CONTROVERSIAL proposals that would have given city councillors just one chance to consider major planning applications have been dropped.

Oxford City Council had been due to vote on Monday whether large planning applications should be considered by a central committee, without the opportunity to rethink.

If approved, it would have meant the option of ‘calling in’ contentious applications would have been removed. However, all political groups on the city council opposed the idea, which senior legal officerJeremy Thomas argued would streamline the planning process.

The current system means that if 12 or more councillors disagree with a decision made by the strategic development control committee, it can be called in for reconsideration by all 48 city councillors.