CITY council planners are taking too long to decide applications and missing government-set targets.

None of the eight major planning applications, submitted between April and June this year, were determined by Worcester City Council within 13 weeks.

Of the 42 minor applications made in the first quarter of the year – just under half were completed within eight weeks of registration.

Cllr Simon Geraghty said it was time for the council to be more “robust” and set the bar higher to developers.

He suggested the council was working too hard as a planning authority and delaying the process by letting developers get away with poor plans.

He said: “Is it our job to be improving poor planning applications? There is a duty on the applicant to do their work.”

Cllr Adrian Gregson said: “I also think that there is some responsibility on ourselves.

“There are occasions when planning applications that, under normal circumstances, could be determined by officers are called in by councillors on relatively frivolous issues.”

Cllr Gregson said that he still felt the “democratic right” of councillors to bring applications to committee was important but added councillors must look at themselves and what they are calling in.

Cllr Marc Bayliss said: “The public will walk away from here thinking at least they have had their say. Having your say is still very important.”

Previously, the government has set local authorities the target of completing 90 per cent of applications within the time limit – 13 weeks for major applications and eight weeks for minor applications.

At the meeting on Monday, the city council’s place and economic development subcommittee also voted to move away from the old 90 per cent target in favour of a new lower target.

City council officers say current targets do not take into account agreed extensions between the authority and the developer and also stem from a time when councils received a grant for completing applications early.

Between April and June, 75 per cent of major applications were completed within a time limit agreed between the council and the developer.

The new target – in line with the government's policy – will be for 60 per cent of major applications to be decided within 13 weeks and 70 per cent of minor applications to be dealt with in eight weeks.