A local campaigner has described aspects of yesterday's planning meeting at Plymouth City Council as a debacle.

A decision on whether a controversial five storey block of flats should be built on West Hoe has been delayed due to an administrative error.

Two members of the planning committee were not invited to a site visit yesterday and asked for a delay but locals who were at the meeting say much of the discussion had already happened before this came to light.

Frances Baylis from the Friends of West Hoe has called for the local authority to change its procedures.

The issue will now be discussed again next month.

Chair of planning councillor John Lock has said the site visits are not actually compulsory, but that they have heeded the requests of two committee members who were not invited to the site through error.