PLANS for a 21st Century football stadium in Worcester were thrown into confusion today when doubt was cast on councillors' votes for the ambitious scheme.

Supporters of the scheme believed that, at a full council meeting last month, councillors voted, in principle, for a 6,000-capacity Worcester City ground at Nunnery Way with an "enabling" development.

But, today, the city council's director of development services Stuart McNidder claimed there had been "a grey area in interpretation" and that particular decision had not been made.

His revelations were attacked by Worcester City FC chairman Dr Mike Sorensen as "quite outrageous and unacceptable," and city MP Mike Foster said he was "mystified."

After last December's meeting, a project team pressed ahead with investigating the site's potential. Members of the city council's development services policy & review committee were due to discuss the scheme tonight.

"Your reports and the football club thought that the council had formally supported the allocation for retail development in the local plan," said Mr McNidder.

"Our interpretation is that that's not what's been decided.

"The councillors were fully supportive of the club, but the retail park needs to be considered as part of the Local Plan

"There was a grey area in interpretation. One or two councillors have taken it up with Philip Betts, the City Solicitor.

"I apologise for not correcting you at the time about the December 11 vote, but it's not exactly a council officer's job. It would have come out tonight.

"Perhaps they (the councillors) didn't have the courage or wit to speak out against it. Tonight should be the night to stick their heads above the parapet."

Dr Sorensen said he found Mr McNidder's comments "totally unbelievable."

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"I was at the meeting and it was very clear what the unanimous vote was taken on and this was that the councillors voted unanimously in favour of relocation of the football club in tandem with B&Q developing the site," he said.

"Since the meeting several councillors - of their own volition - have come up to me and said how pleased they were we got unanimous support.

"The football club have minutes from the meeting and we will be taking further advice in this matter."

Worcester's MP said the revelation was all the more surprising "considering the large amount of coverage given by the Evening News."

"I'm mystified by the council now saying that is not what was voted for."