More planning decisions in Oxford are to be taken by the little-used strategic development control committee (SDCC).

City councillors have agreed that major applications, which could be considered to have city-wide impact, should no longer be decided by area committees.

These decisions will now go before the council's SDCC, rarely used since the original planning committee was replaced by six area committees last year.

Michael Crofton-Briggs, the council's new planning manager, and his team will decide which applications should go before the committee.

They are likely to involve residential developments of more than 150 bed spaces or retail outlets covering more than 3,000 sq m.

Colin Cook, executive member for planning, said the overhaul of the planning system was designed to give a greater consistency to decision-making.

But John Goddard, leader of the council's Liberal Democrat group, said there was no need to change a system working perfectly well.

He added: "The consistent theme is creeping centra- lisation."