A REGIONAL assembly is calling on the Government to rethink a planning shake-up and give local authorities more say in major infrastructure decisions.

The South East England Regional Assembly's planning committee wants to see changes to the Government's Planning Bill 2008, so that local authority views are taken seriously by a proposed national Infrastructure Planning Commission.

The commission will take decisions on big projects.

National planning statements (NPS) have also been proposed by Government, each setting a framework for a major national infrastructure project, such as airports.

The committee wants to see these subject to the same rules as regional and local plans, in particular for matters of consultation and sustainability.

Councillor Moira Gibson, chairman of the regional planning committee, said: "These proposals put major infrastructure decisions in the hands of the unaccountable, giving them free reign to ignore local and regional advice.

"They will also make Government's plans subject to less scrutiny and regulation than is the case with local or regional plans.

"The Bill completely disregards the assembly's comments submitted when Government put its proposals out for consultation last year.

"The Government needs to listen to the voice of local and regional democracy. It needs to be heard before planning decisions are made."