"Planning freedom restricted" - Longton

10.00.35am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd Jul 2008

A meeting of West Berkshire Council last night saw a clamp down on planning applications being heard at a higher level than the district's area planning committees. The Council's leading Conservative Group abolished the right of any three Members of a planning committee to call for a decision to be reconsidered by the full council.

Lib Dem planning spokesman Royce Longton commented:

"The Tories have forced through yet another set of measures at West Berkshire Council which stifle democracy. Until now, any three Members who were concerned enough to want the whole of council to hear an application could get it reconsidered by the full council. People may recall this is what happened with the Abbotswood and Membury wind turbine applications. Now only if a majority of Members agree, will any decision be reconsidered. By definition a majority will have made the original decision, so there is unlikely to a majority wanting it reconsidered. The Conservatives will come to regret what they have done."

"In future if a committee makes a mistake there will be no way of rectifying it" he continued. "But it is the people of West Berkshire who will suffer the consequences."