Planning applications sent to the new Shropshire Council are being censored meaning important details are often left out, it was today claimed.

Furious residents have complained about the new planning system, which they claim has seen huge swathes of applications placed on the council’s website featuring unfilled pages and contact numbers blanked out.

Ian Kilby, head of development management with Shropshire Council, said no applications had been withheld from the site on the grounds of confidentiality.

However, he said some details, such as personal financial details submitted in justification of a proposal, may be censored.

Councillor Mansel Williams, Shropshire Council ward member for Belle Vue, said he had received calls from residents who were concerned about the lack of information being made available to the public.

He said: “I am concerned about the censorship and I am also concerned about neighbour notification. I would have thought that this new council would want to be as open and transparent as possible. I have very serious concerns and those have also been expressed to me by other residents with applications that are pending. I think this whole system will have to be reconsidered.”

Graham Watson, chairman of Sutton Area Residents’ Association, said it was a “worrying” development. He called for a return to the previous system operated by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council under which all information was made public.

Since the new planning website was set up by Shropshire Council a note on the site had said that some applications would not appear for reasons of “confidentiality”.

However, Mr Kilby said this had now been removed.

He said: “In line with Government requirements all planning applications and supporting documentation are now scanned and made available for public scrutiny online.

“While we must publish correspondents’ names and addresses on the site, to ensure that we abide by the Data Protection Act 1998, and the Freedom of Information Act 2005 we remove personal data such as mobile or personal telephone numbers and e-mail addresses when scanning documents.”

By Russell Roberts