DARLINGTON council has been accused of ‘rail-roading’ a contentious planning application for approval and disregarding scores of objectors.

Carmel College has applied to the council for permission to build an all-weather pitch and associated lighting in the school grounds.

The local authority has received more than 100 formal objections and the department for communities and local government is currently assessing whether the matter needs be called-in after planning committee members said they were minded to approve the application.

However, questions have been raised by the Hummersknott Residents Group over what it sees as a ‘lack of impartiality and integrity’ over the decision-making process.

This partly relates to a senior council member committing authority funds to the pitch project before it had gone before the committee.

Another of the group’s complaints is that the meeting, on Wednesday, August 24, was held in a town hall room too small to accommodate all those who wanted to attend, despite the council being forewarned that there would be many people arriving.

Previously, as with a multiple housing application in February, the council has moved meetings into the Dolphin Centre for extra space.

A spokeswoman for the residents group stressed that they were not opposed to the pitch.

However, they did object to its proposed opening hours – up to 9pm on weekdays – and its plans for eight 50ft high lighting towers.

She added: “Over 100 legitimate and well-researched objections can be found on the council website, but it appears that rules and regulations can be dismissed out of hand when the council wishes to railroad a planning application for approval.

“It is a depressing indictment of what passes for local government in Darlington.”

A council spokeswoman said the planning committee meeting was held according to official protocol.

She added: “Provision was made for each of the nominated speakers for and against the development to attend, as well as ward councillors.

“Witnesses are then allowed in on a first come first served basis until the room is full, according to fire regulations.”

In response to the complaint over £100,000 of council money being pledged to the project before it went before the committee, she said: “The matter of funding is not a material planning consideration.

“The planning committee are obliged to consider each application on its relative planning merits.”