WORCESTER'S Conservatives are snubbing cross-party talks over getting the city's football club back home - calling it a "sham".

Councillor Marc Bayliss says he will refuse to engage with Labour and the Green Party over hunting for an alternative site for Worcester City FC after hopes of a rainbow-style power sharing coalition fell apart.

It came as:

- Worcester City Council revealed it still needs three "essential" reports from the club's supporters' trust before it can even consider the Perdiswell planning application

- New leader Councillor Adrian Gregson admitted to having some reservations about funding the costs for a new application at an alternative site

- The supporters' trust published a statement suggesting the Perdiswell bid will be considered by planners in June, something the council believes is highly unlikely

As the Worcester News revealed yesterday, the Greens do not want a new stadium at Perdiswell and are going to set up a joint working party to hunt for a different site.

The Greens, which are propping up the new Labour leadership, want the panel to have one representative from all three political parties, with a view to paying the football club or trust to submit a fresh planning application at a different site.

But today, Councillor Bayliss said: "We won't be taking part in any 'cross party' talks.

"We'll still be talking to the supporters' trust and the club, but we won't be participating in this sham with Labour and the Greens.

"It was something we'd talked about under a multi-party deal before the Greens buckled and sided with Labour."

The snub came as Councillor Gregson admitted that he still needed to be convinced the costs of any new planning application should be met by the council.

The Labour leader is being pushed by the Greens over meeting the bill, to nullify concerns from the supporters' trust about it being unaffordable to start again.

Councillor Gregson: "That's something we'd need to look at - what we don't want to do is set an awkward precedent."

The Labour leadership is still firmly backing the Perdiswell bid - unlike the Greens - but has committed to having the talks over possible alternatives.

Meanwhile, the supporter's trust released a statement last night saying "don't despair and don't panic" to fans.

It also praised the council, saying an attempt at a "tri-party approach" for alternative sites is "preferable" but added: "We look forward to the (Perdiswell) application being recommended for approval and going before the new-look planning committee in June."

But today, a city council spokesman revealed the trust still needed to submit three "essential reports" on highways, the impact a stadium would have on Perdiswell's Conservation Area, and the loss of open space.

The spokesman added: "Once those three essential reports are submitted, there will also need to be a new public consultation."

It means the decision on Perdiswell is still potentially some months away - and if planning permission is allowed, the council would still need to decide separately whether to lease the land or not.

A spokesman today added that July is a possible date for the stadium application, but it all depends on what progress can be made over the next few weeks.

* EXCLUSIVE: Worcester City FC Perdiswell stadium dream in tatters? Labour agrees Green Party demand to hunt for different site