IN FUTURE, neighbours worried about a development in their street will no longer be guaranteed a full hearing of their complaint by councillors.

Currently, a single objection to a proposal in Blackburn with Darwen means it will be considered automatically by the full borough Planning and Highways Committee.

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Following new government guidelines, it will no longer trigger a referral to councillors.

The change of procedure was approved by the borough’s full Council Forum last week.

Regeneration boss Phil Riley said: “We are currently the only council in this part of the world, certainly Lancashire, where a single objection refers the referral of a planning application to the committee.

“The government has told us to step up our procedures so the majority of minor applications are dealt with within eight weeks.

“If not they will take our power to determine them away from us and get the planning inspectorate to do it centrally.

“Every time an application is referred to committee, it means we miss that eight week deadline and this small change will streamline the procedure.”

He revealed now the decision on whether proposals which produce objections are referred to the committee will be taken by a monthly working group.

It will include him, planning chairman Dave Smith, Tory spokesman Imtiaz Ali and Liberal Democrat Paul Browne.

Cllr Riley rejected calls from senior Tory Alan Cottam to ensure single objections from next door residents would automatically trigger referrals.

He said Cllr Browne’s worry about protecting trees was covered in the new procedure.