A COUNCILLOR has slammed proposals to change the time of planning committee meetings which he says will obstruct residents' ability to attend and express their views.

Independent Sully councillor Kevin Mahoney has criticised the new Vale of Glamorgan administration for endorsing the proposal for the Vale of Glamorgan Council to move planning committee meetings forward from their previous evening slots to 4pm in the afternoon.

During the last council year, planning meetings began in the council chamber at the civic offices in Barry at 6pm and were recorded via a webcast on the council's website.

Recently elected council leader cllr John Thomas said the council is committed to transparency and opening up democracy to the residents of the Vale.

But Cllr Mahoney said he has concerns about the move commenting "I think that this just typifies exactly why I stand for election to the council to highlight and expose the hypocrisy of those who have the cheek to be parading around the council offices wearing newly produced lanyards on their security passes proclaiming the slogan of open, together, ambitious, proud whilst practising the very opposite values," said cllr Mahoney.

"Bearing in mind that every Conservative and Labour councillor present whilst I presented my motion the other month that all councillors votes should be automatically recorded for examination by the public, voted against the motion, followed by this latest action which clearly will impede the ability of working members of the public attending and taking advantage of their democratic right to witness or address the planning committee.

"I can only presume that the new Buzzwords slogan trumpeted by the Vale actually stand for open as long as you don’t want to know how your councillors voted

together as long as you don’t want to be together in attending or witnessing your councillors in action, ambitious as long as you’re not ambitious enough to wish to take advantage of your right to give your opinion at planning committee meetings and proud as long as you’re proud of a council who wish to obstruct your ability to attend meetings, check voting records or participate in the democratic process at open to the public meetings."

Cllr Thomas said: "The majority of Welsh authorities hold planning meetings during the working day, including the cities of Swansea, Newport and Cardiff, the latest of which starts at 2.30pm.

"Planning meetings recently have tended to go on late into the evening some beyond 10.00pm, this is not conducive to good decision making and therefore I agreed to a request from officers to bring the time forward to 4.00pm.

"I felt that it was important to make this change clear before councillors names were put up for the planning committee at the annual meeting.

"Holding the meeting at 4pm will not prevent the public from watching proceedings as they can be viewed online, either live or after the meeting has finished.

"Nor will it affect their opportunity to have any views on a matter heard.

"Representations regarding an item on the planning agenda can be submitted in advance of a meeting and will be given the same consideration whether an individual is present or not."

Cllr Mahoney says he has written to the new leader John Thomas about his concerns that members of the public who work and may struggle to take time off to speak or attend planning committee meetings will now be severely disadvantaged but have not even received the courtesy of a reply as his new administration have sanctioned the changes without discussion or vote.

"It is about time that councillors and officers of the council recognise that they are there to serve the public not the other way around," he added.