The CEC Scheme of Delegation, setting the authorities of the Chief Planning Officer (inter alia), on behalf of Councillors, in reviewing planning applications, has been revised. See: https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/planning-decisions-2/scheme-delegation . The revised version is effective as of 2 February 2026. Planning Department released it yesterday. Reasons given for the change are:

“The revised scheme of delegation is an important component in ensuring efficient and effective decision-making. The revised scheme continues to ensure that decisions on applications that raise no significant planning issues are made efficiently within the context of the relevant legislative context and the Development Plan. It also ensures that Committee scrutiny is appropriately focused on the applications of widest public interest and greatest significance to the city.

Key Excerpts:

Section 7: Re the Chief Planning Officer Authority in determining planning applications:

(to determine) applications (including retrospective applications) for planning permission, planning permission in principle, approval of matters specified in conditions, listed building consent, conservation area consent and consent to display an advertisement, provided (that)

7.2 There are not more than 20 individual letters of representation (with petitions counting as one representation) which include a material planning consideration in opposition to the Chief Planning Officer’s recommendation;

7.3 Objections from statutory consultees, where requested to be statutory consultees, including community councils (where they have requested to be a statutory consultee), are resolved in relation to applications recommended for approval;

7.6 No elected member has requested referral of the application to the Development Management Sub-Committee for material planning reasons, within 21 days, as set out in the relevant guidance note for elected members;

7.12 The Chief Planning Officer does not consider the application requires to be determined by Development Management Sub-Committee for any valid planning reasons;

Against the Draft Scheme of Delegation submitted to the Planning Committee in November 2025, in this Revised Scheme, the provision for letters of representation (more than 20), as a numerical trigger in itself for reference to the DM Sub Committee, is retained.