Cheshire East Councillors claim new planning system undemocratic.

Angry Cheshire East councillors have blasted government changes to the planning system as 'undemocratic' saying they effectively remove elected members from local decision-making.

Under the new national scheme of delegation, which becomes law for all councils at the end of this month, committee involvement in planning decisions 'becomes the exception, not the norm'.

This will see an estimated 80 per cent reduction in the number of applications going to Cheshire East's northern and southern planning committees and 25 per cent less going to the strategic planning board.

Instead, they will be decided by planning officers.