide to the Party Wall Act covers the separate notices you may need to serve on adjoining owners.
Listed buildings and retrospective work are treated differently
If your planning application is connected with an application for listed building consent, it moves into Schedule 2, as does an application for permission for work already carried out. These can still go to committee, but only exceptionally: the guidance says the presumption is delegation to officers. That is most relevant in boroughs with many listed houses, such as Islington, Camden and Kensington & Chelsea.
Your right of appeal does not change
The regulations do not alter the appeal system. If an officer refuses your householder application, you can still appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. Check the time limit and procedure on GOV.UK before you decide.
How London boroughs are preparing
Councils must have new arrangements in place by 31 October. The guidance asks them, as a minimum, to keep a record of which cases were considered for committee, the outcome and the reasons, to report it to the planning committee regularly and to publish it online. Westminster City Council says that gateway decisions and their reasons will be published as part of each application record.
In Kensington and Chelsea, a report to the council's Administration Committee on 12 October, due at Full Council on 21 October 2026, proposes removing the Planning Applications Committee, appointing the Director of Planning and Place as nominated officer and creating a "Member Representation Meeting". This would not make decisions, but would let a small group of councillors, including a member for the affected ward, give views on certain applications before officers determine them. Other boroughs may take different approaches.
Separately, in June the government announced early testing of an AI prototype to help officers triage householder applications in Barnet and Camden, as well as Dorset. The government says it aims to cut an average householder decision from eight weeks to four, with every assessment reviewed by a qualified planning officer (GOV.UK, June 2026).
Also on the way: higher planning fees from 8 December
Since 1 April 2026, the national fee for a householder application to extend or alter a single house has been £548, according to the Planning Portal's fee guide. Draft fee regulations would raise this to £575 (£1,130 for two or more houses) and the separate fee for works such as outbuildings, gates, fences and walls within the curtilage of a house from £272 to £285. The new fees would apply only to applications made on or after 8 December 2026; earlier applications pay the current fee. The draft has been approved by the House of Lords, and a House of Commons committee debate is scheduled for 21 October, so the figures are not yet final. In its consultation response, the government also said it intends to let councils set fees up to 30% above the national default where justified by evidence, through separate regulations.
A short checklist
- Confirm which category your project falls into. Works to a house are normally a householder application; works to a flat are not, but can fall within the minor residential category.
- If you think your project is permitted development, a Lawful Development Certificate gives certainty. Our guide to permitted development in London explains the limits.
- Engage with neighbours before you submit, and answer foreseeable objections in the application itself.
- Budget for fees, drawings and building control alongside construction. For indicative 2026 London ranges, see our house extension cost guide.
Whether you are extending in Ealing or converting a loft in Wandsworth, you can request quotes from independent local builders once you are ready. Home Builders does not carry out building work: we ask advertisers to provide proof of insurance, and any contract is between you and the builder you choose.
Sources: The Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/854 (regulations 1 and 4 to 7, Schedules 1 and 2); MHCLG: Planning Committees and the National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Functions, guidance, 1 June 2026; MHCLG: Planning committee reform, consultation and government response; Westminster City Council: National Scheme of Delegation; Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: Administration Committee report, 12 October 2026; Shropshire Council newsroom, 2 October 2026; DSIT and MHCLG press release, June 2026; Planning Portal: Fees for planning applications in England, from 1 April 2026; Draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2026 (regulations 1 and 12, Schedule); UK Parliament procedure browser: progress of the draft fee regulations; MHCLG: Fees for planning applications, government response; GOV.UK: Appeal against a householder planning decision. This article is a summary, not legal advice; confirm procedures and fees with your borough's planning service.
Frequently asked questions
Can my councillor still call in my extension application to a planning committee?
No. From 31 October 2026 householder applications are in Schedule 1 of the national scheme of delegation and must be decided by a planning officer. The government's guidance says ward councillor call-ins and objection-number triggers will not be possible.
Can neighbours still object to a householder planning application?
Yes. Neighbours, councillors and amenity groups can still comment, and the council must consider points that raise material planning considerations. The number of objections no longer decides whether a committee hears the case.
Are there any householder cases that can still go to committee?
Only in limited cases. An application connected with listed building consent, or a retrospective application, falls into Schedule 2 and can be referred if the nominated officer and nominated member agree it meets the statutory gateway test. Own-interest applications also have a separate route.
How much is a householder planning application fee in London?
The national fee for extending or altering a single house has been £548 since 1 April 2026. Draft regulations would raise it to £575 for applications made on or after 8 December 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.
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