DROITWICH Town Council will have to pay for the recent parish poll over the lido issue.

There was a possibility Wychavon District Council may foot the bill - which came to about £11,000 - after a motion requesting it pays it was submitted by the town council - but now that has been rejected.

Spokesman for SALT, Ian Wild, said: "I think it would have been a marvellous act of good faith on the part of Wychavon District Council to pay for this vital poll and what a pity it has missed that opportunity.

"We have only just learnt Wychavon District Council had no intention of paying for the poll from the outset and if that is the case then shame on it for not communicating that fact properly to the town before we decided to go ahead."

Spokeswoman for Wychavon District Council, Anne-Marie Darroch, said the council acted as any business providing an election service.

She said: "Wychavon District Council was never planning to pay for the parish poll. It is our policy to get the parish itself to pay for any polls it has, because otherwise it means council tax payers for the whole district have to foot the bill."

Mayor Richard Morris said: "My only worry is in respect of the town council. We don't have a vast amount of money so the problem is the knock-on effect - meaning we can't use the money for something else."

He added: "I understand why Wychavon District Council could not pay for this poll, because it would have set a precedent. However, it is the public's right to have a parish poll if that is what it wants.

"It is an important part of democracy and it is important that people have a say when they feel they are not being heard."