THE leader of Malvern Hills District Council is urging politicians to do a sensational U-turn over an ailing county housing blueprint – with opponents saying they are “staggered” by the appeal.

Councillor David Hughes believes many of those who voted down the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) earlier this month “did not fully realise the implications” of what they did.

The council is going to give members a vote on either approving the document or rejecting it for good on Monday, December 10.

It comes despite councillors voting earlier this month to send the SWDP, which earmarks land for 23,000 properties between now and 2030, back to the drawing board over controversial plans for an urban extension of 700 homes at Newland.

Coun Hughes said: “Since the November council meeting, I have been working hard to represent this council’s views and it has become very clear to me that a number of my fellow councillors did not fully realise the implications of their decision when they voted previously.

“In particular, they did not realise that it would cause a fracture in the SWDP partnership with Worcester City and Wychavon councils and thereby cause each council to have to prepare a separate Local Plan.”

He insisted the meeting will be “a final opportunity” for fellow politicians to clarify their positions over the blueprint.

But the plea had cut little ice with critics, who say the public will find it hard to accept people changing their minds.

Councillor Clive Smith, one of those who voted for it to be revised, said: “I am staggered and amazed that this has come back. David Hughes has got a mandate from this council from when he met at the Bank House and this is out of order and without precedent.

He said he was in no doubt councillors would reject the SWDP again. “The votes are still on the floor to throw it out and it will be thrown out,” he said.

Councillor Tom Wells, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “It’s the leadership and officers who have dragged their feet which has put the council in this position.”

Worcester City Council will have a vote on the same day, while Wychavon will take it to their politicians on Tuesday, December 18.

􀁥 A leading Worcester councillor has delivered a withering attack on politicians in Malvern – saying they were “irresponsible”

to throw out the plan.

Councillor Robert Rowden, deputy chairman of the city council’s planning committee, said the decision was “silly” and could lead to unwanted homes springing up in the county. He challenged Malvern’s councillors to use “common sense”.