By Conor Sharkey

STRABANE Council is to meet with the Planning Service to discuss the lack of input they are being afforded in the planning application process.

The meeting was demanded following a heated exchange in Strabane Council Chamber last week when councillors vented their anger at the inequality in the number of office meetings being granted between the Strabane District and neighbouring Omagh.

Under current legislation, office meetings with Planners can be requested when a planning application has been denied or deferred.

But from January this year to September, just one meeting was granted in Strabane, compared to 87 in Omagh. Last year, three meetings were granted in Strabane, compared to a staggering 226 in Omagh.

When questioned on the lack of parity, Planning Officer Oonagh Given explained that each application was judged on its merits and office meetings were only granted when new information or altered plans had been submitted by the applicant.

One of the primary reasons for so few meetings being granted in the Strabane District, Ms Given added, was because so few had been requested.

Not convinced by the Planning Officer's explanation, MLA Claire McGill said she wanted to speak to someone further up the chain.

"I am not convinced that there isn't something different between Strabane and Omagh. I am open to persuasion but so far all I have got is people telling me that there is no difference. I want to make our case to the Provisional Planning Officer," Ms McGill said.

Council Chairman Jarlath McNulty said he too was unhappy with the manner in which planning applications were dealt with.

"It is a waste of time us sitting here. We need to be realistic that we do not have any influence in these planning matters. We just rubber stamp decisions and it is a bad state of affairs when we have no influence on office meetings," he said.

On Monday, the Chronicle attempted to speak to Provisional Planning Officer Gerry Hogg on the issue. He was not available for comment, however a DOE spokesperson did say that Planners were looking at the office meeting figures quoted by councillors.