Yesterday, 15th June 2026, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, along with 8 other local authorities, lost their decision-making power for planning processing of larger developments. Matthew Pennycook, the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, stated that he had reviewed data for the two-year period ending on 31 March 2025, as well as the subsequent appeal decisions up to 31 December 2025, regarding the quality of decision-making by SMDC on major development planni
