Developers have the right of appeal

Instead, it is understood that the Scottish Executive is looking at root and branch planning reform, with added safeguards for communities.

There has been intense lobbying between business and environmental campaigners.

Communities Minister Margaret Curran has expressed concern that appeals may damage economic growth, but insisted no decision had been made.

At the moment, developers can appeal to the executive if a council turns them down.

However, third parties - local community objectors - have no such right of appeal and environmental campaigners believe that is unfair.

'Appeal support'

Duncan MacLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "There's overwhelming support from communities for a new right to appeal and they, and many of their MSPs, will rightly feel betrayed if this is what happens."

Business groups have warned that the planning system is already complicated and that any further burdens will deter growth.

Iain MacMillan, director of CBI Scotland, said: "The fact is that if third party rights of appeal are brought in, it won't just block business development and industrial development, it will block environmental and social developments."

The outcome of the public consultation will influence our decision on the matter, and there are still arguments to be heard Margaret Curran Communities minister

It is thought the executive will sanction widespread reform in an effort to clarify the system.

But ministers are understood to have cooled on third party right of appeal and are instead looking for other ways to enhance community rights at the front end of the process.

A backbench MSP who launched a private member's bill to introduce third party right of appeal in September 2003 has accused the executive of bowing to big business.

The proposed legislation from the Scottish National Party's Sandra White was stopped from going further by the launch of the executive's own consultation on the issue.

Ms White said: "They gave people false hope and then they pulled the rug from under their feet. I am now going to resurrect my own bill."

Environmental justice

The Green Party claimed the executive's commitment to environmental justice was "just a bad joke".

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said: "The idea that giving people rights to appeal planning decisions will affect the economy has been shown to be unfounded by research coming out of Ireland."

But the communities minister firmly denied any decision had been taken on the issue ahead of the end of the consultation period next month.

Ms Curran said: "We are making no firm proposals or recommendations on the way ahead.