THE city council has been accused of giving the football club preferential treatment in order to help it build a new 6,000-seater stadium.

On the second day of a public inquiry, Spetchley Road Residents' Association said the council's decision to back a change to the Local Plan, which would allow the bulky goods retail development the club says is necessary to fund a new ground, flouted both national and local planning guidance.

Keith Burton, association chairman, said the group objected in the strongest possible terms to what he called the "erosion of the countryside".

Constraints

"Football has a place in the community but it has to be put in perspective," he said.

Mr Burton said that only one in every 100 Worcester residents attended matches.

"The football club should not be given preferential treatment and should not be allowed to drive a coach and horses through planning constraints," he added.

The barrister for the city council, Michael Bedford, agreed with Mr Burton that a new stadium and retail development on Nunnery Way would have an adverse effect on the city's green network.

But he added that the decision to support a change to the Local Plans was a question of balance.

"There is an adverse effect and one has to look at the significance of that and balance that with providing a stadium," he said.

The inquiry is due to finish on Friday, when Worcester City Football Club will make its case to the independent planning inspector.