PLANNING chiefs have made a U-turn this week after dismissing calls for more planning applications to be advertised in local newspapers.

Cornwall Council has been accused of "trying to keep residents in the dark" after a poll by the Cornish Guardian revealed about half turned to the local press.

Councillors all over Cornwall have said they have received complaints from the people they represent who want to see all planning notices placed in local newspapers.

Following public pressure Cornwall Council in July promised to review a decision taken by the implementation executive, which set up the new council structure, to reduce the number of applications advertised in newspapers such as the Cornish Guardian and The West Briton.

Least effective

However, a report going to the council's planning procedures panel states that placing notices in local papers is "the least effective form of formal notification" and says the cost of placing adverts is beyond the council's current budget. It suggests the council should keep only advertising those it has a legal duty to do so and to reduce the font size used in its notices to 7pt.

The report says research carried out by the council found that fewer people found out about applications through local newspapers and more people found out through a letter sent to their homes. However the report states that almost half (46%) said they found out about an application other than through a letter, site notice or newspaper. The council's research was carried out among people who had actually made a written representation about an application.

A poll carried out by the Cornish Guardian this week among a random sample of people in Cornwall found that most relied on their local newspapers to find out about planning applications.

Out of 50 people 24 said they would go to their local paper first with nine saying they would go direct to the council, five said they would go to the council's website. Five said they relied on site notices, three said they heard by word of mouth, one would go to the library and three said they did not know where they would go.

Commenting on the reduction of planning notices in newspapers one of those surveyed said: "It is like they are trying to keep us in the dark. We have a right to know what is going on and it would be much better in the local newspaper. If not it is like they are doing things undercover without consideration for residents. What about our right for consultation?"

Cornwall councillor for Padstow Stephen Rushworth campaigned for an increase in planning notices in local papers when he ran for election.

He said: "It's obvious from the ongoing complaints and comments from residents that a great many people do find out about local planning applications from their local newspaper.

"I have tried on several occasions to open the debate to reinstate newspaper advertising, and I am pleased this issue is now being addressed, however, I am not so pleased about the way the costs and reasoning are presented in the report.

"What officers appear to be saying is that in the charging structure for planning applications they have failed to secure sufficient budget for publicity or haven't allocated enough – despite being aware of residents' wishes to be informed through regular and comprehensive newspaper advertisements.

"It's time to look at the whole way in which the council communicates its activities to residents across the county, particularly when we are asking for comments or consultation and I will be attending the planning procedure committee to express mine and the residents of Cornwall's views."