A major review of a "chaotic" planning department is under way following complaints about the time it takes to get developments agreed.

Residents, architects, businesses and builders have been tearing their hair out at delays in getting the go-ahead for building work in Brighton and Hove.

Last year, less than a third of all planning applications submitted to the city's planning department were dealt with within the Government's recommended eight-week time scale.

There has been a slight improvement in recent months but half of all minor developments, such as changes to double-glazed windows or doors, are still taking more than two months to be approved.

Opposition councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council are demanding a faster service.

The hard-pressed department has also been dealing with controversial developments, such as the Brighton station site, Falmer stadium and the King Alfred development on Hove seafront.

Some under-pressure staff have left the department.

David Panter, chief executive of the city council, has instigated a review into the department to see how it can be made more efficient.

He wants a huge improvement on last year, when only 31.4 per cent of applications were processed in eight weeks.

Opposition parties are demanding a quick fix to the department's problems.

Leader of the Tory opposition Brian Oxley said: "Things are chaotic in the planning department. We have had many complaints. I know of one person who has been waiting for months to change the size of a window in his flat.

"We also need consistency."

Journalist Gerry Woolf, 48, has been dealing with the city services department, which has responsibility for planning.

He is seeking to improve his bungalow which backs on to the Downs in Westmeston Avenue, Rottingdean.

Mr Woolf put in an application for a loft conversion, received by planners on April 4.

There were no objections from neighbours. He received his first acknowledgement on May 27.

Following a discussion with his architect and builder, he decided to make minor amendments to the extension.

Thinking the work would easily be granted, Mr Woolf was surprised and angry to receive a letter last week saying: "The amendments are not only different but very substantial and will now require a new application."

Mr Woolf said: "This is crazy. The department is saying it is overloaded with work, yet it is creating an extra application for no reason at all.

"Mine is a fairly straightforward application and they don't seem to be able to cope with it.

"Goodness knows how they cope with things like the Falmer stadium."

Bob Carden, acting chairman of the city planning committee, said: "We are seeking to turn the tide and looking at ways of doing this, such as increasing levels of staff.

"We have a very good record on appeals because we deal with all applications very thoroughly.

"Taxpayers would be the first to complain if we rushed through applications and were then constantly challenged in the High Court.

"There are a lot of resident and conservation groups in Brighton and Hove who put in objections and ideas regarding developments and these all add to the time each application is assessed."

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "We know there is a backlog. We have already employed extra temporary workers."