The Labour Government claims it will bring decision making closer to the people, but when it comes to local government, the evidence increasingly shows the opposite is true.

It’s been a chaotic two years for local government since the current government came to power.  Creating massive upheaval by forcing the breakup and mergers of local authorities was not in the Labour manifesto and there is no mandate for it.

Originally told we would have a decision in March this year, we are now on our third delay for a decision as to what our new unitary local authority will be.  It is now far from certain whether it will stay on the current timeline (election next May), or be delayed by a year, or be cancelled altogether.

At the same time, more directly elected mayors are being introduced, including here with a Sussex-wide mayor originally planned for this year, now happening in 2028. The government has mandated that strategic planning powers are taken away from local authorities and given to mayors.  This includes powers to override local councils on major planning applications, with the mayor being able to approve or refuse schemes themselves.  Mayors will also be able to give upfront planning permission for specific types of development, again bypassing local councils.

Local councils will be left with minor and limited planning applications, but even here, Labour are reducing the ability of the public and councillors to have any meaningful say.  From the end of this October, new legislation takes effect.

This legislation mandates many more planning applications to be decided only by delegated decisions from Planning Officers.  Worse still, unlike current rules, large numbers of public objections to any planning application will be disregarded, meaning no automatic call in to committee, like we have now when there are major public concerns.  

The other method to enable public scrutiny is local councillors being able to call in a planning application within their ward to the Planning Committee.  This mechanism is also being removed.  Local communities are systematically being disempowered, and we will see this happening within weeks here in Crawley.


Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group

23rd September 2026