CALLS are being made for Worcester to get a new £120,000 park near the city's riverside.

Conservative Councillor Chris Mitchell has challenged the city's Labour leadership about creating a play area in St Clement.

The area, which is near St John's and the riverside corridor, is the only council ward in the entire city without its own designated park.

The Tories are at loggerheads with the Labour cabinet over it amid confusion over exactly what was promised.

Councillor Mitchell was the city council's deputy leader until May and insists that the 2016/17 budget included a "clear plan" to spend £120,000 on a play zone for St Clement.

However the stance has bewildered Labour cabinet members, who say they know nothing about it and need time to investigate such a move.

The matter was raised during a full council meeting, where he said people in St Clement have waited long enough.

"The council approved this year's budget in which an additional £120,000 was allocated to the cleaner and greener department for parks and play areas," he said.

"There was a clear plan to use some of this funding to develop a new park in St Clement, the only ward in the city without a park.

"What progress has been made on delivering this park?"

But Councillor Jabba Riaz, the cabinet member for clean, green and leisure services, said the leadership knew nothing about it.

"I'm a little bit puzzled, neither I nor the officers can recall any clear plan for a park in St Clement," he said."

Councillor Mitchell said he was "very concerned" about the stance, telling the chamber: "Before we left office there was a clear plan to commit to a park in St Clement."

He challenged Labour to promise a new one now, but was told the leadership would need to examine the 'Knight Review' - a study into Worcester's parks compiled by Councillor Roger Knight - before making any such pledge.

In recent years the future of the city's play areas has become a political hot potato, with both major parties at loggerheads over it.

One play zone in Warndon was dismantled two years ago, sparking fury among residents..

In Battenhall a park near Cherry Orchard Primary School was razed to the ground in a suspected arson attack, leading to councillors demanding a replacement.