THE chairman of a key Malvern Town Council committee has resig-ned after criticism of advice it gave over the Croftdown School redevelopment.

Planning committee chairman Coun Keith Smith has decided to step down following criticism by town and district councillor Roger Hall-Jones of its stance on the housing scheme for the school site.

Coun Hall-Jones also questioned the need for the town council to have a planning committee, which comments on applications before they are discussed by Malvern Hills District Council.

Coun Smith has also announced his resignation as a committee member.

On the Croftdown plan, the committee called for improvements to the access, which would have entailed the demolition of a Malvern Stone wall and a row of yew trees.

MHDC passed the application on November 19 without following the town council's recommendation.

At a town council meeting on November 31, Coun Hall-Jones said if the advice had been followed it would have constituted the "biggest violation of the Conservation Area ever".

But Coun Smith defended both the advice and the role of the committee.

"As far as I can see, there is not a parish or town council in the country that does not have a planning committee, and planning is one of the most important things we deal with," he said.

He said he has "had enough" of attacks and was standing down to "let someone else have a go".

Coun Hall-Jones said his comments were not an attack on Coun Smith, but he questioned the need for 25 town councillors to look at plans then decided on by 16 district members.

"It is simply my campaign to stop waste and duplication," he said."I have no objection to the town council occasionally having input on the planning process, but to have a whole committee, with all the cost and administration it involves, is a waste."