The move means the names and addresses of objectors to developments, such as new housing schemes or wind farm projects, will no longer be displayed on the local authority’s website, although their details will still be open to public inspection in physical documents stored at the council’s planning office.

The decision follows a review on how the current planning system deals with people’s personal details.

The local authority’s planning service carried out the review in light of a publication known as ‘Data Protection Guidance for Planning Authorities’ which was produced by the Information Commissioner’s Office and Heads of Planning Scotland.

And last week, on Wednesday, October 8, the findings of the review were presented to elected members who sit on the council’s planning applications committee.

The report acknowledged that there were some arguments in favour of showing personal details online with regards to “openness”, however it concluded that not publishing names and addresses would “improve the efficiency of processing planning applications” and modernise how the system works.

The report considered the various pros and cons of including people’s details online before going on to list a number of arguments against publication.

These included: data protection concerns and complying with the wishes of objectors who do not want to be easily identifiable by the applicant.

Other factors used to argue in favour of the change include the time it takes staff to redact documents which, the report said, could result in slower decisions and poorer performance rates.

It also noted that “people get upset and concerned about any delay in seeing their comment online” and it went on to state that the council had received a number of complaints on this subject.

It also goes on to say that in relation to applications with a lot of objections, the representations can ‘clog up’ the online display of documents, making it more difficult for the public to find the drawings and documents that they are entitled to see.

Other factors that influenced the decision include the view that people should be able to submit their comments in their own words rather than copying what other people have said and that people can get “embroiled in public debate” with the council or others.

It points out that there is no obligation on planning authorities to display objectors’ details online and the practice of doing so at other planning authorities across the country is split approximately 50/50.

It goes on to say there is a legal obligation to report the number of representations made and to summarise the main issues that have been raised by these representations and that these practices will continue.

In explaining how it had come to its decision, the report states that there is “a fine balance to be struck in terms of what information is open to public inspection and what is published online”.

It reads: “On the one hand, the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) protects people’s personal information from misuse. This includes people’s names and addresses, signatures, personal phone numbers and personal email addresses. Misuse could include publishing such information online without their permission.

“On the other hand, Freedom of Information (FOI) regulations promote public access to information, and encourages public authorities to be open and transparent, with particular regard to be given to making available information pertinent to decisions that are made in the public interest.” Planning legislation specifies certain things that have to be in the ‘planning register’ and open to public inspection, but this does not necessarily mean that they have to be online.

The recommendation, which was approved by councillors, concludes: “The policies as described above bring the council’s procedures up-to-date with the latest Information Commissioner and Heads of Planning Scotland guidance.

“It means that people will continue to have access to the information that they need to comment on planning applications, whilst at the same time, their personal information will be protected in accord with the Data Protection Act.”