COUNCIL bosses have denied accusations of “land grabbing” as they look into the possibility of adding a neighbouring parish to Wyre Forest.

District councillors approved plans to ask the Local Government Boundary Commission to consider the case for including Hartlebury, which currently falls under Wychavon, in the district of Wyre Forest.

The move has been prompted by the Boundary Commission’s proposal to include Hartlebury into the Wyre Forest Parliamentary Constituency – a plan welcomed by MP Mark Garnier.

Leader Councillor Marcus Hart told a full council meeting that they were just asking the commission to look at their proposal to “see if it had any legs”.

But the plan has been criticised by opposition members while their counterparts on Wychavon District and Hartlebury Parish Councils criticised a lack of consultation with them.

Sheridan Tranter, chairman of Hartlebury Parish Council said: “There has been no dialogue with us, neither has there been any talks with Wychavon District Council. This is regrettable and difficult to understand.

“The parish council needs to know what advantages this will give to us and for Wyre Forest District Council.”

Wyre Forest Liberal Democrat group leader Fran Oborski read out a letter from Wychavon District Council leader Linda Robinson to Councillor Hart in which she said she felt “aggrieved” and “disappointed” that there had been no debate or discussion with them about the proposal prior to the committee meeting papers being released on September 21.

She also said that Councillor Robinson had requested a copy of the letter be sent to all Wyre Forest District councillors – something Councillor Hart did not do.

Councillor Oborski added: “This is being perceived as a land grab and appears to be grossly discourteous to our colleagues in Wychavon and to the people and parish of Hartlebury.”

But Councillor Hart stressed that this was a proposal in its very early stages and they were just asking the Boundary Commission to consider it.

He said: “This is not about land grabbing or having tanks on the border of Wychavon ready to invade it. It is a sensible proposal that merits consideration.

“There is no intention to be discourteous to anybody and there is no intention to ignore or not to consult.

“There are parliamentary boundary proposals that they are all already being consulted on. Our council papers were made public and I have ensured our chief executive has spoken directly to the chief executive of Wychavon District Council about this.

“I have also arranged a meeting with the leader of Wychavon on October 13 to talk to her about this face to face. I missed the request to circulate her letter to all members and for that I apologise.”