THE Country Land and Business Association, (CLA) is calling for compulsory training for district councillors involved in the planning process.

The CLA says the training would help members, such as the members who sit on Malvern Hills District Council's northern and southern area planning committees, understand the economic and environmental benefits offered by planning applications.

The move is part of a major planning reform package proposed by the CLA to help the rural economy recover in the wake of foot and mouth.

Frances Beatty, the CLA's regional director, said: "We want to see a more positive, flexible and efficient planning system to help us create the new enterprises and jobs which are so desperately needed in the countryside.

"We don't believe local planning authorities currently have sufficient resources or manpower to carry out all their responsibilities effectively. There should be compulsory training for councillors who wish to sit on planning committees."

Malvern Hills District Council's planning chief Anne Brereton said councillors already received extensive training in planning matters but welcomed the idea of an additional focus in the area.

"If the CLA is calling for councils to have more resources for training, then I would agree, " she said.

"When councillors are first elected, they go on an induction course which gives them a basic grounding in planning before they participate in any planning meetings.

"Through the year we run an ongoing programme of courses addressing a wide variety of planning issues."

Ms Brereton said that although the courses were not compulsory, they were nevertheless heavily subscribed.

"Members are very interested in planning issues and they can't get enough of the training we offer," she said.