VOTERS are to be allowed to speak for and against planning applications at future committee meetings of Durham City Council.

The council is to carry out a one-year pilot scheme in which applicants and people affected by proposed developments can tell councillors and officers what they think.

Currently, the council, like most others, does not allow members of the public to speak at its development control committees and only officers and councillors discuss applications.

Applicants' plans, as well as comments from neighbours or objectors, are summarised in written reports produced by planning officers.

But in the wake of the 1998 Human Rights Act, which allows people a greater say in decision-making, the council is giving members of the public a platform. It hopes the move will give people a greater understanding of the planning pro-cess, make them feel more involved, and reduce "frustration and annoyance''.

Corporate director of environmental services John Jennings said: "It is a long-term aim of members to open the development control committee as much as they can.

"Quite often planning decisions are taken for planning reasons when people think there are other considerations that should be looked at."

He added: "We'll have to limit people to no more than five minutes speaking about an application, otherwise we'd have committees going on into the night.

"You are never going to please everybody all the time with planning decisions, but most people will see a transparent process and will feel they have been treated fairly.