A row has broken out at Wiltshire Council after planning officers were given the authority to overturn councillors’ decisions when it comes to setting conditions on planning developments.

When a planning application is reviewed by Wiltshire Council, councillors have the ability to set conditions on developers if they are granted permission.

Officers are now able to change conditions after a decision is made by councillors, and without their prior consent. Ken McCall, from the Campaign for a Better Trowbridge, said: “This is bad news. If planning permission is given on conditions that are made and then the conditions are ditched by officers it will allow developers to run amok.”

Coun Howard Marshall, Lib Dem spokesman on planning, said: “It’s just a matter of time before a decision is made by the planning committee, agreed on by the public, and then secretly overturned in the office, out of sight of local people.”

Toby Sturgis, cabinet member for planning, said: “The authority for officers to change conditions which are in line with committee decisions allows permissions at the time of issue to reflect the actual situation at that date.

“For example, the committee may have required details of landscaping, materials and a scheme for tree protection to be submitted before work commences.

“Once these have been submitted they become part of the permission, and there is no longer any need for the condition.

“It would be a waste of taxpayers’ money to have reports written for committees where their requirements have been met.”