A DEBATE on the expansion of Worcestershire led to an unprecedented political revolt at the city council.

Two members of the Tory-controlled authority, one a cabinet member and one an ex-Mayor, voted against any extra house building at all.

Councillor Gareth Jones, former Mayor, and cabinet member Coun Francis Lankester went against council wishes to adopt a plan for 47,300 new homes in the county by 2026. The duo said they could not support any big housing expansion plan without a guarantee the infrastructure would be developed first.

Coun Lankester said "it was "unacceptable" to have to put forward an opinion without knowing the facts on infrastructure.

The council had a final say on the future housing expansion of Worcestershire by approving option two for the region, which is 491,200 homes for Worcestershire, including 47,300 in the county. The option was passed by 25 votes to six - with three abstentions.

This would bring 11,800 homes to Worcester, Leader Coun Simon Geraghty said: "This option is the one we are putting forward as a recommendation for the West Midlands as a whole, but there will have to be variations across the region, particularly in the shires. The question we need to ask ourselves is, what is our vision for the city, and what kind of city do we want to be.

"We need to make sure our vision if progressive and that Worcester creates the wealth for the county."

Meanwhile, Wychavon District Council has given a cautious nod to plans to expand the county by 47,300 homes.

It also opted for option two, which would mean an additional 11,600 homes for the district at Tuesday's full council meeting at Pershore's Civic Centre.

However, the council feels it would be inappropriate to impose even modest growth without adequate infrastructure being put in place.