Homeowners will no longer need planning permission to build conservatories, small extensions or loft conversions under Government plans published yesterday.

Restrictions would be lifted on all minor improvements judged by national guidelines to have no impact on their neighbours.

These include small wind turbines and solar panels.

Planning committees on local authorities would be expected to protect the interests of neighbours while focusing their time and energy on "genuinely difficult cases".

Sussex councillors said the new legislation was a "double-edged sword" which should be approached with caution.

While some welcomed the fact that small and "silly"

matters would no longer need so much paperwork, others said it was undemocratic for people to build on their homes without going through the official channels.

West Sussex County Council leader Henry Smith said: "I think it is a retrograde step.

"This is an aberration of a democratic council. At one end of the spectrum people would potentially be able to build extra rooms without it going through a committee and at the other end there could be all sorts of large developments built without the public having their say."

Coun Bob Carden, who has been on the planning committee at Brighton and Hove City Council for six years, said: "It could solve a lot of problems with people having to jump through a lot of hoops to get silly things done.

"Hopefully it will save us of sitting through hours and hours of committee meetings.

"At the moment you have to get permission for a garden shed and double glazing and it will be great if it does away with all that.

"But I am concerned about rooms in the roof and things like that. There are issues of overlooking. At the moment we are given just an outline of changes and we will have to look at the details carefully and proceed with caution."

Bob Sweetland, on the planning committee at Wealden District Council, said: "It is a double-edged sword.

"I support any move that makes the planning process faster but I have reservations.

"While it is good that we are trying to cut out bureaucracy I can see problems between neighbours when extensions are built."