WORCESTER’S would-be MP has called for plans to build thousands of homes in the county to be scrapped.

Robin Walker, the Conservative’s parliamentary candidate for Worcester, said he thought there was a “real danger of Worcester being swallowed up in a gigantic West Midlands urban ‘agglomeration’ – an extended city or town area comprising the built-up area of a central place.”

He met residents in Claines and outlined what his party would do with the Labour government-led regional spatial strategy if they won the next general election.

We previously reported in your Worcester News how the plans could see more than 25,000 new homes built across the city, Malvern Hills and Wychavon over the next two decades.

A new round of public consultation is underway this autumn and residents are being pressed for their views in a questionnaire being posted to homes.

Mr Walker urged people to respond with their comments. Speaking at a public meeting organised by councillors and the Claines Green Belt Association, he said: “Through the planning process you can make a difference to the way in which sites will be developed and the extent to which Worcester’s green belt will be protected. However, the elephant in the room is that currently neither you nor our local councillors have any power to stop the juggernaut of regional planning that has decreed tens of thousands of new houses to be built in Worcestershire.

“The green belt will remain under threat and local needs will continue to be ignored until we get a change of government.”

We previously reported how Conservative-run councils in Worcester, Wychavon, and Malvern Hills have backed a six-month delay in submitting its strategy to the Government until after the next general election.

Mr Walker said if the Conservatives won power next spring they would hand control over to local councils and planners, as opposed to regional bodies.

“Under the existing regional plan there is a real danger of Worcester being swallowed up in a gigantic West Midlands urban agglomeration,” he added.

“This might suit the Labour party but it doesn’t suit Worcester. We must get a change of government to stop these plans and give local people real power over local planning.”

Worcester’s MP Mike Foster has previously said there is a real need for the extra homes to be built because of a severe lack of affordable housing in the city and beyond.