Members of the town's planning committee heard at their meeting on June 30 of several cases where their comments were needed by a date that was already passed.

In one case, an application for a new house in Linwood Road was sent to Market Rasen on May 23 with a comment required within 21 days and in another, an amended application for 10 social housing dwellings on Linwood Chase was dated June 14 with a response required within 14 days.

In none of the cases had the applications been received by Market Rasen Town Council in time to be considered at their previous meeting on May 6 and, in both cases, the final date for comment had already passed before being brought before the committee on June 30.

However, commenting on the fact that there had been eight weeks between planning committee meetings, new committee chair Margaret Lakin-Whitworth said she would be checking every week to see if there were any plans that needed more urgent consideration.

"If I find there are I can call an immediate meeting," she said.

A spokesman for West Lindsey said an investigation was underway.

"If it turns out there has been an administrative error the system will be reviewed to try and ensure that this does not happen again as the authority very much values the grass-roots comments that parish councils make," he said.

Director of Planning, George Martin, said he was keen to stress that if a parish or town council feels it needs more time to comment on any individual application, the planning authority is normally able to allow this.