CALLS for the resignation of a Stourport county councillor have provoked a political row in the town.

The storm, between the political parties, Health Concern and Labour, is over Stourport's much-needed relief road scheme. It erupted as Health Concern this week launched a campaign to fight for the new road.Councillor Jill Fairbrother-Millis, co-ordinator of the Lets Get Stourport Moving campaign, with MP Dr Richard Taylor and butcher Martyn McDonnell, of McDonnell's Butchdrs, who are backing the fight for the road to be built.

There had been hopes there would be cross-party unity in the forthcoming battle over the future of the road improvement scheme.

Wyre Forest Labour district councillor Albert Adams claims Health Concern county councillor John Gordon is unable to put Stourport's case in county council debate concerning the multi-million pound scheme because he has had to declare a pecuniary interest and is effectively gagged from talking about anything to do with it.

He says this is particularly worrying as Councillor Gordon is the only member for Wyre Forest to sit on Worcestershire County Council 's key decision-making forum, the cabinet.

Councillor Adams, the member for Areley Kings on Wyre Forest District Council, said: "John Gordon is a member of the key decision-making body on the county council yet, because he has had to declare an interest in this matter, he cannot speak on behalf of Wyre Forest DC in debate on this road.

"All we are asking is he steps down and another Health Concern councillor takes his place in the cabinet who can fight our corner."

A furious Councillor Gordon said: "This is just political mischief making. I have no intention whatever of resigning. I speak on nearly every single other Wyre Forest issue which comes up at county council and have done for four years. To ask me to resign because I have had to follow legal advice and declare an interest, because of where I happen to live, is ludicrous."

He said his position on the relief road prior to his declaration was a matter of record, although he could not discuss this now.

The road recently became an even hotter issue with the emergence of two other competing schemes, in Redditch and Worcester. A decision is due this year on which of the three schemes wins county council backing for central government funding.

This week Health Concern launched a campaign to press Worcestershire County Council to make the Stourport scheme its first choice.

Stourport district councillor Jill Fairbrother-Millis, who is co-ordinating the campaign, said: "I have visited 20 businesses in the town centre so far. They have all agreed to take one of our petitions for customers to sign."

She said she was still hopeful, in spite of the row, the campaign, which had the backing of Wyre Forest MP Richard Taylor, might be able to gain cross-party support .

Stourport County Councillor Jim Parish, who is heading the campaign, said: "We have got to get all parties behind us - not just Health Concern."