... could face challenges, following recent court rulings’, according to an article in Planning Resource:
... some experts believe a series of court judgments over the past 12 months is effectively reinstating the requirement for councils to justify permissions or face the risk of their decisions being quashed.
… reasons could even be required where committees follow planners’ recommendations but the officers’ report itself doesn’t include sufficient justification.
"Local authorities will likely react defensively. In the current climate, it looks very risky for committees not to promote a statement of reasons with approvals, unless an application is completely devoid of objection"
