OPPOSITION to a new M50 slip road at Sledge Green has continued to mount as Worcestershire County Council announced a new public exhibition for the plans.

The exhibition at Upton Memorial Hall has been provisionally booked for Thursday, May 22, from 1pm to 8pm.

But Upton councillors have attacked the plans and the recent Hanley Swan public consultation meeting.

They said efforts should be focused instead on raising the A4104 in the town as a means of keeping traffic flowing during times of flooding.

Mayor Eric White said he thought there should be a public meeting on the issue, not an exhibition.

Coun Simon Wilkinson agreed, saying: "There should be a public meeting in Upton which would also give the public the opportunity to view the various exhibits."

John Seddon, transportation road safety manager at the county council, said talks were due to take place on Tuesday (April 29) to finalise the exact format of the event.

He said it would cover not only the slip road but also the raising of the A4104 and improvements to the Worcester south junction of the M5.

A similar exhibition is planned nearer the proposed slip road site, possibly in Longdon or Pendock.

Sir Michael Spicer, MP for West Worcestershire, has written to Richard Wiggington, director of environmental services at the county council, expressing his disapproval of the plans.

"The proposed link from the A438 would be a complete waste of money as well as being environmentally detrimental," he said.

"Any public money available would be much better used to investigate ways of making the bridge at Upton-upon-Severn passable during severe flooding."

Town and county councillor Bob Bullock said he supported Sir Michael's views. The M50 project would use money that should be focused on raising the A4104 at Upton, he said.

"It won't contribute anything to Upton. It really has nothing to do with our flooding problem," he said.