SALISBURY City Council’s planning committee members have only spoken at five of the last 19 southern area planning meetings, the Journal has discovered.

Concerns are being raised that the views of Salisbury residents are not being heard at planning meetings where critical decisions affecting the development of the city are being made.

In the last year a city councillor has only spoken at a southern area planning meeting on one occasion and that was back in February.

In some meetings decisions are on a knife edge.

Last month a plan to demolish a Victorian property and build two new care homes on Fowlers Road was only approved following the chairman’s casting vote.

No-one from Salisbury City Council spoke at the meeting to put forward residents’ opinions about the development.

Vice chairman of the southern area planning committee, Chris Devine, said: “We would value all input at the area planning meetings from the city council on a regular basis.”

Parish councils from across the region are expected to voice their opinions on any proposed development, which will be taken into account by area board members ahead of any decision.

The chairman of Salisbury City Council’s planning committee John Lindley said that the city council will do more work to ensure members attend planning meetings in future.

“I will look further into this matter and see what we can do to improve our attendance at meetings,” he said.