MALVERN Hills district councillor Tom Wells is to challenge a decision to spend money earmarked by for Malvern in Tenbury Wells, after casting doubt over its legality.

The authority's executive committee approved plans last month to spend £800,000 on county council sports schemes at Tenbury High School and Dyson Perrins CE High School in Malvern.

Coun Wells (Powyke), leader of the minority Liberal Democrat group on the district council, has now cast doubt on the legality of the decision, after accusing the council of "betrayal" when it was made.

The money was part of £1.3 million left over from the 'Malvern Millions' - raised from the sale of council housing - and Coun Wells said that it had previously promised all the money to projects in Malvern.

He will now question the committee's decision at Tuesday's meeting of the full council (May 7).

"I intend to ask the leader of the council to explain how it is that the executive committee was able to take the decision to run roughshod over existing policy," he said.

"When the housing was sold in 1997, Tenbury was part of Leominster. With Tenbury being in a different district council at that time, I'm not sure we have the power to spend that money in another area.

"I'm not sure if it's legal, let alone ethical."

Coun Wells also said that the call-in period - the length of time left to challenge decisions - had not been adhered to.

"The deal had been signed with the county council before the five days' call-in was up," he said. "It makes a mockery of the call-in process. My group wanted to call it in but there was no point. It's frustrating. We're not against spending the money at Dyson Perrins, what we are against is offering the money to Tenbury."