THE chief of a leading county sports club has launched a stinging criticism of Herefordshire Council planning committee procedures.

Andy Morris said that Westfields Football Club and Hereford Sixth Form College had been left 'totally devastated' by the committee's decision, by 10 votes to seven, to reject their partnership application for sporting development at the Moorhouse Fields site at Widemarsh Common in Hereford.

"This totally unexplainable decision followed on from the Hereford central area sub-committee planning meeting who overwhelmingly voted to grant the application and place the application before the full council for approval," said Morris, chief executive of Westfields.

Morris and Sixth Form College estates manager Stephen Scott-Lee sat in the public gallery at the meeting and were alarmed by some of the observations made.

He claims incorrect information was put forward and that committee members could have been misled by remarks concerning floodlighting and vehicular access.

"It should be pointed out that the county planning officer present at the central area planning meeting advised councillors that the proposed floodlighting satisfied planning criteria," he said.

Committee members from outside the area might have supported the application if this had been made plain, he claimed.

But there had been good support from city committee members.

"The ward councillor, Peter Evans, who represents the Holmer and Widemarsh Common area, was totally for the application and said so at the full meeting," he added.

Westfields, left without a ground by the sale of Thorn Lighting's site, and the Sixth Form College had applied to upgrade the Moorhouse Fields sports site.

Morris said that the sports field was private, had vehicular access, and they were seeking to erect a pavilion for the college, a small spectator shelter, car parking and a set of floodlights to meet the minimum criteria of the FA.

The application was supported in writing by Hereford MP Paul Keetch, the FA, Herefordshire Sports Council, Sport England and the National Playing Fields Association, along with county football leagues.

"Everyone connected with sport could see this was a straightforward application," he said.

Westfields, who provide football for youngsters from 11 to 18 years, as well as fielding two senior teams, will now meet again with their Sixth Form College partners to assess the situation.