Planning reasons

August 2nd, 2016 by James Goudie KC

What is the standard of reasons to be applied to a local planning authority’s decision to grant planning permission? That was one of the questions in R (Hawksworth Securities) v Peterborough City Council (2016) EWHC 1870 (Admin). The Judge’s answer was that the position is not the same as it is with respect to a decision on a planning appeal. That is an adversarial procedure. A LPA however is not adjudicating in a dispute between planning applicant and objector. 

A LPA is not required to give reasons for rejecting objectors’ representations. It need only summarise the main reasons for its decision. It can do so briefly. 

It is not required to set out each step in its reasoning. It does not have to indicate what factual matters were accepted or rejected.

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