CAMPAIGNERS have described planning decisions made by councillors in Darlington as a "sham".

People affected by developments in the town during the past couple of years are demanding to know why their views have not been taken into account by Darlington Borough Council.

They believe decisions are being made behind closed doors, despite the large number of protests from residents.

In the past 18 months there have been a series of high profile planning applications in the town.

Plans to build a football stadium, near Neasham Road, for Darlington FC resulted in 2,000 people registering protests against the scheme, the biggest ever objection to a planning application in the town.

Despite this, councillors gave the go-ahead and the stadium is now under construction.

In October last year, the council received the biggest-ever objection to a single housing development in the town.

A total of 495 letters of objection to the flats development in the wooded grounds of Greystones, a Victorian villa in Carmel Road North, were sent to the council, but it was passed by the planning applications committee.

Last week, people living in Middleton St George suffered a setback when the committee approved the building of 80 more homes in the rapidly-expanding community, despite a last-minute plea for refusal from the ward councillor, Doris Jones.

The committee also gave approval for a retail and office development in Yarm Road, even though people living nearby objected to the scheme.

David Haywood, who led the campaign against the Greystones development, said he believed the planning decisions were a sham.

"There was tremendous feeling against the Greystones development, because it will destroy the heart of the West End of Darlington," he said.

"We believe this decision, and many others, are taken in advance, and on a party political basis."

Jan Mazurk, who heads the Neasham Road Action Group, which is campaigning against the football stadium, agrees.

"The decisions are made before the committee ever sits round the table and local people are not being listened to," she said.

A spokesman for the council said it takes careful account of peoples' views and opinions, but this is not the only criteria which is used when determining planning applications.

He said the authority has to work within Local Plan policies and central Government guidelines.