Stratford Planning Committee Overruled Officers 10 Times in a Year

Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s Planning Committee went against its planning officers’ advice ten times in the year to March 2026, and in nine of those cases it approved applications officers had recommended refusing, the council has revealed.

The figures were given to the council’s Audit and Standards Committee on 21 September, when it discussed the new national planning rules that took effect on 31 October. They are recorded in that meeting’s minutes, published with the committee’s agenda for 9 November.

Most of those decisions would now be made by officers

Between March 2025 and March 2026 the Planning Committee decided about 64 applications. Under the new national scheme of delegation, 53 of them would have been “Schedule 1” applications, which planning officers now decide without a committee vote. The rest fall under “Schedule 2” and can still go to the committee, but only if they pass a “gateway test” and the committee’s chair and the council’s Head of Development agree. We explained the change when councillors voted on it: most Stratford planning applications are now decided by officers.

The minutes don’t say which ten applications the committee overturned. Under the new rules, far fewer applications will reach councillors at all.

What happens next

The council has arranged a forum for town and parish councillors on the changes and training for district councillors, and has published guidance on its website, with flow charts to follow. Parish councils can still comment on applications, and anyone can still object to an application through the council’s planning portal.

Alex Harrington

Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.