Government consultation on statutory consultee reform seeks to align planning and licensing

The UK Government has launched a consultation on reforms to the statutory consultee system, aiming to make the planning process more efficient, proportionate, and focused.

A key proposal is to exempt planning authorities from reconsidering matters that are already regulated under licensing or alternative consenting regimes, thereby reducing duplication and ensuring that risks are managed by the most appropriate body.

The government stresses that planning should not duplicate the work of other regulators. If a risk is already managed under a licensing framework — such as environmental permitting, taxi licensing, or alcohol licensing — planning authorities should not re‑examine the same issue.

Each risk should be handled once, by the statutory body best placed to do so. For example, environmental risks would be overseen by the Environment Agency, heritage impacts by Historic England, and gambling regulation by the Gambling Commission. The outcome is intended to be fewer overlapping requirements, reduced delays, and clearer accountability.

The consultation sets out a broader programme of reform to modernise the statutory consultee system. It proposes clearer boundaries between planning and other regulatory regimes, efficiency and proportionality in consultation requirements, and greater use of digital platforms to improve transparency and accessibility.

It also seeks consistency across regimes to avoid duplication and overlap, while supporting economic growth and maintaining safeguards for communities and the environment.

If adopted, these reforms would “speed up planning decisions by removing duplicated checks, provide developers with clearer guidance, allow statutory consultees to focus resources on their core responsibilities, and strengthen accountability by ensuring each risk is managed by the right authority.”