A HEARTFELT plea has been made to the people of Bromsgrove to back plans to build a shop, greenhouse and poly tunnels in Sanders Park for use by people with learning disabilities.

The appeal comes from Councillor Philip Gretton, a Tory for Redditch, who is the county council cabinet member responsible for adult and community services.

It follows a story in last week's Advertiser/Messenger in which we told how the park's landlord, Bromsgrove District Council, was set against granting planning permission to build in the popular park off Kidderminster Road.

On Monday Cllr June Griffiths (Con-Alvechurch), the district's cabinet member responsible for leisure, repeated her comment of the previous week saying that while she supports the work done by Greenscope, she remains 'adamant' that the plan will not materialise.

But she promised help for Greenscope to find an alternative site. Meanwhile self-appointed open space preservation watchdogs Our Bromsgrove claims the plan is contrary to the wishes of the Misses Sanders, who bequeathed the land to the town more than 50 years ago.

The application has been made by the charity Greenscope which is supported by Worcestershire County Council. It provides training and development skills for adults with disabilities in Bromsgrove. Its aim is to offer people greater choice in their lives and to work towards becoming more independent.

Cllr Gretton feared the article may have 'distorted' residents' views of Greenscope and its work.

"These are local people being supported to live successfully in their own community," he said. "Long gone are the days when people with disabilities were kept out of sight in institutionalised buildings. They deserve to be involved in the local community and be supported by it."

Greenscope, presently situated off Stourbridge Road, is a not-for-profit organisation. Profits from plant sales are ploughed back into purchasing goods and equipment.

Cllr Gretton went on to say that the application is for a small building, a greenhouse and two plastic tunnels situated near similarly proportioned buildings on largely unused rough grass fenced off from the main park.

"This scheme and location is an ideal way for local people with a disability to be more involved in the local community, and I urge Bromsgrove residents to embrace this opportunity to support local people," he said.

But his plea has sparked an angry response from the district council's Conservative deputy leader Margaret Taylor, who is also the portfolio holder for planning.

"I appreciate the county council's need to put forward its case, but this verges on the discourteous and in my opinion is an unwarrantable interference in a neighbouring authority's business."