WHILST having a great deal of sympathy with the comments of Cllr Winrow-Barker over planning disputes with neighbours, planning can be very stressful at times as applications can, and do, sometimes effect the local community where the application is taking place.

When I was the chairman of planning for Bolton Council on something controversial, I would always ensure that local residents’ views where listened to and taking into account.

If it was a big application public meetings did take place and I would take a planning officer along.

Unfortunately, as Cllr Peel does point out and he is right, planning applications have to be determined on planning rules and nothing else.

Councils do get taken to the planning inspectorate and lose when decisions are taken which the applicant feels are the wrong decisions.

If the planning inspectorate rules against the council then costs are awarded to the applicant and Bolton Council would have to pay out.

Cllr Peel, I know from experience, always looks at applications and always gives the public a fair hearing on site visits and has always been very vocal on ensuring that local residents views are heard and taken into account.

Planning officers and committee members have a duty in law to determine applications based on planning regulations and have to be seen to be doing so.

Sean Hornby Little Lever