CHANGES to the way planning applications are dealt with in west Wiltshire have led to the creation of one specialist committee to decide if developments can go ahead.

A single planning and licensing committee will now oversee applications instead of the district's three area committees.

The new committee will meet every three weeks with the first meeting on July 31, at the West Wiltshire District Council offices, Trowbridge. The meeting starts at 6pm.

Cllr Christopher Newbury, the council's planning portfolio holder who proposed the changes, said: "Having a single committee will improve our efficiency and increase the prospect of decisions being made in a consistent way.

"A district audit review of our planning system some time ago raised concerns about inconsistencies between the three areas, and this return to the old system should overcome them."

All councillors on the committee will receive specialist training on planning issues.

Cllr Newbury said: "Local people, applicants and parish councils will still be able to attend meetings and have their say on applications that concern them."

The move has not gone down well with all councillors, with some fearing the local expertise and manageable size of area committees will be lost.

Cllr Malcolm Rosier said: "In a distinctly centralising move, these powers will now be concentrated into an unwieldy 23-member planning and regulatory committee."

Area committees will continue to meet every other month to deal with community-led issues like grant applications and community planning.