A SENIOR Worcester city councillor has admitted three controversial supermarket applications were discussed among Conservative colleagues before official meetings.

The council's deputy leader, Stephen Inman, said the issues surrounding the applications had been talked about in advance of special technical services meetings held on Tuesday, February 27, and Monday, March 5, this year to discuss proposals by Safeway, Sainsbury's and Asda.

But he denied the discussions breached the councillors' code of conduct.

The chairman of the former technical services committee made the statement after a question from Labour Councillor Jo Hodges at last night's full council meeting.

Coun Inman said a whole range of matters were brought up, including the agenda of the policy and resources meeting the following day and bus fares.

"We went on to talk about the supermarket applications in terms of things like flooding in the red zone and the deliveries of goods," he told the council.

"I don't accept discussing these issues is a breach of the code of conduct.

"There was no pressure on any councillor. They had an open mind on the applications when they made their decisions."

But Coun Hodges put it to Coun Inman that the discussion had not been "good, or accepted practice", and suggested it was behind the resignation of Conservative Councillor Gary Kibblewhite.

She also claimed Coun Inman's answer was different to the one given at a full council meeting on Tuesday, March 6.

Coun Hodges said she had then asked former Worcester Mayor, Coun Mary Drinkwater, if "the Conservative group had ever held a group meeting to discuss, among other things, supermarket planning applications in St John's or the city centre site?"

The reply was: "No, I can assure you that we have not."

Coun Hodges said the supermarkets and the public would not be pleased that members attended the technical services meetings with pre-determined views.

"How can you reassure the three interested parties with planning practices like these?" she said.

But Coun Inman maintained Conservatives had never held a meeting to decide voting tactics on the applications.