A Winchester councillor will face tough questions from colleagues after he admitted breaking planning rules.

Frank Pearson thought it was better not to declare he was a councillor when he submitted an application to build a conservatory on to his Swanmore house for fear of preferential treatment.

But as a first-time councillor he failed to read up on the protocol that he was obliged to let the planning department know so the application could go through a special procedure.

Cllr Pearson said: "It was just so ironic. I was purposely trying to distance myself from the application, as it was in my wife's name so the application did not get any special treatment.

"In fact I should have known that I had to do so to make sure it was heard by the planning committee.

"I hold my hands up to it. I was wrong but I didn't know but as they say in law ignorance is no defence."

By the time the representative for Swan-more and Newtown ward realised his mistake the application for his Mayhill Lane home had already been approved by council officers under delegated powers.

He said: "When I discovered my mistake I made it known and the application was then put through in front of the full planning committee as it should have done in the first place."

As a new councillor Mr Pearson underwent training in all aspects of council policy, but in light of his error he said that needed to be reviewed. "I know that I should have been more thorough in my reading of the rules but during the training the issue was not touched on," he said.

I believe that part could do with being underlined."

The view was supported by Winchester council after a spokesman confirmed a review of the training was ongoing.

He said: "We put a new policy in place for new and experienced councillors covering planning procedure and as with any new framework there have been comments and improvements suggested. I am sure this will also be noted.

"There was an error made here but the application has gone through the correct procedure now."

Despite rectifying his blunder, Cllr Pearson is still expected to go before Winchester's standards committee next week to explain the mistake.