NORTH Wiltshire's District Council's new planning committee chairman was forced to take drastic action last Wednesday night, when frustrated applicants staged a protest.

Trouble erupted when the meeting, to discuss planning applications, came to the end of its allotted time at 10pm, with a number of applications still outstanding.

Security guards at the council offices are only contracted to work until 10pm and two guards arrived at the meeting at 9.50pm, to ask the committee to wind things up.

But angry applicants, most of whom had waited three hours to hear their applications read, protested when told they would have to wait for the next meeting, in a month's time.

Shouting erupted from the public bench as applicants voiced their frustrations.

It was the second time that trouble had broken out members of the public had reacted angrily earlier in the evening, when the council's own planning application for the Goldiggers site was moved up the list.

And in a bid to keep the peace, Coun Ron MacGregor, the newly-appointed chairman of the committee, made the decision to let the meeting overrun, despite the warnings of the security guards.

The meeting ended 20 minutes later, with all applications heard.

"I made the decision and I stand by it," said Coun MacGregor.

"Some of the members may not have been pleased, but I was aware that some of the applicants were already waiting for their applications to be heard from a previous meeting.

"It wasn't fair to keep them hanging on any longer, so we ploughed on and got through them.

"I think all the applicants appreciated my decision."

Coun Richard Tonge, who was at the meeting said: "It is a ridiculous rule that puts a halt to meetings at 10pm, particularly with planning, which usually involves a very long list of applications.

"But Coun McGregor took prompt action and must be commended for doing so.

"As a result of his willingness to flout the rules, a lot of people were saved the huge inconvenience of waiting another month to have their applications discussed."

North Wiltshire District Council press and media officer, Paul Langcaster said: "Meetings aren't usually scheduled to go on after 10pm, because security is only provided until that time.

"However, we can, with prior warning, provide cover if a meeting is expected to overrun."