TWO planning site visits in Cleveland were this week slammed as a total waste of time and money.

After members of Redcar and Cleveland planning committee had been out to check two applications, Coun Dave McLuckie said: "This was the biggest waste of public cash I have ever seen. We have been on two site visits and the second was little more than a jaunt out.

"There was no real reason for us to go to either site and more thought must go into arranging such visits."

However, the chairman, Coun Helen McLuckie - who is his wife - disagreed with him about one of the visits, to Wilton Village where a detached house is planned on derelict land. She agreed with his view on the other, a trip to Redcar to help decide on an application for a boundary fence.

The Wilton visit was set up after warnings from ward councillors that to allow the building would be "the thin end of the wedge" and likely to spark more development.

Wilton was described as a long-suffering village which had been sadly neglected. The committee was urged to investigate further.

Though the scheme went against areas of planning policy, council planning officers were recommending approval saying the development would round off the village and boost the conservation area.

At Wednesday's meeting, Coun Steve Kay said the visit had been a breath of fresh air. "The planning officers have at last adopted a commonsense approach," he said. "I have been fighting for something like this for years, to get derelict sites tidied up.

Coun Peter Spencer thought the new building could encourage other residents to tidy up areas around the site and enhance Wilton Village even more.

Attacking the visits, Coun Dave McLuckie said: "There were no objectors at Wilton and no reason for us to go there. The planning officers had put their points quite concisely. I shudder to think of the combined mileage costs and such.

"I could have guaranteed before we left the sites that both decisions urged by the officers would be upheld."

Coun Vilma Collins was delighted a site visit to Wilton had taken place.

"We have to look at every plan we get in," she said. "We would have been remiss not to see the situation for ourselves."

Coun Helen McLuckie, said: "I thought the Wilton visit was really worthwhile and it did enlighten us as to the area. If we get a further application there, we will know what we are dealing with."

The application was agreed.

The first visit concerned plans for a steel fence and gates at Ings Farm primary school in Redcar.

Planning officers were recommending refusal as the fence would be obtrusive and this was upheld. "This was a waste of money and time," said the chairman.

"No-one wanted this scheme. But there was a majority vote for a site visit and that's how it came about.