The government has delayed the introduction of its national scheme of delegation by a month. The scheme, as part of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)’s reforms to planning committees, will see certain applications passing to officers and others committees. In its response to a consultation on draft regulations and guidance on planning committee reform, MHCLG said it had “pushed back” the implementation date of the changes, including the national scheme of delegation, from September 30 to October 31 2026 “to allow local authorities further time to make the necessary arrangements”.