DROITWICH will become a ghost town if plans for a supermarket, health spa and canal do not go ahead, Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff has warned.

The work of groups opposing plans to build a Waitrose in High Street and redevelop the Lido could ruin Droitwich's best opportunity to transform it into a thriving spa town, the MP and members of Wychavon District Council claim.

Mr Luff has described the groups as "wrong and mischievous".

"They claim to represent Droitwich but there's only one body that represents the people and that's the democratically-elected town council," he said.

"At the moment there's nothing to bring people here."

Mr Luff said future generations would pay the price if the developments were not built now.

The council's managing director Sid Pritchard said there were hundreds of other towns crying out for developments like these.

"We want to turn Droitwich back into one of the foremost Spa towns in the country for which it's historically known," he said.

"Backers are lining up to invest millions of pounds into the town and this is one window of opportunity we can't afford to miss."

Malcom Meikle, leader of the council, warned all the protesting could deter the investors such as Waitrose and Calypso.

"If you were a company looking to build somewhere and the you had people constantly complaining would you still want to build there?" Coun Meikle asked.

"In my lifetime I've seen Droitwich become a has-been town.

"Wychavon members and officers have worked hard to reach the point where there could be an investment of some £20m plus in Droitwich, but there are those who are deliberately setting out to obstruct. Everybody's entitled to an alternative view but that isn't what I'm talking about.

"Plans to list the Lido would do nothing but make the whole thing go kaput."

Coun Meikle said it was possible that if one scheme folded it could have a knock-on effect of deterring the others.

Mr Luff said the objectors were in the vast minority and the silent majority of residents in Droitwich were in favour of the plans.

In an attempt to broadcast the positive aspects of various schemes, Wychavon has published an information pack, The Regeneration of Droitwich Spa.

The pack looks at all the positive aspects of the three schemes and how they would bring jobs and regenerate tourism in the area.

The documents and plans for the Waitrose application are on display at the One Stop Shop in Droitwich.