Councillors and members of the public are outraged at the recent decision by Herefordshire Council to abandon the three local area committees, which currently make planning decisions for the county, and form a new single planning committee.
In March 2009, a damning report by the Audit Commission, a quango set up to keep an eye on local government spending, claimed that the committee system was cumbersome, and said: "The way Councillors participate in planning decision making....is having a negative impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of the service."